homicide survivors picnic: and other stories by Lorraine M. Lopez

If you are a fan of short stories and Latina/o fiction, then you will LOVE this book.  Lorraine Lopez has written ten fantastic short stories exploring some very real life problems - alcoholism, domestic violence, mental issues, incarcerated family members, displaced children, etc.  Her main focus is on family relationships and the ways in which various situations wreak havoc on the family dynamic.  Her writing is rich, detailed, and honest.  You can feel the thought and emotion put into each character.  Lopez writes with such an authenticity, that you feel as if you are reading chapters in biographies, instead of fictionalized realities.  I absolutely loved this collection of short stories - of course, I'm partial to this work because I LOVED Lopez' other book of short stories, Soy la Avon Lady and Other Stories.  My favorites stories in this book were: The Flood - dealt with a woman taking on the care for her incarcerated cousin's four-year-old daughter; Batterers - a woman shares her story of abuse at a support group for batterers; Human Services - a woman realizes that her ex-husband who abused her is no longer her problem after she indirectly puts him in the hospital; Women Speak - a teacher at a Women's College learns that a person's looks does not reflect their aspirations; and The Landscape - (a conclusion of The Flood) the daughter is returned with her mom and the cousin is heartbroken after caring for the little girl for more than a year.  These stories were AMAZING and left me filled with so many thoughts and emotions.  I found myself wondering why I hadn't read this book sooner.  In fact, I started to wonder why I haven't read any of my Chicana/o fiction books in ages.  Seems like I need to really take a closer look at my bookshelves and see what I've been missing.

The Gifted Gabaldon Sisters by Lorraine Lopez

From back of book:

When the four young Gabaldon sisters lost their mother, it was Fermina, the old Pueblo caretaker living in their house, who held them together with her love and protection.  Upon her death, she promised the girls they would each receive a special gift, selected just for them.  And as time passed, what she bestowed - hands that can heal, a skill for spinning stories, the ability to incite laughter, and the power to curse others - emerged, bringing both blessings and tragedy.  Now, twenty years later, unsure of whether the woman who had loved them so was a fairy godmother or a witch, the sisters delve into the patched and woven history of their family.  Here shadowed secrets wait patiently to be released into the light...to show the gifted Gabaldon sisters not only who their guardian really was, but the truth about themselves. 

My thoughts:

My first read in 2011 is Lorraine Lopez', The Gifted Gabaldon Sisters, and I don't know what to write about it.  I suppose it has to do with the fact that it reminds me of my dissertation (Chicana lit was the focus).  For some reason after I completed my degree I never really picked up another Chicana lit book again.  I suppose its because for those few years I was so immersed in Chicana literature and feminist writings that I just needed to disconnect myself from them for a bit.  Well, its a new year and I figured it was time to delve back into my past and reconnect with these genres that once upon time were a huge part of my reading life.  Plus, after reading this book I realized how much fun it was to read about my own personal culture, something which always put a smile on my face.  Its nice to read a book that is sprinkled with a bit of Spanish (reminds me of my grandmother) and descriptions of the foods I grew up eating, along with the mention of the practice of curanderia, something that I still believe in. 

In the book, Lopez writes about four sisters who are each struggling to come to terms with the loss of their mother and the fragmented relationships they have with each other and their remaining family.  We learn about their filthy uncle who sexually abuses them; the aunt who gives them records about the facts of life; a father who defends them; a little brother who supports them in all their craziness; and a family friend named Fermina, who passes on four special gifts (one to each girl).  Each chapter is devoted to a specific year and sister and helps to show us the ways in which each girl deals with their growing pains - first loves, school bullies, careers, babies, etc.  We also learn about Fermina, the family friend, who was much more family than friend.  Its a journey of sorts - reading about each young girl coming into her own, along with her realization of what Fermina's gift truly means.  This is a well written book that captures your attention with its vivid descriptions of the characters, the foods, the city, the experiences and everything that makes up the Gabaldon household.  Its also a book that is both delightful and at times difficult to read, because of the fact that your attachment to these four young women grows so much that you want to protect them from their twisted uncle's molestations, the unfair reality that wealth does buy freedom for the guilty, and that sometimes the sister you thought you knew turns out to be a complete stranger.  Its a book that leaves a lasting impression, because of the fact that it was able to make you feel so many things (anger, sadness, relief, happiness, etc.).  And in my opinion, a book that makes you feel, is a book worth reading. 

I'm happy I decided to kick off my reading year with Lopez, because not only has her writing whet my appetite for some more Latina/o literature, its also provided me with very memorable read. 

Happy reading!!!

Random Monday

Today's number was 53.  The book selected was Woman Hollering Creek: And Other Stories by Sandra Cisneros. 

I read this book years ago when I researching texts for my MA thesis and absolutely wound up loving it. I knew I would, considering that I fell in love with Cisneros' writing after reading her debut novel, The House on Mango Street.  Cisneros' books are filled with vivid descriptions, colorful characters, and intriguing story lines.  For me, relating to the stories on a personal level was so easy, because of the fact that I'm Latina (just like Cisneros and her characters).  It felt comfortable reading her works, because what she described was so familiar to what I had experienced growing up that I finally connected with an author's work on a personal level based on my ethnicity; which was both surreal and awesome.  I had never really read any works by Chicana authors before, which was crazy to me. How could I not have read books about my own culture? Instead I just read about everyone else's.  Oh well, I had finally come home and that was just icing!  Once I read Cisneros, I moved on to Anzaldua, Moraga, Chavez, Lopez and so many others. Cisneros definitely opened the door for me to a new batch of writers and worlds that were both familiar and different.  Makes me smile just thinking about it. Also makes me realize how long its been since I've read anything by these writers lately - too long!  Hmmm. I'm going to have to rectify that.  Perhaps a re-read of something old and wonderful or the purchase of something new and exciting will do the trick. 

As for this book in particular. Well, it is a wonderful group of short stories focused on the social role of women, specifically within relationships.  Cisneros utilizes the stereotypical archetypes of men and women in order to examines the ways in which these social roles affect and influence womens' issues (identity, sexuality, race, class, etc.).  Her writing is powerful and mesmerizing and takes you on a journey through these women's lives via their personal struggles to achieve their dreams of freedom and love.  The book is divided into three sections: childhood, adolescence, adulthood.  Her tone and style is poetic and easily captures the readers' attention.  She also integrates the Spanish language into her text in order to demonstrate the fluidity and combination of both cultures within each other.  All I can write is that Cisneros is an author that should be read and whose work is an important part of contemporary literature because of its ability to cross borders creatively, linguistically and intellectually.  Her feminist passions are evident throughout the book, which for me was not a problem (of course I'm a feminist who studied Chicana feminism) - I think it just demonstrates how Cisneros utilizes her writing as a way to not only describe her culture, but also as a means of presenting important women's issues to a broader audience.  All in all, a great piece of fiction.

Happy Reading!!!