cover image BORDER-LINE PERSONALITIES: A New Generation of Latinas Dish on Sex, Sass and Cultural Shifting

BORDER-LINE PERSONALITIES: A New Generation of Latinas Dish on Sex, Sass and Cultural Shifting

Robyn Moreno, Michelle Herrera Mulligan, . . Rayo, $12.95 (336pp) ISBN 978-0-06-058076-6

" '¿Y qué dice la juventud?' 'What does the youth have to say for itself?' " Julia Alvarez, in her introduction, remembers childhood family gatherings, when one of the viejos would wander over to ask the young people this question, fishing for intimidades . Of course, the juventud shut up immediately. A generation later, editors Moreno and Herrera Mulligan are also asking questions—and now, finally, it's okay to talk. How do today's young Latinas deal with the expectations of their mamis ? Do they deal with men any better than their mothers did? What does it mean to be Latina today? The essays show a variety of Latina attitudes and lifestyles. Most contributors have survived several romances or divorces; some have children and spouses. All have struggled, somehow or other, to define and understand themselves as they straddle cultural borderlines. Readers will have their own favorites, but no one should miss Maria Hinojosa's "Ain't Dishin'," on her strong preference for sexual privacy, or Lynda Sandoval's painful essay on her relationship with her alcoholic father. Since some discuss universal problems and others focus on uniquely Latina issues, readers get an unusually balanced look at what's on the minds of this "new generation" of Latinas. Agent, Joy Tutela. (July)

Forecast: Hot cover art, low price, plus lots of media-connected, articulate contributors should add up to robust sales.