Doroteo: The Boy Who Was Pancho Villa

Young Doroteo Arango's life in Mexico isn't easy. His gentle mother, Senora Arambula, tries her hardest to provide for Doroteo and his many siblings. His father, however, is a mean and nasty character. For years, the family suffers poverty and abuse at the hands of the patron at the Rancho del Rio Grande. In addition, the rule of President Diaz causes the poor villagers to fear for their lives as Diaz's soldiers steal their food, rape their young women, and take political prisoners. The brave Doroteo sees the injustice in his life and vows one day to seek justice. That day comes sooner than Doroteo expects when he kills the man who rapes his sister. Now seventeen years old, he runs away and hides in a mountain cave. To escape death by the soldiers who find him, Doroteo claims he is Pancho Villa, a name used by his grandfather years ago. So begins the story of Pancho Villa and his band of rebels who ride into the bloodiest era of Mexican history. A work of historical fiction, Doroteo narrates the story of the little boy who would grow up to become a bandit without fear, the Robin Hood of Mexico.

Laura Gower Jackson was educated in Texas and Wisconsin schools in music and art. Her travels in Europe, Central America, and Mexico provided material for painting and writing.