Almost a Woman
by Esmeralda Santiago
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Book Summary Information
Author: Esmeralda SantiagoEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1999-09-07
ISBN: 037570521X
Number of pages: 336
Publisher: Vintage
Book Reviews of Almost a Woman
Book Review: powerful sequel to "When I Was Puerto Rican"
Summary: 5 Stars
I suggest that you read the prequel to this book, "When I Was Puerto Rican," simply for transition into the life of Esmeralda Santiago. Santiago, a woman who came from a desolate background in Puerto Rico, arrived in the United States with her mother ("Mami") and her numerous younger brothers and sisters. As the book evolves, the household grows, as the family must move from house to house, and utilize the welfare system to make ends meet. Esmeralda ("Negi") is the oldest of ten brothers and sisters, must help care for them, balance work, school and her aspirations as a young actress, all the while, translating for her mother at the welfare office. How this young woman managed to balance all of these factors, and triumph, is a true inspiration to readers, young and old. We also get a real sense of her bicultural struggle, to assimilate into U.S. culture, while maintaining ties to her Puerto Rican heritage, and an ethnic "other" (neither black, nor white, but brown).
What is especially compelling about the style of this sequel, is that we get a sense of Esmeralda Santiago's conflict as a young woman, as a daughter and as an aspiring artist, looking for an outlet for her gift as an actress. Though, she was not allowed to date until the age of seventeen, and continued to live at home until the age of twenty-one, this did not stop her from embarking in love affairs that taught her about life and herself. This is truly a part of coming of age that we all can relate to, and will touch readers from all backgrounds. I really reccomend this novel...You won't be disappointed.
Summary of Almost a Woman
"Not only for readers who share [Santiago's] experiences but for North Americans who seek to understand what it means to be the other."--The Boston GlobeIn her new memoir, the acclaimed author of When I Was Puerto Rican continues the riveting chronicle of her emergence from the barrios of Brooklyn to the theaters of Manhattan.
"Negi," as Santiago's family affectionately calls her, leaves rural Macún in 1961 to live in a three-room tenement apartment with seven young siblings, an inquisitive grandmother, and a strict mother who won't allow her to date. At thirteen, Negi yearns for her own bed, privacy, and a life with her father, who remains in Puerto Rico. Translating for Mami at the welfare office in the morning, starring as Cleopatra at New York's prestigious Performing Arts High School in the afternoons, and dancing salsa all night, she yearns to find balance between being American and being Puerto Rican. When Negi defies her mother by going on a series of hilarious dates, she finds that independence brings its own set of challenges.
At once a universally poignant coming-of-age tale and a brave and heartfelt immigrant's story, Almost a Woman is Santiago's triumphant journey into womanhood.
"A universal tale familiar to thousands of immigrants to this country, but made special by Santiago's simplicity and honesty."
--The Miami Herald
"A courageous memoir. . . . One witnesses. . .the blessings, contradictions and restraints of Puerto Rican culture."
--The Washington Post Book World
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