Overview

Readers will discover in this biography how Sandra Cisneros overcomes many hardships, including poverty and racism, to become a unique voice of Mexican-American literature. Her coming-of-age novella, The House on Mango Street, remains a favorite of young readers today, more than twenty years after its release. Cisneros now encourages other women and members of minority groups as both a writer and activist to achieve their full potential in life.

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9780766031623

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In many ways, this biography follows the genre's standard formula. It describes Cisneros's parents' lives, her childhood and her college years, her struggles to get her fiction and poetry published, and her success as a leading Chicana author. But Warrick brings originality to Cisneros's story by explaining how the facts of the novelist's life provide a foundation for her advocacy on behalf of others. For instance, the author explains that as a poor girl growing up in a conservative Latino community, Cisneros saw many women whose lives and aspirations were restricted by cultural traditions. As a result, she was inspired to use fiction to express what she calls the words of thousands of silent women who did not share her opportunities for advancement and independence. Sidebars shed further light on how Cisneros's life informs her work. For example, Balancing Act describes how the writer navigates her dual Mexican and American cultures. Back matter includes a chronology of the major events in her life and a list of all of her published works. The text is well documented with endnotes, which often include URLs so readers can easily access Warrick's primary sources. The glossary includes cultural terms as well as publishing-industry terms such as advance. This straightforward, thorough biography is a solid addition to most collections., School Library Journal April 2010

In many ways, this biography follows the genre's standard formula. It describes Cisneros's parents' lives, her childhood and her college years, her struggles to get her fiction and poetry published, and her success as a leading Chicana author. But Warrick brings originality to Cisneros's story by explaining how the facts of the novelist's life provide a foundation for her advocacy on behalf of others. For instance, the author explains that as a poor girl growing up in a conservative Latino community, Cisneros saw many women whose lives and aspirations were restricted by cultural traditions. As a result, she was inspired to use fiction to express what she calls the words of thousands of silent women who did not share her opportunities for advancement and independence. Sidebars shed further light on how Cisneros's life informs her work. For example, Balancing Act describes how the writer navigates her dual Mexican and American cultures. Back matter includes a chronology of the major events in her life and a list of all of her published works. The text is well documented with endnotes, which often include URLs so readers can easily access Warrick's primary sources. The glossary includes cultural terms as well as publishing-industry terms such as advance. This straightforward, thorough biography is a solid addition to most collections., School Library Journal April 2010

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