My Goodreads Bookshelf!

This Is How You Lose Her
And the Mountains Echoed
Backseat Saints
The Valley of Amazement
Reading Like a Writer: A Guide for People Who Love Books and for Those Who Want to Write Them
How I Write: The Secret Lives of Authors
The Secret Miracle: The Novelist's Handbook
The Memoir Project: A Thoroughly Non-Standardized Text for Writing & Life
Julie of the Wolves
Signs & Wonders
From Clueless to Class Act: Manners for the Modern Woman
Kitchen Privileges: A Memoir
Teacher Man
The Bridges of Madison County
Land of a Thousand Hills: My Life in Rwanda
Shadow Tag
Paul Strand: Masters of Photography Series
Fat Chance
Giving up America
The Darwin Awards: Evolution in Action


readinginspanglish's favorite books »

Archive for September, 2011

21
Sep 2011

Book Review: Dancing with Butterflies

posted in: Authors, books

Ballet Folklorico de Mexico

Back when my mom was a kid, learning ballet folklórico was practically mandatory. Unfortunately, it was something I didn’t learn, but have always admired. As a special outing near my birthday last year, my husband took me to see the Ballet Folklórico de México at a performance they did with our local Community Ballet Association. We – and other brave audience members – drove through a severe ice storm to see the show, and it was worth it. The show was breathtaking, and included wonderful mariachis and grand costumes, all of which I didn’t expect.

 

Reyna Grande brings readers into the world of a folklórico dance troupe, weaving the stories of four women, Yesenia, Elena, Adriana, and Soledad. Yesenia, the founder of dance group Alegría, faces demons of middle age and a long marriage. Elena, a teacher, finds her life turned upside down after the loss of her pregnancy. Adriana, Elena’s sister, rebels against a rough childhood through loose relationships with hard men and distancing herself from Elena. Soledad is an illegal immigrant who finds her dream of becoming a costume designer may be dashed forever. The story is told alternating between each woman’s point of view; their lives at first tangent circles that slowly begin to overlap.

 

What I really liked about this book is that it tells FRESH stories about four women. Void of cliché character development, Grande presents a nuanced vision of the lives of women without judging, preaching, or stereotyping. The reader of this book will come away with not only stories about individuals but stories about relationships. Each woman faces her own challenges in her romantic relationships, but they also face challenges as sisters and friends. In the end, Grande shows us that friendships are always what we come back to after facing life’s challenges.

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19
Sep 2011

First Post!

posted in: First post

Welcome! This blog is dedicated to Latino writers! I am passionate about writing, and especially works written by Latinos. I have been a life-long avid reader, but it wasn’t until I was about 14 that I realized that books existed that are written in a voice similar to my own. Even though there are many acclaimed Hispanic authors, I still believe that we need more work by Hispanics and that the literature as a whole is under-recognized, as authors Sandra Cisneros and David Rice discussed earlier this year on NPR.

Why am I blogging? Well, for a long time, I have been writing in either the legal profession or academically. I hope that blogging will help me break out of those styles. Second, people who love to read and write, love to read and write about reading and writing! But most importantly, I want to shine a light on works by Hispanics in all media. So, my goal is to read as many works by Hispanic writers as I can, and to blog about it here. And I’m sure I’ll have some related topics to write about, too.

If you are interested in Latino literature, or have any suggestions or comments, please contact me!

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