The Latina's Bible: The Nueva Latina's Guide to Love, Spirituality, Family, and La Vida [Paperback]

Sandra Guzman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 12, 2002

Do you speak in English but dream in Spanglish? Do you crave homemade tortillas but end up buying them ready-made at the supermarket? Is your papi chulo a blue-eyed gringo, or do you have a Latin lover whose español is better than yours? Listen up, hermanas: Today’s Latina is a bicultural mamita who lives and loves in two worlds—and one of them is brimming with rich ethnic traditions and strong ties to home and familia. If you feel torn between these two worlds, and if you’ve been looking for un libro that will help you bridge the gap between the old-world ways of your mamá, tías, and abuelitas and the world of opportunities in the twenty-first century, then The Latina’s Bible is the book para tí! With warmth, humor, and I’ve-been-there wisdom, author Sandra Guzmán tackles the real-world complicaciones that many Latinas face today, including:

* The Latina sexual mystique—plus the truth about interracial dating and marriage
* Finding professional success by networking Latina-style
* Surviving your mother—without going loca!
* Taking care of yourself, body and soul

The Latina’s Bible is a rich mix of real-life solutions, down-home dichos, inspiration, and support—the bedside companion no mujer should be without!

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Hip and chatty, with serious undertones, this "bible" will be a valuable resource for young Latina women. A Puerto Rican-born journalist and former editor-in-chief of Latina magazine, Guzman tackles media image versus self-image up front; she rejects the bureaucratic term "Hispanic" and celebrates the infinite variety of skin color, body shape, hair texture, regional dialect and national origin of today's Latinas as she shares personal anecdotes and advice on a wide range of modern conundrums, from dating a non-Latino man to combating workplace discrimination. Much of the book focuses on familial and especially romantic relationships, with Spanglish-inflected guidance on dating, marriage and Latino sexual mystique. There are also chapters on health, careers and spirituality, and a strong emphasis throughout on professional networking and mentoring of girls. In fact, the book is guided by a sense of community-oriented feminism. Sidebars feature illuminating statistics and thumbnail biographies of lesser-known women, such as Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, the first Latina elected to Congress, and activist Antonia Pantoja, the first Puerto Rican woman to receive a Presidential Medal of Freedom. Though Guzman ostensibly directs her book to all Latina women, her wise-older-sister tone will probably most appeal to younger women and teens. (Mar.)Forecast: According to Guzman, there are more than 16 million Latinas in the U.S., with the single biggest group being 35- to 40-year-olds, making the market for her book muy grande, especially as a gift to daughters and younger sisters. A splashy cover will help attract buyers.

Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Adult/High School-This is a book for all Latinas living in the U.S.-from the newly arrived to the oldest generation. Guzman writes with much sisterly love and respect, pointing out ways Hispanic women can meld the best of Latin culture with feminist-based U.S. values. She fosters a self-reliant, take-charge attitude in her readers, while encouraging healthy relationships and communication with family. Accompanying the banter and chat are sidebars containing all kinds of statistics, factoids, and quotes. No matter their specific backgrounds, Latinas are bound to see much of themselves and their families in this book, and leave it feeling proud, understood, and empowered. Teens who are having trouble convincing their families to let them leave home and go to an out-of-state college will find Guzman's advice ingenious. Undoubtedly, YAs will be drawn to the chapters on dating and relationships: they are frank and seem to cover all bases, including domestic violence, homosexuality, and dating a blanquito (white guy). The chapter "Going Home-to Your Roots" is especially poignant. It invites readers to visit the land of their ancestors, giving tips on how to maximize the pilgrimage, and even addressing the sensitive issue of visiting Cuba. Experiences of those Latinas who have made the journey (some of whom spoke no Spanish at first) can't help but touch the heart. Humorous, serious, and fun, this book will speak to young Hispanics.
Sheila Shoup, Fairfax County Public Library, VA
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Three Rivers Press; 1 edition (March 12, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0609806963
• ISBN-13: 978-0609806968
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 0.9 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,056,704 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Why I gave it 4 stars, November 20, 2002

