A love for the Spanish language, culture and people that came from growing up on the border of Mexico is what bilingual author Roni Capin Rivera-Ashford writes about in her children’s books.

As part of The Big Read project and celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month, The Safford City Library hosted two programs given by Ashford.

Ashford has published two bilingual children’s books titled “My Nana’s Remedies/Los Remedios de Mi Nana” and “Hip, Hop, Hooray, It’s Monsoon Day!/Ajua, Ya Llego el Chubasco.”

As part of The Big Read project and celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month, the Safford Library hosted two programs given by author Roni Capin Rivera-Ashford. The adult program was Sept. 24, and the mixed ages program Sept. 25. Photo by Keri Lunt

Both books are written in English and Spanish on each page.

A former teacher in Nogales who is now a teacher/translator in Tucson, Ashford has been a certified bilingual educator for more than 30 years.

At the adult program she shared her background, her books and her love for writing about heritage.

Ashford said the theme of her writing is “connecting and preserving families.”

She encouraged the audience to record their history for the next generations. She handed out bouquets of fresh herbs and paper and gave the audience five minutes to record memories of remedies used in their childhood.

Remedies were shared, such as: potatoes cure headaches, cloves soothe a tooth-ache; salt, pepper, vinegar and water help a sore throat and fresh ground coffee stops bleeding.

Ashford then read “My Nana’s Remed-ies/Los Remedios de Mi Nana” and shared insight from her youth and motherhood that inspired the story.

She grew up in a Jewish family on the Mexico border as the oldest of five. Her parents divorced when she was 10 years old, and she said it was hard for her and her siblings.

In her youth, she went to Catholic Church with her friends, then they would drop her off at Jewish Sunday School.

She and her husband of 35 years, Danny, have three grown children and one grandson.

Ashford’s books can be found online at http://www.desertmuseum.org/books/.