A review by alundeberg
On Mexican Time: A New Life In San Miguel by Tony Cohan

5.0

This definitely ranks as one of the best travel writing/memoirs I've ever read. Cohan describes how he and his wife left LA for life in San Miguel de Allende and all they experienced there between 1985 and 1999. Published in 2001, and finally read by me in 2017, this is not only an account of another country, but also of another time. I was captivated by his descriptions of the place and daily life, with all of its travails, but also by the fact that it happened pre-iPhone and internet. They had to make long distance calls from the largo distancia office, and when they finally had a landline, they had to borrow someone's phone. He captures Mexico pre-NAFTA, before globalization, and before the world became so homogenized. It is very poignant. While he writes lavish descriptions of the landscapes, fiestas, and food, he also does not shy away from the very problems of living in a third world country and its effects on those who live there. This is a very moving account of what it's like to live overseas. Highly recommend.