Good Readin': When I Was Puerto Rican

I always enjoy books that take you to another place. A kind of writing that awakens your senses with the smells and sounds of another time and environment. Esmerelda Santiago's "When I Was Puerto Rican" did just that. Santiago's incredibly descriptive and beautiful memoir transports you to Puerto Rico during the 1950s, where she writes about her childhood, growing up mostly in the beauty of rural countryside. Santiago writes from a child's perspective, digesting the complexities of the situations around her (her father's betrayal of her mother, the anger, and then the reconciliation through the form of yet another sibling) in a way that is humorous and blatantly honest.

The book opens up with the intricacies of how to spot and devour ripe guava - what it feels like and what it should taste like. The beautiful pockets of images that she paints for us create a familiar bond to the people and the place. But the bright and warm images of Puerto Rico from the first half of the book take a drastic turn when Santiago's mother decides to bring her seven children to live in New York. There's a dramatic shift in language and imagery that leaves you feeling homesick.

I thought this was a wonderful story of identity and culture told through the eyes of child. This was also a story that many individuals have lived: the story of coming to America to find something better. In that process, however, the life you left an ocean away soon becomes something foreign, something lost. We become not one thing, but many -- a mixed barrel of pieces that transcend language, culture and country.

To find out more about Esmerelda Santiago and her other works, click here.

Good Readin': The Girl Who Fell From the Sky

The Girl Who Fell From the Sky, written by Heidi W. Durrow, takes you on a prolific journey of youth, identity and family. The main character, Rachel, is biracial, the daughter of a white Danish mother and a military-based African-American father. After her mother leaves her father and takes Rachel and her siblings to Chicago, a tragic turn of events forces Rachel to move in with her African-American grandmother. She begins, at first, to piece together her identity through partial memories and language, but ultimately she is led to discover who she is through those around her.

Durrow aligns the background of the main character with her own background, creating a multi-layered tale that goes deeper than the skin's surface.

She creates a complex analysis of relationships, the context of a person's history, and what that means in terms of identity. This novel beautifully depicts what it means to carry a dual identity in America.

Bottom line: "The Girl Who Fell From the Sky" trumpets the infamous but complex question: "What are you?" This single question acts as the foundation for this gorgeous story that takes you beyond black and white. In short, a wonderful read!

Visit Durrow's blog for more information and other related news.

Words to Feed Your Mind: Excerpts from "The Alchemist"

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I just thought I'd share with you two passages that I came across while re-reading Paolo Coehlo's The Alchemist. I always find it interesting to revisit a book when you're at a different point in your life, discovering new things, or resonating with first impressions. In this case, my mind was struck by the very same two passages that spoke to me a few years ago, and still speak to me today:

["Everyone, when they are young, knows what their Personal Legend is. At that point in their lives, everything is clear and everything is possible. They are not afraid to dream, and to yearn for everything they would like to see happen to them in their lives. But, as time passes, a mysterious force begins to convince them that it will be impossible for them to realize their Personal Legend...It's a force that appears to be negative, but actually shows you how to realize your Personal Legend. It prepares your spirit and your will, because there is one great truth on this planet: whoever you are, or whatever it is that you do, when you really want something, it's because that desire originated in the soul of the universe. It's your mission on earth...To realize one's destiny is a person's only real obligation." ]

["Well, why don't you go to Mecca now? asked the boy. Because it's the thought of Mecca that keeps me alive. I'm afraid that if my dream is realized, I'll have no reason to go on living... I just want to dream of Mecca. I've already imagined a thousand times crossing the desert, arriving at the Plaza of the Sacred Stone, the seven times I walk around it before allowing myself to touch it. I've already imagined the people who would be by my side, and those in front of me, and the conversations and prayers we would share. But I'm afraid that it would all be a disappointment, so I prefer just to dream about it."]

-Paolo Coelho, The Alchemist

Just some pools of thought for the weekend... Your thoughts are always welcome!

Happy Friday!

Book Review: Substitute Me

Okay, guys, I could not put this book down! Have you ever picked up a book and felt like you were reading a piece of yourself? Yeah, this was it. The essence of the story, for me, I won't give away all the juicy details, involved the journey of a young woman trying to find her passion in life. Really, we are all meant to do something that makes us happy. And, we are all meant to have a passion. It is up to us to have the courage to find that passion within ourselves and to go out, and do it -- whatever it is. Ladies, when I tell you this book is juicy, wooh, is it juicy! It has all the attractive elements that make a good read: betrayal, sex, forbidden love... Lori Tharps always comes up with something fresh and exciting. I was sad to finish it. It is yet another great book to add to my library.