The Great House of Raúl Rodríguez

Sonette Chanson Tippens’s account of her adventures in Mexico may not be presented in chronological order in The Great House of

Raúl Rodríguez, but they actually begin with Beloit College. In 1963, enrolled in a course taught by noted art professor Franklin Boggs, she and her classmates traveled to Guanajuato to study art and Spanish. The experience would change her life forever. While in picturesque San

Miguel de Allende, she unknowingly accepts a marriage proposal during a midnight serenade that ties her to a wealthy family and a great house dating back to the 1600s, even though the marriage never happens and her “fiancé” is murdered. This is a true story of a college student abroad who forges life-changing and life-long bonds. These connections continue to draw her back to Mexico for months at a time to assume her place as the widow in a great house.