Customer Reviews

Face of an Angel

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

In Face of an Angel, Chavez brings to life vibrant, lively characters. One of the most striking themes was the realization of that everyone has successes and failures and joys and sorrows. Soveida, the main character, becomes aware of this through her work and her family's history.

Machismo attitudes and family origins are important in story and theme development. The book also has a compelling message about the silence kept by sexually abused children and families.

Truly wholesome, witty, and sometimes painful life experiences of Soveida and her family. Loved the rules and regulations about waitressing. Wonderful, interesting book all the way to the end. I want to read another book by Denise Chavez.

This book is enjoyable as it goes thru the life of a waitress and she intertwines her notes on waitressing. But the book carries her through her lovelife, disappointments, happiness, family, friends, co-workers, etc. Characters are unique, situations funny! I found it enjoyable to the end.

An absolutely hilarious journey. A great mixture of points of views, different narratives, different cultures and generations. So real I just couldn't put it down. Amazing insights into the life of a woman.

When Chavez gives life to her characters, she speaks volumes of the everyday life experiences that we have all faced at some point. Her truths are universal and yet typical of a culture at odds with itself. Her character is real, hones and worthy of admiration.

The story of Soveida is one of the best ones I have read. Soveida is a Latina girl growing up in New Mexico. It is the story of her life and her growing up. It has a different plot line, of a Catholic girl who wants to be a saint as a little girl, but as she grows up she has more realilistic dreams. She begins to work in a local resturant as a young teen and continues to work there throughout her adult life. Her family is also a major part of her life. The author also includes stories of her parents, and her grandparents, and her great grandparents. It is a wonderful book full of family gossip, a great read.

Though I was lead to believe this was an excellent novel, I was disappointed in the explicitly Chicana perspective that never rises above its roots to much of anything universal or enduring. The "service" theme is clever and the book can be endearing, even poetic at times, but overall, it's not worth the time. If you must, borrow it from a friend or get it from a library.