And this book's about...

Have you ever thought about picking up and moving to another country? To a place where you could rediscover your passion, learn a new language, meet intriguing people and in a sense, re-invent yourself? Whether you are contemplating a move to México or have already taken the plunge, MAGIC MADE IN MEXICO vividly describes the country and explains its nuances. This information will increase your comfort on many levels. It will allow you to see the humor, revel in the wonder and at the same time, realistically examine the challenges this change of lifestyle will bring to you.

MAGIC MADE IN MEXICO consists of three main sections—each almost a book in itself! It also features a condensed account of how my husband and I started and still successfully run our own business in México. To further increase your enjoyment and knowledge, a suggested reading list provides the names of other informative and interesting books about the country.

In the first part, “JOANNA’S STORY”, you will read about how I met the man who would become my husband and how I moved to México to be with him. That happened 35 years ago and in the process I became part of the magic that encompasses this corner of the world. I´ve lived such amazing adventures and yes, from time to time have struggled with homesickness and cultural clashes. I’m certain that reading about my life will validate some of the doubts you may have and at the same time, will strengthen your resolve to forge a new path and build a completely different, exciting life for yourself.

The second part of the book is a detailed guide that will shed light on many of the cultural shocks you might experience or are already experiencing as you start your new life. “THE ALPHABET” features anecdotes and practical tips that will both increase your appreciation of, and ease your way in adapting to the unique culture and customs of México… from A to Z.

In the third section of this book, “OUR COUNTRY – OUR STATE – OUR CITY”, you will find a condensed, concise, history of México (and the Yucatán). Many of your questions about pre-Columbian México, the Spanish Conquest, Independence and our Republic up to the modern day will be answered while reading through the easy-to-follow pages. Learning about the past, in turn, will increase your understanding of present-day México.

Settling into life in this very diverse country is full of fun and feistiness. México seduces like a Latin lover, and every day you’ll be surprised by the people’s warmth and kindness; the vibrant music; delicious cuisine; sultry climate; and vivid colors of this land—a feast for every one of the senses. I moved to México in 1976—it certainly was a very different place all those years ago. Reading about how my life has evolved will provide you with the time perspective that is necessary to truly understand its day-to-day culture and customs

I feel lucky to live here. Although I love the country of my birth, here I feel more alive. For me, moving to México was like waking up from a long sleep. Such a change…at any age…is a very good thing!

Reviews:

Press release from David Bodwell,  November 30, 2010

A New book for expats, would-be expats, snowbirds and would-be snowbirdsI would like to announce the new book from Editorial Mazatlán, Magic Made in Mexico: Live Your Dream…in Mexico, by Joanna van der Gracht de Rosado. Joanna, a young, naïve tour guide from Canada, met—and married—a native Yucateco thirty-five years ago and has made a life in México ever since. An “insider” with an outsider’s perspective, she gives a wonderful portrait of México and the new “international” culture vs the Mexican way…a practical and clear eyed look at the adjustments one needs to make as a stranger in a strange (and sometimes “magical”) land. The book begins with Joanna’s own story, but most of the book is given over to advice about adapting to living in México from A to Z. This is NOT a nuts-and-bolts book about moving to México (there are good ones already easily available –  but a step-by-step guide on how to successfully ADAPT to living in México. Every new expat or snowbird and certainly all who are considering making the move to México or only spending the winter months here should read this book. It’s not only fascinating and fun, but it’s absolutely loaded with invaluable advice on how to successfully live in México. I guarantee there isn’t anything like it available. It’s unique. Magic Made in Mexico will be available in México after the official release December 4th. The price in Mexico is $275 Mexican pesos. It will be available in the U.S.A. and Canada about December 15th. The price in the U.S.A. will be $17.95 U.S.dollars and in Canada the price will be $19.95 Canadian dollars.

