Heart of Aztlan is Rudolfo Anaya's second novel, the middle book of the New Mexico trilogy that began with Bless Me, Ultima. It follows the Chavez family as they leave the rural Guadalupe countryside for the Barelas barrio of Albuquerque, tracing the spiritual and social upheaval of a people uprooted into the city. Anaya, often called the godfather of Chicano literature, fills the book with myth, dream, and the search for Aztlan, the legendary homeland that became a touchstone of the Chicano movement. The back cover frames Clemente Chavez's mountain vision in terms drawn from Moses and messianic struggle.
This is the scarce first printing of December 1976 from Editorial Justa Publications of Berkeley, an important early Chicano small press, with cover art and graphics by Edel Villagomez. As an original Justa edition of a foundational New Mexico novel, this well-read paperback is exactly the kind of literary artifact worth preserving and documenting.
First printing (December 1976)
The copyright page states 'First Printing: December 1976.' Anaya's second novel after Bless Me, Ultima, in its scarce original Editorial Justa printing. This is a Editorial Justa Publications book; see how Editorial Justa Publications states its first printings.
| Author | Rudolfo A. Anaya |
| Publisher | Editorial Justa Publications |
| Year | 1976 |
| ISBN | 0-915808-18-8 |
| Edition | First printing (December 1976) |
| Condition | Paperback, edge-creased cover. |
| Topic | Chicano literature of New Mexico |
Photographs © New Mexico Literacy Project, licensed CC BY 4.0 — reuse with attribution. This is an identification and provenance record of a real donation; no appraisal or valuation is offered.
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