Face of an Angel [Paperback]

Denise Chavez (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 1995

Last in a long line of long-suffering women, once-divorced, once-widowed Soveida Dosamantes reflects on her 30 years as a waitress at the El Farol Mexican restaurant. Looking back, she hears a rich chorus of Latino voices whose touching, funny and sage advice shows her how to celebrate her true love and her true self.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Employing a variety of techniques-unattributed dialogue, stories within stories, passages from term papers and a waitressing manual-Chavez's accomplished first novel weaves the interlocking histories of the Dosamantes clan and the fictional New Mexico town of Agua Oscura. But the author, a playwright, actress and story writer, seeks to be more than a compiler of earthy, colorful tales about love, marriage, death, trailer parks and pickup trucks. Here is an updated Pilgrim's Progress with a Chicana feminist twist: Chavez follows the spiritual journey of her narrator, Soveida Dosamantes, who grows from a shy fearful girl to become a vulnerable, obliging waitress and, finally, a forceful woman ready to make difficult choices. Her highly readable style effortlessly mixes Spanish and English in a way that won't jar the monolingual reader ("May [the Virgin Mary] spare you a drunken man... smelling of frijoles and beer. Dios mio el gas!"). And if there is an occasional excess of sentimentality, there is never a dull moment in this rich polyphonic novel. 25,000 first printing; BOMC and QPB selections; author tour.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Soveida Dosamantes has mastered the art of serving the Catholic Church, restaurant patrons, and relatives. Growing up Latina in the predominantly Mexican town of Agua Oscura, New Mexico, she is reared by a mother and grandmother who enforce the Mexican tradition of serving husbands and God. Once living on her own, however, Soveida matures into an independent woman, empowered by courses in Mexicana studies at the community college, several lovers, and her co-workers at El Farol Mexican Restaurant. Telling the stories of a multitude of people, all of whom teach Soveida something about life, love, and happiness, Chavez has written a book about growing up with a double heritage and learning to shed the constraints of tradition and fear. Chavez rivals such literary counterparts as Sandra Cisneros in describing the Mexican American's struggle to find solace in American society. Highly recommended for libraries with Latin American and women's studies collections, and a definite plus to most fiction collections.
--Lisa Degliantoni, "Library Journal"
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 480 pages
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing; Warner Books ed edition (November 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446671851
• ISBN-13: 978-0446671859
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #260,460 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Book to Read, March 25, 2003

By 

Diaspora Chic "diaspora_chic" (Silver Spring, MD) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Face of an Angel (Paperback)

With school and all in the way, I manage to find time to read the book during bus rides. This is a beautifully written story about the Mexican-American women who struggle with thier identity and themselves. Soveida Dosamantes, the narrator of the book, daughter of Dolores and granddaughter of Mama Lupita, is an independent twice married woman working as a waitress at a restaurant runned by a Mexican-American who has little connection to his culture.
She deals with the men in her lives beginning with her father, who cheated on her mother constantly; her brother Hector, who marries a woman because she's pregnant, yet is involved with another woman; her first husband Ivan, who cheated on her with the town slut; Veryl, her Anglo husband who commits suicide; J.V., the professor who buries his head in academics; and Tirzio, the man she is in love with but is married.
Ms. Chavez's novel is moving describing how each woman dealt differently to their family situations, community and themselves. In addition to Soveida and her family, the other characters make the book an interesting read.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinated, August 24, 2006

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Soapsuds "MC" (El Paso, TX USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Face of an Angel (Paperback)

If you like John Steinbeck, Oscar Lewis, Upton Sinclair, J.D. Salinger, William Shakespeare, and Socrates, and even if you did not like any of these authors, you'd still adore and love author Denise Chavez. Her novel "Face Of An Angel" to some readers might be a 'chisme', a gossip. To others, however, it will be a brave and gallantly told tale of life in the town of Agua Oscura.

If you take a tablespoon of John Steinbeck, a teaspoon of Oscar Lewis, a pinch of Upton Sinclair, a pinch of William Shakespeare, and sprinkle some of the philosophy of Socrates, you'd come up with the writing style of Denise Chavez.

Her style places the reader in that time and places the reader has never been to and much less spent time on. The reader becomes engrossed, mesmerized, captivated, spellbound, enthralled, and fascinated by the tales, or chismes, the author spins like a yarn of silk for the reader. Denise makes the reader feel the reality of life in a way the reader has never touched life's reality before.

Denise Chavez is not only witty, clever, amusing, humorous, entertaining, sharp and funny, but she is understanding, compassionate, empathetic, quick-witted, and yes, tragic as well with the meaning of life and writing.


There is not enough stars to evaluate Denise Chavez' "Face Of An Angel." I strongly recommend her novel. I guarantee you will not put the book down until the end, and then you will be asking for more.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars absolutely loved it, can't wait to read it again, July 8, 2004

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Juli (Brooklyn, New York USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Face of an Angel (Paperback)

An awesome book. Written in an accessible, almost conversational, but also a very poetic style. Chavez explores a lot of feminine themes -- what does it mean to be a modern woman? how does that relate to familiar and cultural traditions? what role should our bodies and sexuality play in our vision of ourselves? should we stay connected to traditional maternal wisdom (an unmentioned mother goddess, I suppose)? Chavez also takes on the role of sociologist in rendering the Mexican-American community, it's people, culture, and problems. Overall an amazing book. I carried it with me day and night, stealing every moment I could to indulge in the pleasure of reading it.