From Publishers Weekly
" '¿Y qué dice la juventud?' 'What does the youth have to say for itself?' " Julia Alvarez, in her introduction, remembers childhood family gatherings, when one of the
viejos would wander over to ask the young people this question, fishing for
intimidades. Of course, the
juventud shut up immediately. A generation later, editors Moreno and Herrera Mulligan are also asking questions—and now, finally, it's okay to talk. How do today's young Latinas deal with the expectations of their
mamis? Do they deal with men any better than their mothers did? What does it mean to be Latina today? The essays show a variety of Latina attitudes and lifestyles. Most contributors have survived several romances or divorces; some have children and spouses. All have struggled, somehow or other, to define and understand themselves as they straddle cultural borderlines. Readers will have their own favorites, but no one should miss Maria Hinojosa's "Ain't Dishin'," on her strong preference for sexual privacy, or Lynda Sandoval's painful essay on her relationship with her alcoholic father. Since some discuss universal problems and others focus on uniquely Latina issues, readers get an unusually balanced look at what's on the minds of this "new generation" of Latinas.
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In her foreword to this collection of essays by young Latina writers, Julia Alvarez writes, "If I were to single out the single most important change in this new generation, it is that these
mujeres are talking, and how." Divided into loose categories about family, sex, identity, and lessons learned, these revealing essays address what it means to be Latina today. Written by 30 accomplished women from a wide range of cultures and backgrounds, the selections are alternately outrageous, heartbreaking, self-deprecating, and hilarious. Coeditor Moreno overcomes embarrassment with her loud "stereotypical" family when she realizes that, in striving to become a New York "It" girl, it's she who has become "the caricature." Daisy Hernandez wishes she could help her Colombian mother understand why she prefers women lovers, and Lorenza Munoz struggles with her ambivalence toward her Mexican heritage: "I want to love it wholly, but I can't." Explicit about sex, families, and their own faults, and generous with their learned wisdom, these women's strong, insightful stories will affect readers of all backgrounds.
Gillian EngbergCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
