Author Description

"Speaking Through the Aspens analyzes the content of thousands of arborglyphs in the mountains of California and Nevada by topic - language, politics, the Basque homeland, the sheepherder's life, sex, and pictorial themes. In addition, author Mallea-Olaetxe has examined such sheepherder artifacts as sheep camps and bread ovens, conducted extensive interviews with former herders and sheep company personnel, and undertaken research in immigration and other records. The result is a highly original work of history - a detailed and moving account of the lives of Basque sheepherders in the American West. For the first time, these men who contributed so much to the development of the region, many of whom went on to establish the West's thriving Basque community and some of its leading families, speak for themselves about their experiences.". "Enhanced by 94 photographs and line drawings, this book is history at its most engrossing, essential reading for scholars and anyone curious about the Basques in the American West."--BOOK JACKET.