October 6, 2010                                                                                                                  

What  begins as the engaging tale of a cross-cultural romance soon becomes the story of a deep relationship with the country and culture that Joanna van der Gracht Rosado married into more than 30 years ago. She is a wise and candid guide for those of us who are following our own dream of a place of our own in Mexico, and a captivating storyteller for other, more sensible souls. With sweetness but not sugar-coating, van der Gracht de Rosado describes the challenges along with the rewards of this beautiful, complicated place  

 — Deborah Wilson   CBC Radio   Victoria, BC, Canada 

 *****

October 6, 2010

“A success story of the best kind, Magic Made in Mexico is an open-hearted story of a    Canadian traveler swept off her feet by a Mexican caballero (gentleman). It is also a portrait of the people of Merida and the Yucatan, a chronicle of the dizzying changes and crises of the past few decades, and a bouquet of wise advice.”

— C.M. Mayo, author of The Last Prince of the Mexican Empire

*****

 

 

 November 3, 2010 Magic Made in Mexico                                                                 

Seize the moment. That is just what Joanna van der Gracht did when she met the man in Mexico who would soon become her husband. It took guts and Joanna wasn’t always sure that she had done the right thing. In this engrossing and captivating memoir that covers ?  years,  we are taken on a wonderful trip that explores relationships,  work, and especially the challenge of living in a foreign country. With humor, humbleness and sensitivity Joanna gives us vignettes of events and circumstances that arise when we try to live in another culture.  I found it compelling from beginning until to end.

— Caren Cross.  Film director of Lost and Found in Mexico

*****

15 November 2010

 Adapt!  Adapt!  Adapt!                                                                                                                      

If ever there were a battle cry for expats, this is it…Adapt!

What sets this book apart is that it chronicles real life.  It’s also the story nearly every “single” expat hopes for, ignoring the down times, and wanting to live happily ever after in another country.  That her challenges were tougher than those of many is true.  But she prevailed.

Nonetheless, it was not as though Joanna were accepted immediately into the bosom of the Mérida community.  Not just miniskirts and love beads got in the way but Joanna herself did.  She is no fading violet.  She didn’t want to sit around with the women and gossip about telenovellas or who wore what where.  She wanted to be in the midst of conversations about Mérida and the Yucatán and the way things worked in that part of the country. 

Also consider.  Not only did she choose the rough road of love and marriage and children.  She also chose to write about Mérida for a México City English language newspaper ; decided to become the organizer of other expat English-speaking women into the first International Women’s Club in Mérida; and then finally, with her husband Jorge, actually launched a successful and still growing, degree-awarding college for tourism administration and modern languages.

Life forced her to find various ways to adapt.

In that sense, in an unconventional way, this is a How-To book.  Readers of Magic Made in Mexico will relate with Joanna’s 35 year perspective of life in this country. Knowing about her initial struggles will validate their own, often confusing challenges.

They will be further assisted with their own adaptation by the anecdotal advice she shares in the second part of the book. The Alphabet presents a series of cultural explanations from A to Z.

Joanna says that learning about a country’s past will help expats to make sense of their present circumstances. In keeping with this, the book’s third section, takes readers on brief, chronological review of Mexico’s history.

A short description of how Joanna and Jorge began and still operate their college and a suggested reading list are the final additions to this complete guide for new international residents in Mexico.

But most of all, it is a love story that won’t make men wince.

— Barbara Bode  Barrio Santiago  Mérida Centro  Yucatán, México

*****

Anyone lured by idea of moving to Mexico either short-term or semi-permanently after retiring, needs to sit down with a copy of Joanna van der Gracht de Rosado’s  book Magic Made in Mexico.

In 1976, Joanna was a 23-year-old Canadian from Vancouver B.C., who fell head-over-heels for both the country (and her future husband). After impulsively moving soon after to Merida, she quickly learned that she had a lot to learn – from local customs, cuisine and household routines to earning acceptance from her in-laws and other locals.

Over the ensuing years, despite bouts of homesickness and challenges in establishing her own career, Joanna flourished personally and professionally.

Thirty-five years later, Joanna is uniquely able to share practical advice with other Canadians or Americans so they can better understand and  appreciate Mexico as their new home.

Denise Helm  Online News Editor  Victoria Times Colonist  Victoria, B.C., Canada

*****