By 

"dancing_leo" (Washington, DC USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Latina's Bible: The Nueva Latina's Guide to Love, Spirituality, Family, and La Vida (Paperback)

I bought this book and devoured it in a few days, I simply couldn't put it down! However, in all fairness, I had to give it 4 stars because it falls short of being truly inclusive of the diversity of Latino experiences.
For the most part, this book had me laughing, crying, underlining and highlighting passages, nodding my head in agreement, reading outloud to my fiance... So much of it mirrored my own experiences as a Latina in America!
I loved it that Sandra Guzman spoke about racial identity, body image, education, mentoring, leadership - there are too many worthy topics to list! This book would have been a life-saver for me in my teens!
Unfortunately, I did have a big gripe with the book. It seemed to homogenize all Latinos, as if there's one "right" way to be Latino. This is something I have encountered in my own life as well, mostly from non-Latinos, and it shouldn't be supported and perpetuated by a Latino author. We are vastly diverse as a people but once in America, we manage to find common ground to unite, to help one another, to move forward, to make progress. And that IS our strength. Pa'lante mi gente!

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Latina's Bible, April 12, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Latina's Bible: The Nueva Latina's Guide to Love, Spirituality, Family, and La Vida (Paperback)

"The Latina's Bible" is as an inspirational and practical guide for Latinas who want to reflect and understand issues that affect Latinas in general. I want to congratulate the author for her magnificent work and for being an inspiration to many other Latinas like myself. As I read the book, even though I am not part of the "nueva Latina" generation, I find my thoughts, my fears, and my strengths in every chapter, in every line, in every story. I am fascinated to read about: "el que diran" that I heard so many times as I was growing up;" My maid reads it" story that remainds me about the attitudes of many professionals I know; and the author's advise to "take care of our little hermanitas" that I practice every single day.
I find the book to be of great help for educators, social workers and other professionals who want to better understand and help younger Latinas. The book has valuable and helpful information about health issues, relationships, and finding professional success. In addition, the author permeates the pages of her book with love and warmth for the "familia", presents a real tribute to friendship and admiration to our "hermanitas", and encourages the reader to fight and succeed.
"Consejos", facts about our people, anecdotes, and stories are told in such an intimate way, just like if you were in your "cocina tomando una taza de cafe" with the author, that you will read this book and will come back again and again to look for references, tips, ideas, and "recetas".
I admire the author's use of bilingualism and her precise way of using Spanish phrases and words that are very difficult to translate into English. This is a true example of how we speak when we get together to discuss intimate topics. She uses English and Spanish in such a natural way- just like when we talk with friends. This technique gives the book validity.
What I like the most about the book is the clever way in which the author combines facts, opinions, ideas, research, and every day experiences making it fun to read, even when she is speaking about very serious issues. Ms. Guzman's book makes me feel "bella", sexy, intelligent, and proud of being a Latina woman! Pa'lante!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Latina Power, April 10, 2002

By 

Debbie (Overland Park, Kansas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Latina's Bible: The Nueva Latina's Guide to Love, Spirituality, Family, and La Vida (Paperback)

The book came along at a time when I needed that shot in the arm to get excited about being Latina and recognizing I'm American, too.

Being in my 40s, I was amazed that we are still fighting the same battles economically, culturally and spiritually when I was growing up and attending college. Being in the 21st century, I assumed things had changed for Latinas.

The book brought to my attention that we still need to seek our uniqueness in straddling two worlds.

It was enlightening to read the statistics in all the different categories mentioned. I wish there was a timely resource to keep those statistics in the foreground of our minds. In black and white, it shows that collectively as a group---we do have POWER.

The book brought back memories and a time of reflection for me. It's all tied to being Mexican-American. The book speaks to the issues that need to be discussed openly on all levels as we evolve with one another. The chapters on sexuality, health, marrying outside of our culture, spirituality, and personal success are the most outspoken ones in the book. That is where Latinas are breaking away from cultural and religious traditions. We need to know we can still keep our culture, but evolve into the person God meant us to be.

The book will be a keeper in my library. It was refreshing to read a book with a contemporary Latina flair to it. Hopefully, this book will open dialogue among all ages of Latinas in order to nuture, strengthen and support one another.