July 31 , 2016
Mental illness disrupts a Spanish family in New Mexico until a brave father steps forward
LAS VEGAS, N.M. -- Sunbury Press has released Mela Suse Vigil Duran Carvalko's memoir of her childhood titled Maybe Tomorrow. About the Book: A FAMILY THAT CONFRONTS THE FORCES OF MENTAL ILLNESS, AND LEARNS THAT NO BURDEN IS SO HEAVY AS TO DEFEAT AN ETERNAL LOVE. Quite apart from other memoirs, the author captivates the reader's attention, by painting a portrait of mental illness through the eyes of a child. As a child growing up during the 40s and 50s, in the rural Spanish farming communities of New Mexico/Colorado, she recounts her father's courage and refusal to accept the finality of his wife's mental illness, and how he single-handedly raised four daughters, teaching them what it means to survive, drawing strength from the pride of self-worth, and the humility of self-reliance. Excerpt: I have come full circle to the land of my father's birth, Rociada, New Mexico, where I breathe in the aspirations of my ancestors, where I hear the swish of their scythe against the wheat, their plough turning a stubborn, bounteous earth, where I see the rutted and hooved reliefs of wagons and beasts, burdens, which led directly to a remarkable life, one guided by a dream of an angel sitting on my shoulder, watching over me. The screams frightened me beyond verbal description, but this fright was quickly supplanted by the even greater one of not knowing where I was going and what waited for me at the top. We climbed the metal grated stairs, each step causing vibrations that made me feel they would collapse at any moment. The higher we climbed, the louder the screams became. I was afraid to go on, but afraid of what was behind me. As we ascended, my heart beat faster with each step. I felt sick to my stomach wondering what evil waited for me, but I never complained, and did what was expected of me. By the age of three I had learned to control my emotions, and as I grew older, I found that self-control in the face of the unknown would help me survive. As we neared the top, I could hear doors creak open in front of us and slam shut behind us. When we reached the final step, we came to a lobby with a long hallway. The door closings reverberated off the high ceiling and masonry walls; harsh lights overhead reflected off shiny, off-white, dirty-beige, and pea-green walls. The floors were covered with hard linoleum squares, worn, scuffed, and cracked, and though polished to a high sheen, every square was embedded with the dirt of half a century. About the Author: MELA SUŚE VIGIL DURAN CARVALKO has spent many years investigating the genealogy of Spanish families that settled in San Miguel/Mora counties, New Mexico. In addition to documenting her accounts of the life and times during the mid-twentieth century, she devotes time as an artist and musician. She studied art at Sacred Heart University and mentored under impressionist artist Albert Werner. Currently she lives between New Mexico and the east coast with her husband, three cats and dog Leila. Maybe Tomorrow Authored by Mela Suse Vigil Duran Carvalko List Price: $19.95 6" x 9" (15.24 x 22.86 cm) Black & White on Cream paper 280 pages Sunbury Press, Inc. ISBN-13: 978-1620067079 ISBN-10: 1620067072 BISAC: Family & Relationships / Dysfunctional Families Also available on Kindle For more information, please see: http://www.sunburypressstore.com/Maybe-Tomorrow-978162006...