Join us for an evening  with Native Nevadan, Dale Erquiaga, while he shares his books inspired by the experiences of his Basque relatives and their lives in Nevada.

His book Three Wive’s Tales was the winner of 2020 Basque Writing Contest sponsored by the University of Nevada, Reno. The novel provides a glimpse into the lives of Victoria, Eladia, and Annie, three formidable Basque women who served as the backbone of their families in the American West. Woven together as a work of historical fiction, the memoirs and family lore of these three Nevada women capture a journey of self-discovery filled with wisdom
and strength that other Basque and immigrant families will
recognize. The author is the son and grandson of the tale’s protagonists.

His book from 2024 is A Soldier’s Road, a fictionalized history of two men who served in World War II. It details their very different upbringing – one the child of poor Spanish Basque immigrants in rural Nevada, the other a highly educated engineer with a stellar career in the Army and public service. Fabian “Bob” Rubianes served as an Army private in WWII and was horribly wounded on Okinawa in 1945. General Tom Farrell rose to become deputy commander of the Manhattan Project, targeting and later inspecting the destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The book also details how these very different men traveled the post-war road home to their families, who would ultimately be connected by the marriage of the General’s great-granddaughter to Bob’s nephew, the book’s author.

About the Author: Dale Erquiaga is a native Nevadan, the grandson of Spanish Basque immigrants. He is the only person in Nevada history to serve as both state superintendent of public instruction and chancellor of the Nevada System of Higher Education. Dale was also the national president and CEO of Communities In Schools, the nation’s largest and most effective
dropout prevention organization. Other positions in government include service as senioradvisor chief strategy officer for Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval; director of the Nevada Department of Museums, Library & Arts; and Nevada’s chief deputy secretary of state. Dale holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Nevada,Reno, and a master’s degree in leadership from Grand Canyon University. He is the proud father of two and grandfather of six. He resides in Northern Nevada with his dog,
Ezra. Dale is currently working on a third novel about his family.

This event is free and is part of a Literary Series in honor of Aliceann Doyle.