"Some people feel the rain, others just get wet." - Bob Marley

It’s that time of year – we're waiting for the beautiful monsoons to wipe out some of the summer heat. University of Arizona Press (UA Press) Publicity Manager Mary Reynolds shares some UA Press books she plans to soak up before the coming rains.

Growing up in Tucson, I knew the smell of coming rains from riding my bike through the desert near Fort Lowell Park. I rode through mesquites then creosote on my way from the old pecan grove to the sandy Pantano Wash. I picked mesquite and palo verde pods for play, not food.

The Desert Smells Like Rain by Gary Nabhan describes how longtime desert residents survive and thrive. He shares Tohono O’odham children’s impressions of the desert, and tells how O’odham adults maximize limited water supplies, grow crops, and utilize edible wild foods. I pick up new information every time I read this book.

Where Clouds Are Formed takes me farther back in time in the Santa Cruz River valley. Author Ofelia Zepeda is a Native American poet who sees the contemporary world both through her eyes and through the eyes of her Tohono O’odham ancestors. She writes that you should always bring music to the mountains, "so they are generous with the summer rains." Following this advice, I will sing on my next early morning walk in Sabino Canyon.

Sonoran Desert Summer by John Alcock details the busy life of plants and animals during extreme heat and extreme thunderstorms. Month by month, Alcock tells who is eating saguaro fruits, who wins the hummingbird “Range Wars,” who’s in charge of coyote families, and much more.

In Of Earth and Little Rain, archaeologist Bernard L. Fontana and photographer John P. Schaefer combine talents to show how day-to-day life on contemporary Tonoho O’odham lands is informed by 12,000 years of desert living. There may be little rain, but there is water if you know where to look. I had the chance to speak to Dr. Fontana before he passed away a few years ago about when the Santa Cruz River flowed with water, and he told me succinctly: “people wouldn’t be living here for thousands of years unless they had reliable water.” Fontana lived next door to the San Xavier Tohono O’odham community and writes with insight and respect.

About the University of Arizona Press

The University of Arizona Press (UA Press) is the premier publisher of academic, regional, and literary works in the state of Arizona. UA Press disseminates ideas and knowledge of lasting value that enrich understanding, inspire curiosity, and enlighten readers. UA Press advances the University of Arizona’s mission by connecting scholarship and creative expression to readers worldwide.