La Casa de los Espíritus (The House of the Spirits) by Isabel Allende

Format: Audiobook

Length: 17hrs and 1 min

Source: Audible

Genres: Fiction, Magical Realism

Publisher: Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial

Publication date: October 30th, 2014 (First Published in 1982)

Thoughts: After I read Isabel del Alma Mía, I was left with a yearning to read more by Isabel Allende. Being one of the big names of Latin-American literature, it always surprises me when I thikn how long it took me to read anything of hers. I was a bit afraid of doing this one in audio, but the fact that the narrators (Javiera Gazitua and Senén Arancibia) where so good, definitely helped...plus it was nice to hear this story in my mother tongue.

The story goes through several generations in the Truebas family. Starting with the Patriarch, Esteban, a very proud, set in his ways and strong man, that starts determined to rise up from poverty and who marries Clara, the sister of his first love. Clara a complicated and amazing woman, is in contact with everything supernatural in this world, kind and magical she is the counterbalance to Esteban's character, while having strength of her own. Blanca, their first daughter and who believes in love will give Esteban headaches but also one of his greatest joys: the grand-daughter Alba. Alba, has the strength of all her ancestors and the rebellious heart of the young. While set politically against her grand-father, she loves him and will show him, in time, that a full revolution is in order.

Set in the years prior to the socialist years of Chile, the first part of the story presents all of the reasons each character has become itself. The descriptions of the fields, of the workers, are magnificent and set a beautiful backdrop to the love and hate that grows in the Truebas land. Adding this family's ups and downs to the country's changes in a masterful way, Allende gives us a good look to what the political changes meant to landowners before president Salvador Allende was elected and socialism arrived to Chile, and then the 180 turn that took after the coup d'état by Augusto Pinochet.

Just as it's common in Magical Realism, the supernatural takes the form of it's own character, but Allende makes it so that everything seems 100% plausible, including the sprits that talk to Clara. It is amazing that this was her first novel when you see how strong her voice already is. Even her secondary characters (my favorite is Tránsito Soto) leave a mark in you.

I loved this book, and once again I think part of my full enjoyment was the great work of the two narrators. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for more examples of what Magical Realism is or interested in Chile and would like to be introduced to its political story through fiction. 

 

Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass by Meg Medina

First impression

If you listen to the Book Riot podcast like me you have probably heard about how amazing Meg Medina is and how this book is delightful. If you are from Latino origin, like me you are going to smile without knowing it at most of the passages making reference to Piddy’s roots. A small book of under 300 pages that carries a lot of punch, huge amount of feelings and a great story about bullies.

Final thoughts

What happens when as a parent you do what you think is best for your child only to put them in a worst situation? This is exactly what happens at the beginning of this book. Piddy Sanchez stars at a new school because her mother decided they needed to move out of their not so great neighbourhood. Unfortunately for Piddy, she is not particularly welcomed in the new school, and the official bully, Yaqui Delgado, gets in her head that Piddy is after her boyfriend; the fact that she has pale skin (making her not Latin enough) has good grades and has no real friends doesn’t help. Piddy will be target of attacks, both verbal and physical that will jeopardize not only her academic performance but also who she is as a person and her relationship with her mother.

Meg Medina does two things wonderfully well in this book. She captures what it is to be a teenager struggling to be accepted by others at school, feeling like you are the only one having a hard time in life and opting for silence when maybe what you need is a helping hand; and what it is to be a Latino. Not just the Sofia Vergara image (and for the record, I really like Sofia Vergara, her character in Modern Family is hilarious) but what I live everyday: not finding the right word except in Spanish, craving food that you can’t prepare here for lack of ingredients and off course, the relationship with your family.

The book has hard sections to read, not only the bullying parts, but the way the author manages to make you feel how alone and helpless Piddy feels. You feel like reaching out to her and protecting her. At the same time you feel the butterflies in her stomach when she is happy, that’s is great character writing, when you feel what the character is feeling.

The rhythm and structure makes it that you don’t want to put the book down and don’t realize it has been a while since you changed position in your chair. The secondary characters are as lively as Piddy and it is heartwarming to see her little circle around her grew stronger as she does the same. You have plenty of examples of strong Latinas in the book, including Piddy and in her case you see her growth. I would recommend this book to anyone that is interested by the subject of bullying or if you are looking for a good characterization of Latino characters.