Category Archives: Classic Books
Classic book review: Denise Chávez’s “Loving Pedro Infante”
Denise Chávez’s 2001 Loving Pedro Infante is one of those books that becomes your friend. Tere Avila is an “educational assistant” – teacher’s aide – in Cabritoville, near El Paso. She’s a divorced, 30-something woman who spends her time hanging … Continue reading
Filed under Book Reviews, Classic Books, Fiction
Classic book review: Ana Castillo’s “So Far From God”
I was so close to loving Ana Castillo’s 1993 novel So Far From God. So Far From God takes place in a small village in New Mexico, where Sofi is taking care of her four daughters after her husband Domingo … Continue reading
Filed under Book Reviews, Classic Books, Fiction
Classic book review: Julia Alvarez’s “How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents”
Julia Alvarez’s 1991 novel How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents follows four sisters from their adulthood in the United States to their childhood in the Dominican Republic. The book is funny, sad and always readable. There’s Carla, “the responsible … Continue reading
Filed under Book Reviews, Classic Books, Fiction
Classic Book Review: Isabel Allende’s “The House of the Spirits”
Isabel Allende’s 1982 The House of the Spirits is considered one of Latino literature’s best-known and greatest pieces of work. When you read it, you can the sense the influence the book has had on the books you read today. … Continue reading
Filed under Book Reviews, Classic Books
Book Review: Rolando Hinojosa’s “Partners in Crime” and “A Voice of My Own”
Rolando Hinojosa may perhaps be one of the greatest storytellers from the Rio Grande Valley. Hinojosa, who grew up in Mercedes, Texas, a small town near the Mexican border, has written about the land’s quirks and contradictions in more than … Continue reading
Filed under 2011 Books, Book Reviews, Classic Books
Celebrating Dias de los Muertos in words
Oct. 31 marks the beginning of the three-day Dias de los Muertos, one of the Latino community’s most important holidays. Celebrants remember their loved ones who have passed away by creating altars and writing calaveras, or poems. The day has … Continue reading
Filed under Children's Books, Classic Books, Culture
Meet storyteller Joe Hayes, the man behind “La Llorona”
Halloween is approaching, and that means many storytellers will be weaving the famous Hispanic scary story of La Llorona, the weeping woman who drowned her children and looks for them along rivers and canals. The folktale, especially popular in Texas, … Continue reading
Filed under Author Q&A, Children's Books, Classic Books
Classic Book Review: “The Hummingbird’s Daughter”
In preparation for Luis Alberto Urrea’s upcoming Queen of America, I wanted to read its predecessor, The Hummingbird’s Daughter, which was published in 2005. I was intimidated by the 500-page book and its serious description on the book cover, but … Continue reading
Filed under Book Reviews, Classic Books, Fiction
Hispanic literature’s greatest hits
Today marks the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs through Oct. 15. Want to catch up on some great Latino literature through the centuries? Here are some good starting points: • The Norton Anthology of Latino Literature compiled the … Continue reading
Filed under Classic Books, Fiction
All in the name
A few years ago, I read three books for one selfish reason – the characters had the same last name as me. My last name, DeLeon, isn’t common, so it was exciting to see my name in print. The first … Continue reading
Filed under Book Reviews, Classic Books, Fiction
