In a Hundred Graves

Robert Laxalt in a Hundred Graves a Basque Portrait by Robert Laxalt

"A very real, moving, memorable world emerges from the total, and one that, so far as I know, is altogether new to English." - Walter Van Tilgurg Clark, author of City of Trembling Leaves

The Basques of Europe are legendary for the curtain of privacy they have always presented to the visitor for the outside world. As a result, accounts of the inner workings of Basque village life are almost nonexistent. In this unique book, author Robert Laxalt has managed to penetrate the deep reserve of Basque village residents. An American born of Basque parents, he unveils the Basque character with warmth, wry humor, and above all, honesty. 

Shepherds, troubadours, merchants, and smugglers parade before the reader, and are caught up in the panorama of village life. They are portrayed against a backdrop of green rugged mountains and  stone buildings typical of the Basque provinces between France and Spain.

Robert Laxalt graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno in 1947. Laxalt joined the staff of the university in 1954, first as director of News and Publications, and later as the founding director of the University of Nevada Press. He was named a Reynolds Distinguished Visiting Professor and held the position of Distinguished Nevada Author Chair. He is the author of seventeen books, including the critically acclamed Sweet Promised Land. He lived in Washoe Valley, Nevada until his death in 2001.