Selena: como la flor [Paperback]

Joe Nick Patoski (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 26, 2002

The murder of Selena, the 20-year-old Mexican-American singer, shocked Latino America - and seized the attention of an Anglo audience that was largely unfamiliar with Tejano, the vibrant Tex-Mex musical fusion that Selena had popularized. This biography provides an in-depth look at this tragic star, whose posthumous album - her first featuring songs in English - rocketed to number one in America and finally gave her the crossover audience she had dreamed of. Written by an authority on Texas music who followed her career for years, the book takes the reader into the culture that inspired her music and gives a portrait of the close-knit family organization that supported her rise and ultimately set the stage for her downfall.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

The 1995 murder of 23-year-old singer Selena has had a continuing impact, especially on the Hispanic community. Patoski, a senior editor at Texas Monthly, seems well acquainted with the world of Tejano music and the part Selena played in it, and his biography is more objective than other works on Selena. Though neither Selena's enigmatic father nor her other family members cooperated with Patoski, many others in the Tejano music world did. Patoski weaves Selena's story into the broader context of the music business and the changing bicultural scene of which she was a part, making this the best biography available of the singer. Highly recommended for popular music collections and for libraries serving Mexican American communities. Libraries interested in providing something on Selena in Spanish may be interested in Himilce Novas and Rosemary Silva's bilingual Remembering Selena (St. Martin's, 1995), a well-illustrated but highly subjective treatment for a less scholarly audience.
-?James E. Ross, WLN, Seattle, Wash.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 356 pages
• Publisher: Berkley (March 26, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425171248
• ISBN-13: 978-0425171240
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,483,095 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a work of art!, January 17, 2001

By 

Tanya Bateman (Rockport, IN USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Selena: Como La Flor (Paperback)

I first became a fan of Selena's when she was killed. I was, at that time, 15 years old. I have been extremely interested in anything I could find about her since then. I got Dreaming Of You for Christmas that year and constantly listened to it. She just totally changed my life. Ever since then i'd done everything I could to find out as much as I could about her, and after a while I thought I knew pretty much everything there was to know about her. She lived a life I only could have dreamt about. But when I bought this book and read it, I realized I knew practically nothing about her. It really touched me how down-to-earth she really was. She never let fame get to her head like a lot of celebrities do. For that I honor her. She was a real inspiration to other latinas out there. Viviras Selena! We always have and always will love you.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Still the Best Biography on Selena in Print!, July 31, 2003

By 

K. Allen "westoakland" (Oakland, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Selena: como la flor (Paperback)

Although it's an unauthorized biography, "Selena: Como La Flor" remains the definitive book about the life and death of Selena. Patoski does a good job of explaining the history and development of Tejano, or Tex-Mex, music prior to Selena y los Dinos' arrival on the scene. Patoski also covers in detail, much of what the 1997 film bio skipped over: primarily the decade between Selena's beginnings as a regional performer, and her signing with EMI Latin/Capitol Records.

Patoski also covers the rather strange goings-on during the final months of Selena's life: her relationship to her fan club president and murderer Yolanda Salvidar; her possible infatuation with a doctor in Mexico; and the possibility that Selena may have been ready to ditch her singing career to persue her interest in selling fashion.

Of course, Selena's murder and Yolanda's trial are also dealt with in the book, but it was the events immediately preceeding her death that intrigued me the most. It's clear from "Como la Flor" that, unlike the movie, everything wasn't coming up roses for Selena near the end of her life. Although Patoski gives a balanced portrayal of Selena's father, Abraham Quintanilla Jr., it's pretty clear that Mr. Quintanilla figuratively sacrificed his daughter to fuel his own stiffled musical ambitions.

As other reviewers have already mentioned, Mr. Patowski has done an excellent job of researching the slain singer's life. There are comments from many past associates of Selena in the book, and raises interesting questions of what directions Ms. Quintanilla's life may have taken if she hadn't died.

If your only source of information about Selena is the Jennifer Lopez film, you owe it to yourself to read "Como la Flor," because this book is far more interesting. (In case you're wondering, I think JLo doesn't hold a candle to Selena in terms of singing!)

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful book and worth the time and money ! Siempre Selena, December 4, 1999

By 

Christina Sprinkles - See all my reviews

This review is from: Selena: Como La Flor (Paperback)

I was sceptical about buying this book at first, considering that isn't an official biography. But, I must say I WASN'T dissapointed. It was wonderful. It was well written, well organized, and gave Selena the credit as a singer and human being that she deserveed. My only vice about it is that is makes her father seem like a controlling freak, when the only thing he was ever guilty of is loving his daughter. Other than that, this book is most definitely worth the money. If you love Selena, you'll love this Book! :)