Finding joy: Victor Villaseñor to share his wisdom at Santa Ana book reading
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Best-selling author Victor Villaseñor lives on a ranch in Oceanside where the presence of his Mexican family can be felt throughout it.
“My mother was very proud of these,” he said of the antique doorbell chimes at the main entrance to his home. The long tubes ring enchantingly, alerting the household that company has arrived.
Beneath his fleece vest Villaseñor wears a blue T-shirt with the colorful cover art of his latest book, “Gathering StarDust,” inspired by his relationship with his grandmother, “Mamagrande.”
At Ranchito Villaseñor, family is present not only in artifacts and photographs, but also in memory and spirit.
Villaseñor is the award-winning author of many books, including the 1991 national bestseller “Rain of Gold,” which tells the story of his immigrant family. He went on to write titles such as “Thirteen Senses,” a loving portrait of his parents, Juan Salvador Villaseñor and Lupe Gomez, and “Burro Genius,” his personal memoir.
The 160 acres of Ranchito Villaseñor have been in the author’s family for years. His parents bought the original ranch at a bargain price not long after the attack on Pearl Harbor, when the seaside land was considered undesirable, vulnerable to enemies. Villaseñor grew up on the property and still lives there today with his partner Carmen Blum, and loyal dog, Paco.
“Gathering StarDust” is set on the ranch and is written to engage both children and adults with illustrations by Jack Wiens and a story that begins with an invitation: “Come, and take my hand, and let us be children once again, and this time be raised up together by my Yaqui Native American grandmother.”
Some of the sites mentioned in the book have been lost to development. On a short drive of the original property lines with a visitor, Villaseñor points out where the little garden and leaky faucet in the book once stood. Another stop is at his beloved grandmother’s grave, about a mile away at Oceanview Cemetery. The new book is filled with her wisdom, such as the practice of making an effort to bring joy to at least 10 people each day.
“Every time you leave your house, you do something to make 10 people smile and laugh, at least 10 people,” said Villaseñor. “If we all did that, we’d have a happy world.”
Villaseñor said the book is not meant to solve all the world’s problems, but rather help readers find joy in even life’s most challenging times. It is an ideology Villaseñor saw modeled by everyone in his family throughout his upbringing.
“I grew up with this brilliant philosophy. When they stole my father’s car, he was going crazy and his mother said, ‘gracias a Dios,’ thank God you finally had a car nice enough that somebody wanted to steal it,’” recalls Villaseñor. “This book makes me indestructible inside my heart.”
On May 24, Villaseñor will celebrate “Gathering StarDust” at Libro Mobile in Santa Ana with a special reading and signing.
“I want to back [the bookstore] and I’d like to come not just once but several times. I am really looking forward to it,” said Villaseñor.
Libro Mobile’s founder, Sarah Rafael Garcia said she first encountered Villaseñor at an event at Libreria Martinez, Santa Ana’s long- shuttered Latino bookstore. Then Garcia connected with him again at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, around the time she published her first book, “Las Niñas.”
Libro Mobile has faced challenges in staying open since the nonprofit lost arts grant funding it has depended on to remain operational. Garcia is grateful Villaseñor agreed to make an appearance.
“I’m a huge fan and I look forward to hosting this event,” Garcia said. “Plus, the book sales will help us stay open.”
Libro Mobile has the distinction of being the only bookstore in Santa Ana. And with the city’s Main Library closed for construction until 2026, losing Libro Mobile would leave residents with virtually no access to literature.
Reading is a fundamental that Villaseñor struggled with himself. He didn’t learn to read until he was into adulthood, spending most of his childhood struggling with undiagnosed dyslexia.
“Reading is very important in education and if you can’t read, it’s horrible, it’s embarrassing,” said Villaseñor. “I didn’t learn to read until the age of 20, when I became a writer.”
Once he conquered the written word, Villaseñor felt compelled to record his own history, particularly after reading James Joyce’s “Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man.” Sharing his family story gave him purpose and he often credits writing with saving his life.
“Every tribe has it’s own bible, every family, every person,” said Villaseñor. “And once you write your personal story, it connects you to God.”
Villaseñor’s writing also keeps him connected to his family. “Gathering StarDust” is a way Mamagrande and her wisdom continues to live on at Ranchito Villaseñor and beyond. At Oceanview Cemetery, in front of her grave marker, Paco and Villaseñor bow their heads.
“My grandmother would say, for every person that is falling apart and says they can’t go further, there is somebody that had it worse, way worse,” said Villaseñor. “And they went further.”
Join Victor Villaseñor from 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 24 at Libro Mobile, 1150 S. Bristol St. #A3, in Santa Ana for a special reading and book-signing event. For details visit libromobile.com.
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