Becky and Her Friends (Klail City Death Trip Series) [Paperback]

Rolando Hinojosa (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1990 | Series: Klail City Death Trip Series

This novel in Hinojosa's Klail City Death Trip Series of novels, which follows generations of Anglos and Mexicans in the fictional Klail City, Texas, focuses on a character who has previously not taken the limelight: Becky Escobar.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"... altogether the novels constitute a lovingly accurate recreation of Valley people, politics, speech, social attitudes--even the weather." -- Austin American Statesman

This book "deals with all the problems of an emerging Hispanic culture." -- The Houston Chronicle

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Arte Publico Pr; 1St Edition edition (May 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1558850066
• ISBN-13: 978-1558850064
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,188,627 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #24 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Literature & Fiction > World Literature > United States > Hispanic

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Portrait of a Lady Leaving Camelot, July 15, 2011

By 

Virginia Alanis (Dallas, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Becky and Her Friends (Klail City Death Trip Series) (Paperback)

Born in Mercedes, Texas, Rolando Hinojosa knows the Texas-Mexican border and writes intimate accounts of its townspeople. In Becky and Her Friends, Becky Escobar, a prominent heiress, decides to divorce her politician husband and the reverberations from the fallout are felt by the entire community. Rolando Hinojosa uses the frame of a listener who travels through The Valley collecting information from witnesses and informants. The cumulative effect of his interviews gives him new insight into what it means to be human.

Becky and Her Friends goes into overdrive and spares no one; what ensues is a cacophony of monologues by well-meaning opinionated characters. Everyone has something to say in The Valley. The witnesses and informants take sides and make compelling cases regarding Becky's decision. Becky is judged, not unlike Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, a fascinating woman who has captivated the public. This is a chronicle of a political marriage with a glance at the social life in The Valley.

Becky is, in effect, a local celebrity and the townspeople have inquiring minds and strong opinions. Take a listen to one of the opinion givers:

But like I said, Becky was just too much woman for Ira Escobar. And if they lasted as long as they did--I mean, if she put up with that jackass as long as she did, it was due to that eternal stupidity, that so-called tradition. And here's another truth: Becky's mother, yes, my cousin Elvira Navarrete, kept that marriage going.

Despite thirty-five-year-old Becky's privileged upbringing and her many accomplishments as a mother and respected businesswoman, she faces many challenges within the society she lives in. At various points in her life Becky is criticized: (1) for going to college and wanting to make more of herself than just becoming a grade school teacher; (2) for becoming a working woman and wanting to earn a living; (3) for divorcing, a crime against the Catholic church, her husband, children, family, and the community; (4) for remarrying, and to add insult to injury, her second husband is considered a nobody compared to her first husband, a county commissioner; (5) for giving up the charitable clubs to earn a living, and therefore losing her social standing in The Valley.

Becky will not be deterred and she emerges as a modern woman who forges a life for herself despite the gossip. Most important of all, she ceases to care what society thinks and allows happiness to enter her life.

Rolando Hinojosa is one of America's best kept secrets. Mr. Hinojosa made his literary debut in 1973 and has published over ten books in his thirty-six year writing career. His body of work includes: The Valley (1973, 1983), Klail City (1976, 1987), Fair Gentlemen of Belken County (1981), Rites and Witnesses (1982), Dear Rafe (1985), Partners in Crime (1985), Korean Love Songs (1987), Becky and Her Friends (1990), Useless Servants (1993).

If you're looking for an illuminated literary road off the beaten path, be one of the first to discover Rolando Hinojosa's world as he ventures into the domestic fiction territory of Henry James and Edith Wharton. Those who are in-the-know are already aware of him due to his critical acclaim but I think it is high time for the floodgates to open and for Mr. Hinojosa to breakthrough and enjoy wide readership.