“Rich in family and heritage, Consuelo Samarripa’s stories may just help you discover more of yourself.”

“Filled with the quiet humor that has marked her stories from early days in Austin and the same true-to-life voice of a little girl growing up in South San Antonio, these stories express Samarripa’s unyielding love for Texas and her Mexican-American heritage. Here the big issues of family, money, race, and politics are perfectly shaded by the shawl of a powerful voice that whispers.”

Made in Mexico, but born in the USA, Consuelo Samarripa recounted her childhood experiences in her recently published memoir, “Barrio Princess — Growing Up in Texas.”

The author and bilingual storyteller compiled stories as a youth growing up in San Antonio and Killeen during the 1950s and 1960s. “It was a simple time,” she wrote. “We were innocent and inexperienced just like a new box of freshly dressed crayons.”

Everything about Samarripa, 67, from her gentle eyes to her soothing voice still, reflects that innocence. “These stories are told through the eyes of the child I was then, and there was a lot of community with my grandmother’s house as the hub because my family lived within a few blocks,” she said. Always a creative and active child, Samarripa suddenly found herself one of the few Hispanics in school and she didn’t speak English.

 . . . Now, Samarripa travels nationwide as an author, bilingual storyteller and abruelita (Spanish for grandmother) of eight grandchildren, entertaining and enlightening audiences with her unique stories.

“I gave a piece of my life away when I wrote the book, but that piece is there for my children and grandchildren,” she said.