Las Mamis Favorite Latino Authors Remember Their Mothers

by Santiago, Esmeralda; Davidow, Joie

• ISBN13: 9780375726873
• ISBN10: 037572687X
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2001-04-17
• Publisher: Vintage

Summary

A marvelous new anthology from the editors ofLas Christmasin which our most admired Latino authors share memories of their mothers. The women lovingly portrayed inLas Mamisrepresent a cross section of Latino life and culture. They come from rich families in the big cities of Latin America, from rural immigrant families, and from the worlds in between-and they share an extraordinary inner strength, often maintained against incredible odds. Pressed by conflicting cultural expectations, circumstance, and religion, they have managed the challenges of motherhood, leaving enduring legacies for their children. Now, in these vivid, poignant, and sometimes hilarious reminiscences-all of them infused with distinctsabor latino-Las Mamiscelebrates the universality of family love and the special bond between mothers and children. Contributors include: Esmeralda Santiago, Piri Thomas, Marjorie Agosin, Junot Diaz, Alba Ambert, Liz Balmaseda, Mandalit del Barco, Gioconda Belli, Maria Escandon, Dagoberto Gilb, Francisco Goldman, Jaime Manrique, Gustavo Perez-Firmat, Ilan Stavans

Author Biography

Esmeralda Santiago is the author of the memoirs <b>When I Was Puerto Rican</b> and <b>Almost a Woman</b>, and of the novel <b>América's Dream</b>. She lives in Westchester County, New York. Joie Davidow founded <i>L.A. Style, L.A. Weekly</i>, and <i>Sí</i>, a national Latino lifestyle publication. The author of <b>Infusions of Healing: A Treasury of Mexican-American Herbal Remedies</b>, she lives in Los Angeles.<br><br><br><i>From the Hardcover edition.</i>

Table of Contents

Foreword	ix
Joie Davidow
First Born	3	(20)
Esmeralda Santiago
My Mother in the Nude	23	(12)
Maria Amparo Escandon
``Hello, Dollinks'': Letters from Mom	35	(12)
Mandalit Del Barco
Perephone's Quest at Waterloo: A Daughter's Tale	47	(20)
Alba Ambert
Mami, a.k.a. Dona Lola	67	(10)
Piri Thomas
Mami's Boy	77	(14)
Gustavo Perez Firmat
Travels with Mami	91	(12)
Liz Balmaseda
September 19, 1985	103	(10)
Ilan Stavans
A Mother Named Queen Solitude	113	(12)
Jaime Manrique
¡Mamita Linda!	125	(14)
Francisco Goldman
Mi Mommy	139	(18)
Dagoberto Gilb
How (In a Time of Trouble) I Discovered My Mom and Learned to Live	157	(12)
Junot Diaz
Just a Woman	169	(12)
Gioconda Belli
Frida, Friduca, Mami	181
Marjorie Agosin