Page 94 - Definition of Short and Sweet

Title: The House on Mango Street

Author: Sandra Cisneros

Genre: latinx bildungsroman

In my quest to (finally) achieve the goal of reading 100 books, I've turning to short fiction to help me close that gap - and I could not be happier with what this has brought me.

This collection of snapshots, of 1/2-page to 2-page stories, is a beautiful rendition of a young woman's experience growing up latinx in a rough Chicago neighbourhood. At first, I was worried that, yet again, I had picked up a goddamn kids book...but that's not the case at all. Yes, the protagonist is around 11 at the beginning of the novella (at least I think that's how old she's supposed to be), but the themes the author touches on are highly relatable to anyone at any age. The world Cisneros paints is vivid and textured, and although I've never been to Chicago - nor have I ever been anything but white - she somehow is able to convey emotions familiar to anyone with a childhood in the lightbulb flashes of these stories.

All in all, this an excellent character exploration - of the protagonist, her community, and even that house on Mango street.

Rating: 🍓🍓🍓🍓/5