Four books published by The University of New Mexico Press were honored at the 2016 International Latino Book Awards ceremony held recently at California State University, Dominguez Hills.

Hoe, Heaven, and Hell: My Boyhood in Rural New Mexico, by Nasario García, won first place for Best Autobiography, English. In this memoir of his childhood, García writes about his family’s village life in the Rio Puerco Valley, revealing an unforgettable firsthand account of New Mexico history and culture.

A Life on Hold: Living with Schizophrenia, by Josie Méndez-Negrete, won first place for Best Health Book. Méndez-Negrete’s powerful account is the first memoir by a Mexican American author to share the devastation and hope a family experiences in dealing with schizophrenia.

The Haunting of the Mexican Border: A Woman’s Journey, by Kathryn Ferguson, won second place for Best History Book. Drawing on the author’s experiences as a documentary filmmaker, The Haunting of the Mexican Border explores how US immigration policies erode the lives of ordinary citizens on both sides of the border.

¡Cancerlandia!: A Memoir, by Juan Alvarado Valdivia, received an honorable mention for Best Biography, English. Diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma three weeks after his thirtieth birthday, Alvarado Valdivia chronicles his journey as he not only fights to survive his personified adversary, Mr. Hodgkins, but also as he struggles with his own self-destructive spirit.

Organized by the nonprofit organization Latino Literacy Now, the International Latino Book Awards is known as the largest awards in the United States honoring accomplishments in Latino culture and literature.

For more information visit UNM Press.