Rating: 
Summary: Heartfelt tale of a rich family history
Review: Don't worry about the Tolstoy-ian length of this book. The text is big and the sentences simple, making the reading quick and painless. Actually, not just painless, but mesmerizing. Kudos to the author for researching his family so thoroughly and opening the doors to the general public. This book reads more like Ferre or Allende than history. As a reader, I got more than a healthy dose of what it must feel like to be a minority in a tumultuous period. Villasenor writes about the two-way street of hate that existed(?) in the south in the 20s and 30s, and I wonder whether he still feels things are as bad today. Regardless of my suspicions one way or the other, the rest of the story line, the melodrama of life, holds its own, and the richness of his family history should be a source of pride for many generations. I recommend this book to lovers of historical fiction (though this is not history), as well as anyone who wants to understand the roots of chicano pride.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Reading, recommend to all
Review: Terrific reading, My sister Gloria had me read it to review prior to getting it for our niece for a graduation present.... Told her YES, GET IT FOR HER so she did.... After I finished it told my niece's Dad (my brother) to tead RAIN OF GOLD. I think it has everything in it to keep a reader unable to put it down.
I recommend it to everyone.... and I just wish
the Author or Publishers would donate a book or two to our local High School and Middle School's Library... ( J.F.Kennedy High School, Gloria Dr.,Sacramento, CA and C. M. Goethe Middle School, Sacramento, CA.
I told a few other people about this book and am glad to say they purchased the book to read.
Thank you for this opportunity.
Rating:
Summary: Contains history, romance and action; all rolled into one!
Review: I truly love this book! I have read it at least 6 times. This book tells the story of two families and their struggle to survive while making their way to the U.S. during the Revolution in Mexico. Though they face many trials, they never lose their faith in their families or themselves. This book has romance, action, drama and history - - it's so good - you'll hate to put it down
Rating:
Summary: The Best anti-hate, anti immigration book on the market!
Review: The families lives described in this book represent the very
best of the traditions and motivations that continue to drive
people who wish to be free to America. These wonderful people represent the struggles of all of our families who immigrated to America. Sadly some of these events are too distant for many of us to remember. Villasenor reminds us beautifully
Rating:
Summary: History of two Mexican family's journey to the United States
Review: This lengthy book is a great historic reference of two
different family's. A girl's family and a boy's family. It is full of special moments for the families. A new home,
a new language, a new culture, and a new freedom. Later,
the girl and boy meet, and this brings the two families
histories to start a new history. This book is full of
many hardships, joys, and most of all a type of suspense.
Rating:
Summary: A mystical struggle for survival through harsh times.
Review: Victor Villaseñor's own family tells this beautifully written
story of poverty, immigration, struggle and success.
The book focuses on three generations of Villaseñor's kin,
their spiritual and cultural roots back in Mexico,
their immigration to California and their overcoming
poverty, prejudice and economic exploitation. The mysticism
so prevalant in the Hispanic culture is woven throughout.
Rating:
Summary: An exquisitely told tale!
Review: When I was an English Literature major in college in the early 1990s, I wrote my senior thesis on the significance of Chicano literature. "Rain of Gold" was included in my study. It is a beautifully written book and a tremendously valuable contribution to American literature. In Victor Villasenor's "Rain of Gold," the dominant theme or metaphor is the struggle for survival. The mythic structure provides a rich and meaningful context for the characters and their inner struggle for identity and survival. "Rain of Gold" is the story of two parallel lives -- those of Juan Salvador and Lupe Gomez, characters delineated from Villasenor's real-life mother and father, who grow up with their respective families in two distant towns in Mexico and meet as young adults in California. The novel can be divided into three parts: the families trying to survive in Mexico, but opting to find a better life in the U.S.; their harsh and harrowing journeys through the rough terrain of the Mexican deserts; and finally, their miraculous arrival and struggle in the U.S. The novel challenges the reader to experience the harsh realities of the characters' hardships and triumphs. Their struggle is internal and personal. Villasenor's adherence to myth, religion and a little of the magical paints a vivid image of a people -- survivors not only of physical challenges, but spiritual ones as well. His story is well detailed and well developed. It is truly an epic in every sense of the word.
Rating: 
Summary: My opinion of Rain of Gold
Review: It was entertaining reading however I felt that the author put the characters in a much better light than what was the truth. For starters he made his father look like an honest businessman when to me I felt he was a 1920's version of Tony Montana.Anyone who goes around carrying 2 guns (one an automatic) was certainly not planning to use it for self defense but rather a shoot out probably with the law. His propensity to quickly pull one out to use it if he didn't like what you say or did only reinforced that feeling. As for his mother, well again I find it hard to believe that someone could go through the whole story with their "head in the clouds". I don't think that there was anything magical about how the author's parents got together like he would like everyone to believe. In probability the girls mother most likely didn't want her marrying an american and they probably were impressed by Juan Villasenor's flaunting of his money with expensive cars and clothes.
Rating:
Summary: Not Mexican, a realtive or the author - THE BOOK IS GREAT
Review: I am Italian/Irish from Boston and I thought this book was great! It really has no requirement that this is a Mexican Family, it could be anyone any where and that of course is what makes it a great book. To me thinking of it as a "Mexican Book" misses the point. It could just as easily be about Cambodians escaping to Thialand. After reading it years ago I can still visualize the places in the book, especially the Canyon from the first section, so much so that I would like to go hiking there or feel that I already have. I am no supporter of things PC, but this should be on the Great Books list.
Rating: 
Summary: unbelieveable
Review: Being Mexican American I try to support hispanic writers. But it would be unjust for me to say that this is an excellent book. Honestly, it's not even a good book. Villasenor starts with some interesting story-telling but quickly goes into some unbelieveable accounts that border on the ridiculous. I could only make it through about half this sad attempt. I read in another review that his book (Macho) is pretty good. They could very well be right because it couldn't get much worse.
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