Growing up in New Jersey, Sabina and her upper-middle class Colombian family stood out in a "town of blancos," they were the only Latino family in a white community. Vida follows Sabina through young and early adulthood as she deals with feelings of isolation and comes to terms with her shifting Colombian American identity. Front and center are Sabina's relationships; her flawed relationships with lovers and her family in the United States and in Colombia. Sabina is at times reckless and self-absorbed, but she is also strong, intelligent and unafraid. She endures the hardships of lost loved ones and messy breakups, and finds it's the smallest of moments that bring the most momentous changes in life. Vida is Patricia Engel's first novel and is remarkable for its clarity, intensity and emotional honesty without sentimentality.
September 15th is the start of Hispanic Heritage Month. Revisit some of your favorite works by Latino authors like Julia Alvarez, Sandra Cisneros or Rudolfo Anaya, or check out newer titles like Conquistadora by Esmeralda Santiago or The Madonnas of Echo Park by Brando Skyhorse.
Submitted by Kristina @ Central
