Two steps into the old adobe home my eyes spun in every direction while my head wanted to explode with delight by the number of shelves and tables adorned by libros. Walls held art that invited the senses to escape into cultural realms. A bit of floor space allowed passage through towers of books and boxes filled for purchase, donation, or the next Great Casa Extravaganza. Doorways led to collections not offered by other independent bookstores. A cozy room held influential items by literary masters tucked behind glass doors of antique armoires and cabinets.
Señora Denise Chávez (Chicana author of award winners such as Face of an Angel, The King and Queen of Comezón, and her current novel Street of Too Many Stories) instructed me to put down my bag and take a seat, she’d give me a tour later. Mia, the historic home’s resident cat, rested on a colorful, Mexican blanket that protected a notable author’s collection of books gathered for a future event.
Foliage christened Tomás the tornillo tree and Vas, a huge desert willow, surrounds the bookstore. Opened in 2012, Casa Camino Real was part of the Doña Ana Bend Colony Grant. Rooms are named for someone special to Señora Chávez. The turquoise-old-world-bright-blue kitchen is named for her mom Delfina. A pot of Café de Olla’s aromas heightened the charm of the little cocina.
There are places to eat and other businesses throughout the nearby historic Mesquite Street district, though I didn’t have time to visit as I stayed emersed in conversation. When some friends arrived with pan dulce, that pot of coffee was poured, and I didn’t decline when the amazing bookstore owner said to sit and learn. First lesson, “Este es el templo y los libros son sagrados, this is the temple and the books are sacred.”
To experience the part art gallery, part museum, part history class, drop in to 314 Tornillo Street, Las Cruces, New Mexico, Thursday through Saturday, 11:00 am to 5:00 pm. Call (575) 649-9173 to schedule an appointment, signing, or to showcase your own publication. The focus is Chicano(a), Latino(a), Southwestern, Regional, Borderland, Latin American, Feminist and Children’s and in many languages, though there’s just about every topic your heart desires. Visit the bookstore’s Facebook page. Casa Camino Real Bookstore has no dedicated website as publications are sold online through Abebooks.com.
Author and award-winning photographer Rosa Armijo-Pemble has been a member of SouthWest Writers for over twenty-five years. Her writing appears in Holes in Our Hearts: An Anthology of New Mexican Military Related Stories and Poetry, and her reviews of independent bookstores can be found in the Sage News and on the SWW website. Visit ImagesByRosa to discover her photography and learn more about her professional photography services.
Thank you for this wonderful review, Rosa. It was a pleasure to have you visit the bookstore.
Gracias por todo.
This is a beautiful article. You captured the spirit of Casa Camino Real perfectly! It is truly so much more than a bookstore–it’s always a beautiful adventure. I leave there feeling like I am stepping out of something magical and back into the real world. Hope to meet you there again soon–before Christmas!!
Thank you for the amazing comment.