Books & DVDs
Autographed Copy of A Cow for the Holy Spirit by Rose Silva King '69
- Item Number
- 212
- Sold
- 10 USD to Live Event Bidder
- Number of Bids
- 2 - Bid History
Item Description
The Portuguese community in the United States is known for its festivals, its festas. The elaborate parades, the meal of sopas (a beef stew) offered freely to the thousands of spectators, the bullfights--all of these are part of the fabric of life in the San Joaquin Valley. What many people do not realize is that the immigrants who brought these customs to America are not from mainland Portugal. Rather they are from a tiny group of nine islands in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, the Azores.
Surprisingly, the story of these immigrants has not been told. There are a few memoirs or biographies but almost no works of fiction. At last there is a book, A Cow for the Holy Spirit, which tells their story. These are people who were willing to leave their islands looking for a better life but who refused to let go of their values, their culture and their love of God. Central to their lives was the festa at Pentecost. In order to make the sopas for this festival, farmers donated cows. Since the festival honored God, the Holy Spirit, a person would say he gave "a cow for the Holy Spirit."
In this novel, her first published work, Rose Silva King chronicles the life of a young boy from the Azores who promises to donate cows if he comes to America. It describes in detail his life on a tiny Azorean island and the wrenching loss of leaving behind all he knew to face a different existence in an alien land in the San Joaquin Valley of California. After much hardship and suffering, he gives the promised cows for the festival and thinks, mistakenly, that he has fulfilled his destiny. It takes a near fatal experience to make him realize he has only taken the first steps of the journey.
This is a paperback novel (5 1/2 x 8") is autographed by the author, Rose Silva King '69.
Item Special Note
Auction items may be paid for by cash, check, or credit card (Visa, MasterCard, and American Express accepted.) Free shipping within the United States is included. International shipping charged at cost.
Donated By:
Rose Silva King
Dominican University of California stores data...
Your support matters, so Dominican University of California would like to use your information to keep in touch about things that may matter to you. If you choose to hear from Dominican University of California, we may contact you in the future about our ongoing efforts.
Your privacy is important to us, so Dominican University of California will keep your personal data secure and Dominican University of California will not use it for marketing communications which you have not agreed to receive. At any time, you may withdraw consent by emailing Privacy@frontstream.com or by contacting our Privacy Officer. Please see our Privacy Policy found here PrivacyPolicy.