Cubanita - Softcover

Triana, Gaby

3.61

225 ratings by Goodreads

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0060560223 ISBN 13: 9780060560225

Publisher: Rayo, 2006

View all copies of this ISBN edition:

All Isa wants is to be a regular American teenager, something her Cuban immigrant mother most definitely does not understand. After almost eighteen years of constant debate over everything from birthdays to boys, Isa has had enough. She's counting down the days until she leaves for college—and can get as far away from Miami (North Cuba) as possible. But the more Isa tries to detach herself from her roots, the more tangled she becomes. Will she ever find the normal American life she dreams of? Or is she destined to become a cubanita after all?

"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.

About the Author:

Gaby Triana is the author of three other novels, The Temptress Four, Cubanita, and Backstage Pass. She lives in Miami, Florida, with her husband and their four children.

From Booklist:

*Starred Review* Gr. 9-12. One great advantage in writing about one's own culture is the freedom to be irreverent. Triana, born in Miami to Cuban immigrants, takes advantage of the opportunity in a fast, hilarious, first-person narrative that focuses on Cuban American Isabel Diaz's coming-of-age. As with all good writing, the particulars of the story, the search for roots, and the conflicts in leaving home will speak to teens everywhere--not just those in immigrant families. At 17, Isabel struggles with hovering, overanxious Mami, who knows how to push the guilt buttons and won't learn proper English ("You'd think in twenty-six years, she could learn how to speak correctly"). Mami is sure that sexy, funny Andrew is nothing but trouble, but Isabel denies all the signs. The love interest and the truth about family help build a strong story, but the sentimental twists that allow Isabel to find and then leave home are not nearly as satisfying and fun as the insider's view of the community. Triana doesn't include a glossary; the Spanish is clear from the context, and as Isabel points out, the best idioms are not translatable anyway. Pair this with Nancy Osa's Cuba 15 (2003). Hazel Rochman
Copyright � American Library Association. All rights reserved

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.