Burro Genius

A Memoir

By: Victor Villaseñor

Narrated by: Robert Fass

Length: 11 hrs and 48 mins

Publisher's summary

When Victor Villaseñor stood at the podium and looked at the group of teachers amassed before him, he became enraged. He had never spoken in public before. His mind was flooded with childhood memories filled with humiliation, misunderstanding, and abuse at the hands of his teachers. With his heart pounding, he began to speak of these incidents. To his disbelief, the teachers before him responded to his embittered recollection with a standing ovation. Many could not contain their own tears.

So begins a touching memoir of an extremely angry adolescent. Highly gifted and imaginative, Villaseñor coped with an untreated learning disability (he was finally diagnosed with extreme dyslexia at the age of 44) and the frustration he felt growing up Latino in an English-only American school system that had neither the cultural understanding nor the resources to deal with Hispanic students.

Often beaten by his teachers because he could not speak English, Villaseñor was made to feel ashamed about his heritage, and even questioned the core values prioritized by his tight-knit family. Villaseñor's dyslexia, and growing frustration over not fitting in, fueled his dream to one day become a writer. He is now considered one of the premier writers of our time.

©2004 Victor Villaseñor (P)2019 Tantor

A story about true perseverance

I didn’t like talk about gun violence. The anger behind it, while warranted made this story a book I couldn’t recommend to an adolescent.

Captivating and real!

A fan for many decades now, I can't imagine living a life without Victor's stories.

If you’re Chicano read this book

I loved this story, it is very touching. Justice for Victor and all our Mexican American brothers and sisters who deal with discrimination everyday.

Faith

Victor Villasenor creates magic while discussing faith. Faith in the face adversity. Faith in the face of terror. Faith in the face of hatred. And the faith and conviction that comes from forgiveness.

This is the continuing saga of the author’s life. It is filled with wisdom, understanding, and compassion.

In the face of prejudice and the bullying that accompanies the weak who prejudge others, the author overcame adversity to become a writer of consequence. His stories are told from the heart with all the lessons taught to him by his Indian parents and grandmothers.

This history made me smile; it made me cry; it made me chuckle, and sometimes made me shake my head in awe.

Such an amazing story!

Villasenor's story helped me understand my own. I identified with his experience narrated in this book specially because I have ADHD, and I'm a Mexicana living in the US. Since English isn't my first language, I always struggled to dive in this culture. This book was like therapy to me. Gracias infinitas!

Eye opening!

This was a great telling of our school system from the perspective of someone who learned English as a second language. There's a variety of lessons one could take away. The narrator did a fabulous job telling the story. I sure felt like I was listening to the author.

Another excellent book by Villaseñor

I’d highly recommend reading “Rain of Gold” to give you a stronger understanding of “Burro Genius” but this book is strong on its own.

Amazing

I enjoyed every chapter of this book. Also the Rain of Gold, they takes me back in time. I imagine that my ancestors lived a similar life. Me being Mexican myself I can relate to many things in these stories. On to the 3rd book I go. 💞

Great Storytelling

I absolutely loved it! I couldn't put it down. It was so raw and so real. This author is an inspiration to me ❤️

Master Story Teller

This burro's genius is subtle but palpable. Though he doesn't comment directly on racial injustice against Mexicans - as a young boy struggling with his identity, he seems ambivalent about it - he does bring it to life for the reader to experience for herself. As a third generation Mexican-American, this memoir rang nostalgic, introducing me to the great grandparents I never got to meet and to the struggle of having to decide whether you are more Mexican or American that I never had to experience. It is also a clear window into race relations that persist today, all told in a eminently believable story that flows effortlessly.