School Library Journal

Adult/High School

This collection of 11 essays and interviews examines the craft and themes within the works of a variety of Latina authors. The selections offer various perspectives and range from J. Zeff's 2002 essay "What Doesn't Kill You, Makes You Fat: The Language of Food in Latina Literature" to a 2005 interview with Judith Ortiz Cofer. The authors discussed include Rosario Morales, Cherríe Moraga, Ana Castillo, and Ortiz Cofer. While the majority of the pieces are available elsewhere, the book will prove handy for students looking for information on writers such as Julia Alvarez and Gloria Anzaldúa, who are mentioned in multiple selections. In addition to scholarly vocabulary and the jargon of literary criticism, readers must also have a sound background in the works being discussed. Of particular interest is a somewhat scathing commentary on Sandra Cisneros's The House on Mango Street in Ilan Stavans's "Sandra Cisneros: Form over Content." This volume will best serve serious students of Latina literature from the past 20 years.-Lynn Rashid, Marriots Ridge High School, Marriotsville, MD