Under the Tabachin Tree: A New Home in Mexico

Like many retired Americans, Wakefield and her husband, Bill, decided that their money would go further in Mexico. So off they went, not to the more popular gringo spots at Lake Chapala or San Miguel de Allende but to Colima, a tropical town off the beaten track, where there are few foreigners and a mixed bag of amenities. The Wakefields were experienced Mexico travelers, which is what sets this story apart from other tales of older Americans trying to stretch their pensions in out-of-the-way places. Flexible, good-humored and ready to roll with the punches, the Wakefields and their dog settle down to settling in as just about the only foreigners in town. With a deft and humorous hand, Wakefield (High Cities of the Andes) outlines their search for a house in a place where nobody rents and everybody owns; they politely decline the offer of a place with four bedrooms and six bathrooms (""How many could we use at once? Should we rush around flushing just to hear the noise?"") as well as another with 16 bedrooms and one bathroom (""This place looks as though Maximilian and Carlota just moved out,"" her husband mutters). She writes about people, not characters, and records their foibles and flaws astutely and with charm. Wakefield's well-written and appealing book will please readers who like to laugh with the inhabitants of a book, not at them. (Aug.)