You probably know Linda Ronstadt for that voice. That massive, genre-defying, glass-shattering soprano that defined the seventies. But honestly, if you haven’t picked up the feels like home book, you're missing the soul of the woman behind the hits. It’s not just a memoir. It isn't a cookbook, either. It’s this weird, beautiful hybrid of travelogue, family history, and culinary celebration that focuses on the Sonoran Desert.
It's about heritage.
Specifically, it’s about the "musical memoir" of her life in the borderlands. Published in 2022 and co-authored with Lawrence Downes, this book feels like a warm kitchen on a Sunday afternoon. It’s dusty. It’s flavorful. It’s incredibly honest.
The Sonoran Desert Is the Real Main Character
Most celebrity books are about the celebrity. This one? It’s about the dirt. The scrub. The wind. Ronstadt takes us back to her childhood in Tucson, Arizona, but she doesn't stop at the fence line of her family's property. She pushes right through the border into Sonora, Mexico.
The feels like home book paints a picture of a time when the border was a line on a map, not a wall in the mind. She describes the cross-cultural exchange that shaped her musical phrasing. You can hear the rancheras in her rock ballads once you read her descriptions of the local landscape.
It's vivid.
She talks about the "scent of rain on hot creosote." If you’ve ever been to the Southwest right before a monsoon hits, you know that smell. It’s intoxicating. Ronstadt captures that sensory experience better than almost any travel writer I've read recently. She isn't trying to be poetic for the sake of it; she’s just telling you what it felt like to grow up in a place where the sun dictates your entire schedule.
More Than Just Recipes
Don’t go into this thinking it’s a standard "The Star’s Favorite Snacks" type of deal. While there are recipes—and they are fantastic, like the tortillas that actually require some skill—they serve as anchors for stories.
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Food is memory here.
Take the caldo de queso. It’s a simple cheese soup. But in the context of the feels like home book, it’s a symbol of the communal table. Ronstadt uses these dishes to explain the migration of her ancestors and how European influences blended with Indigenous ingredients. It’s a history lesson hidden in a meal.
- The book highlights how the Ronstadt family moved from Germany to Mexico and then to Arizona.
- It explores the specific "Sonoran style" of Mexican food, which is distinct from the Tex-Mex or Oaxacan flavors most people know.
- It features photography by Bill Steen that makes you want to pack a bag and head for the border immediately.
Why the Feels Like Home Book Hits Different in 2026
In a world that feels increasingly fractured and digital, there’s something grounding about a book that celebrates physical roots. Ronstadt can’t sing anymore due to progressive supranuclear palsy. That’s the elephant in the room. But instead of a mournful tone, this book feels like she’s found a different way to use her voice.
She’s loud about her love for the culture.
She’s also pretty pointed about the politics of the region. She doesn't shy away from the reality of the border today versus the border of her youth. It’s a bit heartbreaking, honestly. Seeing a place you love become a site of conflict is a recurring theme in the narrative. Yet, she manages to keep the focus on the people—the musicians, the cooks, and the families who keep the traditions alive despite the headlines.
A Masterclass in Collaboration
Lawrence Downes deserves a lot of credit here. Often, celebrity memoirs feel ghostwritten by someone who never met the subject. This feels like a conversation. Downes, a former New York Times editor, brings a journalistic rigor to the historical sections that complements Ronstadt’s lyrical, personal anecdotes.
They spent time traveling together for this. They ate the food. They talked to the locals.
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The result is a book that doesn't just sit on your coffee table looking pretty; it demands to be read. It’s also surprisingly funny. Ronstadt has a dry wit that comes through in her descriptions of early touring days and the chaos of a large, musical family.
The Visual Soul of the Journey
We have to talk about Bill Steen’s photography. It’s not just "supporting" the text. It’s half the experience. The images of weathered hands making tortillas or the light hitting an adobe wall provide a texture that words can’t quite reach.
It’s tactile.
When you read about the feels like home book, you’re often told it’s a "visual feast." That sounds like a cliché, but here it’s actually true. The colors are muted and natural. Nothing looks airbrushed. It feels as authentic as a Polaroid pulled from an old shoebox, yet with the clarity of high-end documentary work.
Breaking Down the Misconceptions
Some people think this is a sequel to Simple Dreams, her first memoir. It's not.
While Simple Dreams was about the music industry, the fame, and the "Great American Songbook," this is about the foundation. If Simple Dreams was the house, this book is the ground the house was built on. You don't need to be a fan of "You're No Good" to appreciate the storytelling here, though it certainly helps to have her voice playing in your head while you read.
- Is it a cookbook? Sorta, but you’ll read more than you’ll cook.
- Is it a political statement? Partially, because loving a border culture is inherently political now.
- Is it a biography? Only in the sense that our ancestors are part of our biography.
Actionable Steps for Readers
If you’re planning to pick up a copy or if you already have it sitting in your "to-read" pile, here is how to actually get the most out of it.
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First off, don't rush. This isn't a thriller.
Create a Soundtrack
Listen to Ronstadt’s Canciones de Mi Padre while you read. That album is the sonic companion to this book. It features the same traditional Mexican music she discusses in the chapters about her father and grandfather. Hearing the brass and the strings while reading about the dust and the heat makes the whole thing 4D.
Try the Flour Tortillas
Most of us buy the rubbery ones from the grocery store. The feels like home book includes a guide to making real Sonoran flour tortillas. They are thin, almost translucent, and totally different from what you're used to. It takes practice. You will probably mess up the first three. Do it anyway.
Trace Your Own Map
One of the most powerful things about Ronstadt's writing is how it encourages the reader to look at their own heritage. Where did your great-grandparents come from? What was the "smell of the rain" in their world? Using the book as a prompt to document your own family recipes and stories is a great way to honor the spirit of what she’s written.
Visit the Region (Virtually or In-Person)
If you can, visit the Santa Cruz Valley. If you can't, use the book’s references to look up the work of the folk artists and historians she mentions. The book acts as a gateway to a whole world of Southwestern culture that usually gets overshadowed by Hollywood versions of the "Wild West."
The feels like home book is a rare gift from an artist who has already given us so much. It’s a reminder that even when things change—when voices fade or borders harden—the things that truly make us feel at home are the ones we carry inside us. It's the taste of a specific spice, the sound of a certain chord, and the stories we tell about the people who came before us.
Read it for the history. Keep it for the soul.
Next Steps for Your Reading Journey:
- Locate a local independent bookstore to order a physical copy; the tactile nature of the paper and photos is essential.
- Check out the "Common Ground" project or similar non-profits working in the Sonoran region that Ronstadt supports.
- Schedule a "cookbook night" with friends to attempt three recipes from the book simultaneously to compare flavors.