Amazon: Esperanza and her family didn't always live on Mango Street. Right off she says she can't remember all the houses they've lived in but "the house on Mango Street is ours and we don't have to pay rent to anybody, or share the yard with the people downstairs, or be careful not to make too much noise, and there isn't a landlord banging on the ceiling with a broom. But even so, it's not the house we thought we'd get." Esperanza's childhood life in a Spanish-speaking area of Chicago is described in a series of spare, poignant, and powerful vignettes. Each story centers on a detail of her childhood: a greasy cold rice sandwich, a pregnant friend, a mean boy, how the clouds looked one time, something she heard a drunk say, her fear of nuns: "I always cry when nuns yell at me, even if they're not yelling." Esperanza's friends, family, and neighbors wander in and out of her stories; through them all Esperanza sees, learns, loves, and dreams of the house she will someday have, her own house, not on Mango Street

I received this as a part of a trade from K00kaburra. I requested this book from her so that I can read it as a part of my local book club. Will start on it soon. Thanks K00kaburra!

This was a poignant book that hit very close to home. It was written by a local author. Although the setting is Chicago, I think most cities have similar neighborhoods, particularly San Antonio.


I'm reserving this book for the next person in my readers group.

RELEASE NOTES:

I passed this on to Choclaholic today.

2005/44

Our bookclub has elected to read a book written by a local San Antonio author for our August meeting. Originally from Chicago, Sandra Cisneros now resides here in town.

Although this book officially has 110 pages, there is so much blank space on each page, that it could probably be filtered down to about 40 pages. I read it in about an hour. It is written in prose-style, but you can see that Cisneros is really a poet at heart. Each chapter, which ranges in length from a few pararaphs to a few pages, only needs some rhyme or meter and this could easily be a book of poetry.

The book centers on Esperanza, a girl on the cusp of womanhood, who I believe to be a semi-autobiographical Cisneros. Esperanza reflects chapter by chapter on her reactions to the different people who live in her neighborhood. The vignettes end with her moving away from Mango Street.

Although a fluently written piece of work, there's actually not too much I can think of to discuss about it. Hmmm -- guess it'll be a short meeting that day.

This is ready to go to 33shadow next.

Given to me by choclaholic (handed to me by flyinfox), for the Reader's Circle. I actually got it on Fri. the 22nd, and am just now journaling. :D

It will be returned to choclaholic when I'm done with it, since she's keeping a copy of each Reader's Circle book.

Interesting. If you're a member of the Reader's Circle, stop here! (Note: I'll be returning this book to choclaholic for the Reader's Circle collection.)

Answers to questions for the book club.
1. Esperanza likes Sally's clothes and stylishness. It's not that she doesn't like Sally. More that she pities her. Later she has compassion on Sally when her dad beats her.

2. Esperanza thinks her family is just o.k., but she does love them.

3. By the middle of the book she seems to want a boyfriend.

4. She wants to leave Mango St. because she's ashamed of it. She knows they're poor and run-down.

5. She's different from the women she knows in that she's not as pretty, and doesn't want to grow up "tame... waiting for the ball and chain."

6. Her great-grandmother sat by the window, sad. She didn't get to be all she wanted to be. And Esperanza likes her, but doesn't want to end up like her.

7. The shoes are grown-up and sexy, and they play at it for a little bit, practicing.

8. Her thoughts about Mexico are very vague. Her grandparents are there, but she doesn't have any memories of the country. It isn't home to her at all.

9. Esperanza wants her own house so she will no longer be ashamed of where she lives, and so she can have compassion on "bums."

10. The Three Sisters knew Esperanza would eventually leave, and reminded her to remember her roots and come back for those she will leave behind.

11. Esperanza writes because it keeps her free.

12. The book is titled The House on Mango Street because that's where Esperanza grows up, and where her true roots are.

RELEASE NOTES:

Returned to choclaholic for the Reader's Circle collection.

The reader's circle members ranged in feelings about this book from 3 to 8 stars, with an average of 6. Some complaints were that some did not like the voice Cisneros used for her young heroine; also the lack of quotation marks was disturbing to some.

This is available to members of the SATX_Reader's Circle yahoo group who would like to borrow it.

Ladies restroom in bldg 2840, 2nd floor.