The House on Mango Street
I seem to be reading and thinking in themes, teachable moments, timing. Such was my encounter with the classic little book, The House on Mango Street by Latina writer, Sandra Cisneros. I was drawn to the poetic nature of the story of Esperanza growing up brown in Chicago. Did she live in Cicero, I wondered? Chicago was a mecca for those of Mexican heritage when I lived there in the late 80s and mid 90s. I wondered would she have taken those trains and walked those streets to the bus. Was the dream to have a job down in the loop where I worked and I had co-workers who were of Mexican heritage and of Puerto Rican heritage. This book starts of my 2015 season and also pivots me into exploring more in the diaspora. I've primarily read and reviewed black female literary works, venturing outside the United States to include several of my fellow West Indians. In this year and a quest to finding more diversity, I am including some works by my fellow Latin heritage writers and perhaps