i wanted to pick something special for my 52nd book of 2019. it took me about a week to find something i could connect with and i'm so glad it was this gem. this a beautifully written collection of short stories that are all quick snapshots into the lives of latina women living in and around denver. each story is bittersweet. many of them feature domestic violence, societal marginalization, and abandonment but at the center of every story is a compelling young woman caught in the midst of these generational cycles of strife and hoping to break out.
my favorite story was definitely sabrina & corina, based on two cousins who are raised together but then take different paths as they approach adulthood. after a falling out, the two women are brought back together under different circumstances. each story left me weepy.
on a different point, i'll be honest, whenever i think of latinas, mexican-american women, and so on, my mind mostly goes towards women in border states (tx, ca, az, nm) and in the large metropolises: chicago, nyc. very rarely do i think of the latinx communities in colorado and it was really lovely to get a glimpse into a culture where it felt like i was looking in a slightly warped mirror: unmistakable similarities but also some fairly significant divergences, mainly those having to do with a seemingly firmer grasp to native american connections. i'm curious to explore more of these perspectives.
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