Customer Reviews

Las Christmas: Favorite Latino Authors Share Their Holiday Memories

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Such a fun read, even the sad stories since they, too, are part of our shared history. Can't wait to make the pernil. Helped me understand the crazy notion of "asalto" that I grew up with but had no idea was cultural in nature; I just thought my Dad was nuts. As a second generation "born here" there was so much I had an inkling about but this book taught about our history and traditions in the best way possible - through food and music, tears and laughter.

I bought this book for my daughter and before I wrapped it,I started browsing thru it. The different memories of Christmas past bought tears to my eyes when I recalled my 1st Christmas in Puerto Rico. It was so exciting going door to door and greeting our neighbors with "Parandas". The recipes included are an excellent way of passing our LATIN TRADITIONS down from generation to generation. What a great gift for anyone who is interested in how different cultures enjoy Christmas or for anyone who would like to learn to cook traditional holiday food. Recipes are very "reader friendly".

Whenever I think of Christmas the memories that stay lush in my mind are those that involve our family trips to Barranquilla, Colombia where my mother is from and where most of her extended family still resides. I remember the richly decorated tables with "pasteles", meats, roast pig, "natilla", "bunuelos" and everything else that makes one's mouth water during the holiday season. I see the Christmas decorations and lights alongside my aunt's wildly colorful plants and flowers creating a surreal world for my then young eyes. I think of my drunken uncles dancing and singing all through the night, going up individually to everyone and telling us they loved us, would kill for us.. the basic macho overacting that they always succumbed to during the Holidays. This book brings back all those memories and then some. Each author leaves an indelible imprint in my mind as I reminisce with them about a desired toy that never came, a melodramatic relative causing some scandal that always prevented the little ones from going to bed, the flavors that I search for in my own cooking but can never quite find. Thanks to Ms. Davidow and Ms. Santiago's wonderful literary melange, I can now try to make some of the dishes that made me consider my relatives culinary geniuses. I am able to share these authors' memories with my friends -- memories that are so intricately wrapped up in my own. Nostalgia is always a tricky emotion to evoke in writing, or the arts for that matter, yet I feel that this book transcends the difficulty in a beautiful way. And finally, Las Christmas is not just for Latinos, it is for everyone that has fond memories of their holidays, in this country or elsewhere. It is a veritable showcase of Latino literary talent and the Latino culture. Felicitaciones!

Brought tears to my eyes as I remembered when I, as a child, would get up before the first rays of tropical light to participate as an altar boy in all the early morning services, and then go have breakfast at someone's house and quickly head back home to put on my school uniform before starting the day. Thanks for rekindling those long lost memories.

Las Christmas is a collection of stories celebrating Latino families and the celebrations around Christ's birth. Although many of the stories are full of warmth and happiness, (and recipes), there are a few with sadness and the poignant remembrances of poverty. This book is a must for Spanish teachers, like me, who want to try to capture the true "flavor" of La Navidad.

Loved these simple writings about special memories of the Christmas of different Latinamerican authors. Simple enough to share with our children during Christmas season so they can have a bite to our typical celebrations and learn more about our roots. Christmas is a season of devotion, parties, and just special realities that mix together bringing about our unique typical lives. Recipes, songs, poems our typical way. It is plainly: typical. Excellent.