Frontera Street [Bargain Price] [Paperback]

Tanya Maria Barrientos (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2002

A richly imagined debut novel of friendship and forgiveness, Frontera Street explores the physical, cultural, and emotional borders that shape our lives. Carrying secrets and an unborn child, Dee Paxton leaves the affluent neighborhood of her youth and walks straight into Frontera Street Fabrics-a little shop in the barrio only blocks from her home, but worlds apart. Though Alma Cruz is not impressed with her new coworker, she can't help but appreciate her need for a friend. A single mother herself, Alma knows what it's like to raise a child alone-and she's not without her own secrets. But there is a price to pay for months of lies, and certain lines can be dangerous to cross.

"A warm and touching tale about the borders that keep us apart and the love that brings us together. Anyone who's ever struggled with a secret, found a new friend, or wondered about how the people on the other side of the tracks live will cherish a visit to Frontera Street." (Jennifer Weiner, New York Times bestselling author of Good in Bed)

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Dee Paxton is 28, recently widowed and pregnant when she applies for a job at a fabric shop in the Mexican neighborhood of her West Texas town at the opening of Frontera Street by Tanya Maria Barrientos. Dee's Mexican-American co-worker, Alma, pegs Dee as a stuck-up white woman, but when Dee collapses at the store, Alma finds herself obliged to care for her for a few days. Single-mother Alma gradually warms to Dee, as Dee comes to appreciate and love the Mexican-American culture of their border town. The plot is contrived and the story slow moving, but Barrientos's genuine affection for her characters and West Texas border life shines through.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

About the Author

Tanya Maria Barrientos, a journalist for more than 20 years, is a staff writer at the Philadelphia Inquirer. Her fiction was awarded a 2001 fellowship by the Pennsylvania Council of the Arts, and the 2001 Pew Fellowship in the Arts. Born in Guatemala, she grew up in a Texas border town like the characters in her book. She is currently working on her next novel. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• ISBN-10: 0451206355
• ASIN: B000HWYJD0
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,980,195 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This Hispanic Texan loved it, too, November 13, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Frontera Street (Paperback)

The issues are real; keeping secrets from friends, facing your
own prejudices and problems from your family and past and
deciding what to pass along to the next generation, and crossing
over into a new world (crossing fronteras) emotionally,
spiritually and socially. It does "explain" culturally biased
terminology but that is because it switches viewpoints so that
the story is told from a "white" viewpoint and then from a
"mexican" viewpoint and then from a Mexican-American (Chicana)
teenager viewpoint and it lets you see the emotional, social
borders from many different sides. I found that the characters
were realistic in that they "think" like real people do. They
have faults and act on misconceptions and jump to conclusions.
As for the portrayal of Hispanic Women ... there was definitely
a difference in views between Alma (the somewhat traditional
Mexicana who rebelled in her own youth and resented whites who
mistreated her when she was a maid) and the teenage Socorro,
who was struggling with how much of her white and brown
background to bring forward into her own life.
I didn't find any degrading or condescending views which
were not included as intentional misconceptions and which are
later shown to be wrong like the "barrio/slum" thing; Also, I
know lots of real women (white and brown) that are single
parents and struggle with how to find a companion without
getting hurt again. I found it to be "very real" to me.
It's a great read and an excellent vehicle for discussion with
anyone who's ever lived along the Texas border.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a book you don't want to end!, October 24, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Frontera Street (Paperback)

Our book club read this book and every member loved it (which is unusual for our club). You get to know the characters so well you forget they are not real. The book deals with many real life issues such as the challenges of true friendship, failures of relationships, the ups and downs of life, cultural differences, and the support of family and friends. The author draws you in to the life of characters and it is an enjoyable ride. It is one of those books that you don't want to end.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Warm, funny, touching, real..., July 11, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Frontera Street (Paperback)

I am really enjoying this book and feel close to the characters. While not "high literature", the author has a way with words and a certain understanding of people, inside and out. The contrast of class/culture with the unity of "women's issues" rang true. Her format, point-of-view of different characters nicely rounds out her narrative. However, it is the occasional humor that got me; I laughed-out-loud-til-it-hurt about the story of the Miracle Muffin. More, More!!!