Viva, San
Antonio!
At her
reluctance, Jennifer decided to take her mother in, which, therefore, made her
hire a contractor to remodel and expand her home.
“Until her mother moved in, her life
was perfect. She loved her job. She loved her house. She loved the things in
her house. What more could she ask?” (11)
Gabriel Trujillo, one of the crew
members working on the house, never could figure out “what was it about brown skin that made some Anglos
judgmental and afraid?” (14)
What
surprised Jennifer the most was that Gabriel didn’t seem to recognize her.
After all, she hadn’t seen him in 10 years.
Story was easygoing, quaint, and
relatable. As a Latina, I enjoyed the Hispanic culture as not much of it is
featured in works of fiction. For me, it is a real treat. I am forever always
seeking out Latino themes and characters in books.
Writing was well-versed and modest. The
pace was rather slow as the two engage in bi-cultural jabs and racial misconstructions.
Although I wasn’t that captivated by their story, it was still nice to see them
get along despite their differences. I
think most Latinos would be able to relate to Gabriel—the directionless “bad
boy” that actually showed potential and a real gift. Reading the past events showcasing
Gabriel’s academic challenges and a teacher that never gave up on him was
reminiscent of Jaime Escalente and his calculus class. Gabriel needed to “stand
and deliver.”
Full of drama and quiet emotion. A touching,
multicultural tale on the two-edge sword of pride.
My rating: 3 stars
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