Ajijic has been home to several luminaries from the USA and Canada at various times in their lives. For example, Zara Alexeyewa, popularly known as ‘La Rusa’ (‘The Russian’), settled in Ajijic in the 1940s. We bring you the story of our father, Walter Thornton (popularly known as ‘The Merchant of Venus’), who made Ajijic his home in 1958, living here for over 30 years after marrying our mother. Here is a glimpse of our story, chronicled in a book:
Capturing History: The Pioneering Expat Who Lived a Second Life in Ajijic and the Iconic Image That Defined the 1929 Stock Market Crash and the Great Depression: The Merchant of Venus: The Life of Walter Thornton