Latina

by Lillian Castillo-speed

Overview

A collection of works by well-known and emerging Latina writers includes short stories, excerpts from novels, and nonfiction pieces from a range of contributors.

Memorable and moving fiction and thoughtful and provocative nonfiction—mainstream works by both well-known and emerging Latina writers—focus on themes of heritage, lives in an often alienating land, political concerns, hopes, and dreams.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780684802404
Publisher:	Simon & Schuster
Publication date:	08/02/1995
Edition description:	Original ed.
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Lillian Castillo-Speed is the author of Latina, a Simon & Schuster book.

Editorial Reviews

Sampling works from over 30 contemporary female Latin writers, this is a worthwhile and fashionable digest. The stories, recollections, letters and essays range widely in topic, tone, style and quality. Unfortunately, most of the strongest pieces are buried deep in the book. Among them, the story ``Personality Fabulosa'' by Monica Palacios captures with deceptive levity a heavy crush at the moment it develops into mutual courtship. Also terrific, Lucha Corpi's essay, ``Epiphany: The Third Gift'' depicts a tomboy distressing her traditional parents, who find solace in her bookishness: "`When you educate a man,' my father would often tell my younger sister and me, `you educate an individual. But when you educate a woman, you educate the whole family.'" Mary Helen Ponce's ``Just Dessert'' deftly portrays a disastrous dinner date, as the woman futilely tries to concentrate on the man's gorgeous lips and ignore the bigotry coming out of them. The stories of Cristina Garca, Aurora Levins Morales, Kathleen Ann Gonzlez and Judith Ortiz Cofer also work brilliantly. Less successfully, other writers rely too much on their ethnicity for interest rather than intrinsic merit. For example, Esmeralda Santiago's excerpt comes across as politically correct and facile: ``Americanos talk funny when they speak Spanish.'' By and large, however, the several gems in this collection outweigh the weak parts. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly