Sánchez is an acclaimed Spanish poet and writer who focuses on rural life. She came to her vocation and her subject by way of her country upbringing, and, following the footsteps of her father and grandfather, is also a trained field veterinarian. But—wait: what about her mother and grandmother? What sort of work did they do? What stories did they tell? Showing they were more than merely “sisters of an only child”—that child being the family’s honored son—Sánchez’s powerful manifesto and example of the excavation of lives and traditions unjustly left to oblivion is written with careful attention to speech rhythms and without romanticizing a difficult existence, indulging in the nostalgia of paternalistic urban centers for small-town life, or “celebrating” strong and capable women for persevering despite deprivations. Her text is a testament both powerful and beautiful to the land and the living creatures—including human culture—it has nurtured and which, if we take the time to understand where our food comes from, will continue to sustain us through many generations to come.