The Latin Deli Telling the Lives of Barrio Women

by Ortiz Cofer, Judith

• ISBN13: 9780393313130
• ISBN10: 0393313131
• Edition: 00
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1995-05-17
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company

Summary

A community transplanted from what they now view as an island paradise, these Puerto Rican families yearn for the colors and tastes of their former home. As they carve out lives as Americans, their days are filled with drama, success, and sometimes tragedy. A widow becomes crazy after her son is killed in Vietnam, her remaining word "nada." Another woman carries on after the death of her husband, keeping their store, filled with plantain, Bustello coffee, jamon y queso , open as a refuge for her neighbors. And there are Cofer's stories of growing up with a dictatorial and straying father, a caring mother, and a love for language that will lead to a career as a teacher and writer.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
The Latin Deli: An Ars Poetica	p. 3
American History	p. 7
Not for Sale	p. 16
Twist and Shout	p. 22
By Love Betrayed	p. 24
From "Some Spanish Verbs": Orar: To Pray	p. 28
From "Some Spanish Verbs": Dividir: To Divide	p. 29
From "Some Spanish Verbs": Respirar: To Breathe	p. 31
From "Some Spanish Verbs": Volar: To Fly	p. 32
An Early Mystery	p. 33
Fever	p. 35
The Lesson of the Sugarcane	p. 36
A Legion of Dark Angels	p. 37
The Changeling	p. 38
Absolution in the New Year	p. 39
From the Book of Dreams in Spanish	p. 41
The Witch's Husband	p. 42
Nada	p. 50
Letter from a Caribbean Island	p. 61
Guard Duty	p. 63
The Purpose of Nuns	p. 65
The Game	p. 67
The Lesson of the Teeth	p. 69
They Never Grew Old	p. 70
Nothing Wasted	p. 72
Women Who Love Angels	p. 74
To Grandfather, Now Forgetting	p. 75
My Grandfather's Hat	p. 78
Blood	p. 79
The Life of an Echo	p. 80
Juana: An Old Story	p. 81
The Campesino's Lament	p. 82
Las Magdalenas	p. 83
Olga	p. 84
Dear Joaquin	p. 85
Lydia	p. 87
Vida	p. 88
Paciencia	p. 90
Old Women	p. 91
Corazon's Cafe	p. 93
How to Get a Baby	p. 119
Advanced Biology	p. 120
The Paterson Public Library	p. 130
The Story of My Body	p. 135
The Chameleon	p. 147
The Myth of the Latin Woman: I Just Met a Girl Named Maria	p. 148
Saint Rose of Lima	p. 155
Counting	p. 157
Unspoken	p. 158
Who Will Not Be Vanquished?	p. 159
Hostages to Fortune	p. 162
To a Daughter I Cannot Console	p. 163
Anniversary	p. 164
5:00 A.M.: Writing as Ritual	p. 166
The Medium's Burden	p. 169
Table of Contents provided by Blackwell. All Rights Reserved.