THE LATINA BOOK CLUB

Every Wednesday   The Latina Book Club   will feature excerpts  from exciting novels by Latino authors. This excerpt seems most apropos because of the death of the real Fidel Castro this past week.  THE DEATH OF FIDEL PEREZ By Elizabeth Huergo Unbridled Books *Excerpt One particular good citizen, Saturnina, was squatting on a doorstep just a few blocks away, feeding a hard biscuit to a hungry stray dog, when she heard the news that Fidel and his brother had fallen. Saturnina rose from her corolla of ragged skirts and began to walk toward the throng of people gathering before the building and spilling over into the street, blocking the morning traffic. Though she could see nothing of what had happened, in a swirl of petticoats and skirts she began to mimic the words she heard: “¡Socorro! ¡Fidel calló! Help! Fidel has fallen!” Saturnina, Sybil of the succulent bit of news that lodges like a string of pork gristle in the space between back teeth, began

   Millions of people have been dreaming about Fidel Castro’s death for almost 60 years.  It’s finally true – Fidel Castro died on Friday, November 25, at the age of 90.  Funeral arrangements are underway in Havana, while in Little Havana/Miami the celebration continues.  The Latina Book Club offers some books about life before, during and after Fidel. Happy Reading.    BEFORE NIGHT FALLS by Reinaldo Arenas (Penguin Books) CUBA: ANOTHER SIDE OF THE STORY by Iris M. Diaz (Xlibris) CUBA DIARIES: AN AMERICAN HOUSEWIFE IN HAVANA  by Isadora Tattlin (Broadway Books) CUBA IN SPLINTERS: 11 STORIES FROM A NEW CUBA edited by Orlando Luis Pardo Lazo (OR Books) CUBAN-AMERICAN, DANCING ON THE HYPHEN by Amarilys Gacio Rassler (SPS Publications) DANCING WITH CUBA: A MEMOIR OF THE REVOLUTION by Alma Guillermoprieto (Vintage) DREAMING IN CUBAN by Cristina Garcia (Ballantine) EVERYONE LEAVES by Wendy Guerra (Amazon Crossing) FINDING MAÑANA: A MEMOIR OF A CUBAN EXODUS by Mirt

    NEW! Every Wednesday The Latina Book Club will feature excerpts from exciting novels by Latino authors. Happy reading! and Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours! LUCK IS JUST THE BEGINNING By Celeste León Floricanto Press Book Summary:  This novel is based on Celeste Leon’s father’s true story – he won the Puerto Rican lottery and used the winnings for the benefit of all. It’s fiction but an inspiring heroic adventure.  Read our review of LUCK IS JUST THE BEGINNING by clicking here .  And click here for Celeste Leon’s post about her father. EXCERPT: CHAPTER 1 Maunabo, Puerto Rico November 17, 1944 Ramon León had a powerful premonition. Something extraordinary was about to happen. Just that morning, he shot an unprecedented seven free throws in a row. He watched the seventh ball soar into the air and sail through the tattered net when numbers appeared, high in the sky above the palm tree that held the faded backboard nailed to

NEW! Every Wednesday The Latina Book Club will feature excerpts from exciting novels by Latino authors. Happy reading! JESUS AND MAGDALENE by João Cerqueira Line by Lion Publications Yes, this novel is about The Second Coming . Book Summary:  Jesus returns to earth and meets activist Magdalene who is fighting for a better world. He finds an extremist ecological group, which is plotting to destroy a maize plantation it believes to be genetically modified. Then, he observes the rise up against a tourist development that is built on a forest preserve. Finally, he witnesses an armed conflict between blacks and gypsies. However, although he limits himself to accompanying Magdalene, attempting only to pacify those on bad terms, he is unable to escape the fury of mankind. And only a con man will recognize him. EXCERPT: According to the gypsy community, it was the blacks who started the riots. A gang of adolescents, who liked to harass gypsy wom

Women are coming into their own, slowly but surely.  In fact, we almost had our first Female President of the United States. That glass ceiling may not be shattered yet, but one day.  Until then, women will continue to fight for their rights and their place in history, like the women in this month’s Book of the Month by Enriqueta L. Vasquez.  Happy Reading!  THE WOMEN OF LA RAZA An Epic History of Chicana-Mexican American Peoples by Enriqueta L. Vasquez In the beginning there was woman. The Women of La Raza is a “Plain talk” woman’s perspective of history with a special value for both the spoken and written word. I use plain talk because there is a certain respect for plain talk, in the old tradition. In ceremonial circles one asks for, “la Palabra,” to speak. I have been humbled many times by the Indigenous peoples of Mexico where ‘la palabra,’ oratory, is highly valued.—Enriqueta L. Vasquez HERstory!  From goddesses to queens to rulers to heroi

NEW! Every Wednesday The Latina Book Club will feature excerpts from exciting novels by Latino authors. Happy reading! And Congratulations to Dania on her new book just out last month!  LIGHTS OUT is an emotional, heart wrenching memoir of what was and could have been in Cuba. LIGHTS OUT by Dania Rosa Nasca New Release – October 2016 Book Sumary :  Dania Nasca chronicles Fidel Castro's rise to power and the truth behind the dictator. His fascination with Hitler, Mussolini, and other fascists lead to a totalitarian state of sorrow and pain. At the same time, she shows a deep love and respect for the history and culture of Cuba.  EXCERPT: A Vignette There Used to Be a Carousel Every year a traveling fair, Los Caballitos (the Little Horses) de Labrada came to my home town of Holguín. The fair came to the same spot every year: an empty, dusty field on the corner of Calles Fomento and Aricochea. It was a simple but colorful traveling amusement p

    The Latina Book Club welcomes a new reviewer, Julia Abrantes.   She is an avid reader and a member of the Leadership Team at Las Comadres Book Club. Thomas Dunne Books/ St. Martin's Press/ MacMillian Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno-Garcia Review by Julia Abrantes   Welcome to Mexico City…   An Oasis In A Sea Of Vampires… This story takes place in futuristic Mexico City.  The time has come when Vampires are mixed in with locals all around the world.  This book talks about different species of vampires.  Some species glow in the dark, others have distinct hair, in others the females can sprout wings (not your white fluffy fairy wings, but rather big blue-black majestic feathers).  Some species feed by draining the life force from their prey, others can only feed from the young.  Anyway, I digress.  I enjoy your typical vampire novel – and this is anything but typical.  Weaving together the stories from three different points of view – se

The Latina Book Club congratulates Jonathan Marcantoni on the launch of La Casita Grande,  a new publishing house specializing in Latino and Caribbean literature. WRITING TIP :  If you want to stand out as an artist, be true to your visions and push yourself creatively, without worrying about the marketability of your stories. --- Jonathan Marcantoni Jonathan Marcantoni , Publisher LA CASITA GRANDE An imprint of Black Rose Writing Q: For years, we've been hearing the lament of editors and agents that they can't find any Latino authors.  And when one attends Book Expo America (BEA), all the editors keep asking for more diverse books, more Latino works.  Yet, the majority of the publishing booths at BEA this year had little to no diversity. It seems we have the editors' ears, but not the sales and marketing staff.  Did you see this too?  Where do you think Latinos are in publishing? JONATHAN MARCANTONI :  This question can be it