“It was a beautiful spring day in San Antonio. The campus was alive with spirited activity as students got into cars or jumped into taxis for the bus station or airport. The campus was a forest of Mountain Cedar and pecan trees that bloomed during different seasons— January and May. Their highly allergenic pollen triggered symptoms that could lead to an infectious respiratory sickness in individuals sensitive to the pollen, which, unfortunately, that previous January I discovered I was one. Our dorm housemother sent me to the emergency room because of severe respiratory symptoms and a high fever. Today, I was leaving just in time to escape the pecan pollen filling the air.”
– an excerpt from the book
Author Reputation Press is honored to publish “The Perils of Beginnings: A Cavazos Historical Memoir” by Bernadette Inclan. This book is now available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and the ARPress website.
This book, “The Perils of Beginnings,” won the Phoenix Writer’s Club Uta Behren’s Book contest. It’s the story of the author’s ancestors, Narciso and Guadalupe Cavazos. Their life’s journey illustrates their place in Texas history but was unknown to our family. Learning about the late 1700s, from which this story is told, required extensive research, and Bernadette had compiled a bibliography. However, this story of a man and his family is based on the vision and imagination of the author.
This is a narrative that intricately weaves family history with the broader historical context of Spanish colonization. It presents the story of the Cavazos family, specifically highlighting the life of an overlooked ancestor, José Narciso Cavazos. The memoir not only explores personal tales but also delves into the challenges and legacies of the past.
Author Bernadette Inclan is a multifaceted individual with professional and creative pursuits. From her LinkedIn profile, she has forty-five years of experience as a Cytotechnologist and is currently retired.
Bernadette is a member of the Arizona Authors Association (AAA); member and secretary to the Phoenix Writers Club, the oldest Writers club in Arizona, and celebrating its centennial in 2026. She facilitates Phoenix Writers Club Critique Group (PWCCG) and Writers Inspiration Group (WIG).
Bernadette is also an author whose story, Time to Say Goodbye appeared in the Inkslingers Anthology Volume 5 Many Worlds Many Stories. Her book The Perils of Beginnings won the Phoenix Writers Club Uta Behrens award for non-fiction and has a five-star rating on Goodreads. She also maintains a Substack newsletter where she shares thoughts, stories, and memoirs. Additionally, she has an Instagram account.
Bernadette was born and raised in Galveston Texas graduating from the historical all girls’ school, Ursuline Academy. She attended colleges in the San Antonio area, Incarnate Word College (now The University of the Incarnate Word), and the University of Texas at San Antonio where she earned a bachelor’s degree and ASCP Board Certification in Cytotechnology at the University of Texas Medical School. Graduate studies in Health Care Management at Southwest Texas University (now Texas State University), and a promotion to Regional Cytology Manager moved her to San Diego CA, then Phoenix AZ, where she now resides with her husband. Bernadette has two sons, a granddaughter, and two great-grandchildren.
“In 1967, the 18-year-old author hopped into her spicy Auntie Eloisa’s new GTO to embark on a road trip from San Antonio, Texas, to Tampico, Mexico. While searching for her baptismal certificate, Auntie shares the history of Narciso, a bold visionary who, in 1793, left an aristocratic life in Nuevo Leon, Mexico, to cultivate the 600,000 acres of land awarded to him by the King of Spain. As Narciso’s story unfolds, so do the secrets of the two women. Told with humor and warmth, I delighted in Bernadette’s tales of a cow greeting her while using an outdoor toilet, Auntie dropping her bloomers while dancing with abandon to the mariachis’ music, and a “gentle” horse baring her teeth at the author before riding her into the river. This book is a must-read for anyone who enjoys history, romance, and colorful characters. Bernadette Inclan does an outstanding job weaving two periods of history to tell the story of her life and ancestor, José Narciso Cavazos, one of the early Texas settlers.”
~Louise J. Privette, executive editor of Many Worlds, Many Stories: Inkslingers Anthology and author of Dancing Through Life: A Memoir
The memoir is set against the backdrop of early Spanish colonization, detailing the family’s journey and struggles during this significant period. The story captures the essence of determination and legacy as it highlights the lives of the Cavazos family amidst historical events and transformation. This book has been well-received, winning first place in the 2023 Ute Behrens Phoenix Writers Club Contest, showcasing its depth and engaging narrative. This recognition further underscores the book’s significance in the realm of family history and memoir writing.
“The Perils of Beginnings: A Cavazos Historical Memoir” by Bernadette Inclan is now available for purchase via ARPress Bookstore: https://authorreputationpress.com/bookstore/the-perils-of-beginnings-a-cavazos-historical-memoir/.