Caramelo, Or, Puro Cuento: A NovelThe celebrated author ofThe House on Mango Streetgives us an extraordinary new novel, told in language of blazing originality: a multigenerational story of a Mexican-American family whose voices create a dazzling weave of humor, passion, and poignancy–the very stuff of life. Lala Reyes’ grandmother is descended from a family of renowned rebozo, or shawl, makers. The striped caramelo rebozo is the most beautiful of all, and the one that makes its way, like the family history it has come to represent, into Lala’s possession. The novel opens with the Reyes’ annual car trip–a caravan overflowing with children, laughter, and quarrels–from Chicago to “the other side”: Mexico City. It is there, each year, that Lala hears her family’s stories, separating the truth from the “healthy lies” that have ricocheted from one generation to the next. We travel from the Mexico City that was the “Paris of the New World” to the music-filled streets of Chicago at the dawn of the Roaring Twenties–and, finally, to Lala’s own difficult adolescence in the not-quite-promised land of San Antonio, Texas. Caramelois a romantic tale of homelands, sometimes real, sometimes imagined. Vivid, funny, intimate, historical, it is a brilliant work destined to become a classic: a major new novel from one of our country’s most beloved storytellers. |
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Common terms and phrases
already arms Aunty Awful baby beautiful begin believe better body boys brothers can't chairs Chicago comes dance dark door dress Eleuterio Ernesto everything eyes face Father Father says feel finally forget front girl give Grandfather Grandmother hair hands happened head hear heart hold Inocencio inside It's keep kids kind kitchen Lala laugh leave light live look married mean Mexican Mexico City Mother mouth move Narciso never night once rebozo remember Reyes says shoes shouts side sleep smell Soledad someone stand starts stop story Street talk tell thank That's things thought told true trying turn Uncle Viva voice waiting walk watch wearing woman you're young
References to this book
Brown on Brown: Chicano/a Representations of Gender, Sexuality, and Ethnicity Frederick Luis Aldama No preview available - 2009 |