The Truth about Alicia

and Other Stories

Paperback ($16.95) Buy
"The truth about Alicia was that she wasn’t that stable to begin with. So when she did what she did, no one was very surprised. Still it was shocking, the way she followed them from the hardware store to the woman's house, the way she broke the sliding glass door with the tire jack, the way she found them in bed. It was more than she could take, her being seven months pregnant and all. It only took two shots. . . . "

Alicia is not the only woman with problems. In these stories about contemporary and traditional Latinas, Ana Consuelo Matiella uses sensitivity and wit to address issues faced by women of color and women everywhere—issues largely having to do with love: between men and women, mothers and daughters, women and friends. In engaging stories about family myths, gossip, and lies, comadres converse over afternoon café con leche. "I'm sure that I was the only wife whose husband was teaching their daughter to do Cheech Marin imitations," remarks one of Matiella's characters. Another sings the praises of the chocolate milkshake diet: "That’s one advantage of living on the border. You get to try all the latest gringo inventions as soon as they hit the streets." Through encounters with angels, conversations with dogs, and relationships with men overly concerned with the dimensions of their manhood, Matiella offers a new exploration of the human condition—one showing us that if we cannot laugh at life, no matter how tragic the circumstances, we are surely doomed.

With humor and insight that come only through close observation of her fellow human beings, this gifted writer brings new twists to familiar scenes. The Truth about Alicia and Other Stories is an authentic portrayal of the world of contemporary Chicanas that will delight everyone who enters it.
"Gracefully written." —Publishers Weekly

"With vivid, bright strokes, she creates graceful vignettes of Hispanic life. Her stories are, indeed, short but her deft hand imbues each tale with rich detail. . . . A wonderful volume of well-drawn stories well worth reading." —Southwest Book Views

"Matiella's stories are woven from different perspectives, and each one is believable. . . . Her writing is crystal clear and accessible; you warm up to her characters and want to know where they came from, where they're going. . . . This book is great." —Albuquerque Journal

"A delightful collection with great beginning lines that do not let us down." —MultiCultural Review

"[A] master storyteller . . . We laugh and empathize, and meet different people who have so many qualities the same. It is an enjoyable journey." —Santa Fe New Mexican
The Truth about Alicia
141 Pages 6 x 9 x 0.5
Published: January 2002Paperback ISBN: 9780816521630

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