What a pleasant surprise! The latest must-have book in Southwest literature isn’t another zany memoir or photo-book dedicated to cactus portraits.

From Ana Pacheco (a columnist for the New Mexican, but we won’t hold that against her) comes a local encyclopedic who’s-who. Legendary Locals of Santa Fe is just what the alliteration says it is: a profiling of every “legendary” figure to ever grace the City Different.

From Po’pay to Willa Cather; Padre Antonio Martinez to Sgt. Leroy Petry; Pacheco did her homework, and did it well. Plus, like any reader of the New Mexican knows, the pictures are always the best part, so Pacheco includes some rarely seen photos of the legends.

Before it lands on your coffee table, Pacheco signs copies of her love letter to Santa Feans this weekend.