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    Once Upon a Quinceanera: Coming of Age in the USA
    Unavailable
    Once Upon a Quinceanera: Coming of Age in the USA
    Unavailable
    Once Upon a Quinceanera: Coming of Age in the USA
    Audiobook9 hours

    Once Upon a Quinceanera: Coming of Age in the USA

    Written by Julia Alvarez

    Narrated by Daphne Rubin-Vega

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    The bestselling author of How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents, Julia Alvarez, examines the parties and preparations of the quincea-era.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateAug 2, 2007
    ISBN9781429586221
    Unavailable
    Once Upon a Quinceanera: Coming of Age in the USA
    Author

    Julia Alvarez

    Born in New York City in 1950, Julia Alvarez’s parents took her back to their native country, the Dominican Republic, shortly after her birth. Ten years later, the family was forced to flee to the US because of her father’s involvement in a plot to overthrow the dictator Rafael Trujillo. Alvarez has written many bestselling novels including: How the García Girls Lost Their Accents, In the Time of the Butterflies, ¡Yo!, In the Name of Salomé, and Afterlife. She has also written collections of poems, non-fiction, and numerous books for young readers. The Cemetery of Untold Stories is her most recent novel. Her awards and recognitions include the Pura Belpré and Américas Awards for her books for young readers, the Hispanic Heritage Award, and the F. Scott Fitzgerald Award. In 2013, she received the National Medal of Arts from President Obama.

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    Reviews for Once Upon a Quinceanera

    3.5/5

    46 ratings5 reviews

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    • 4/5
      This was an interesting journey into the coming of age ceremony for many young Latina women. I only became aware of Quinceaneras within the past 20 years, and wonder if that's a factor of a second generation actually being born here in the US rather than being newly immigrated from elsewhere. Alvarez;s own story and journey through her own coming of age was interesting as well. It makes me want to re-read her fiction and poetry with a different eye, now.There were passages when I felt something was beautifully expressed, but unfortunately, as I listened to this as an audio book, I couldn't mark them to record here. A definite disadvantage to mixed media, for sure.
    • 5/5
      Alvarez, writes about the Latino tradition of the quinceanera, an “elaborate, ritualized fiesta” on a girl’s fifteenth birthday. She traveled to various Latino communities in the U.S. and documented all the details of the quince: the mandatory limo, the photographer, the court and their professionally choreographed dances, the cake, and the gown. She researched the history of the ritual, from Mayan ceremonies to Spanish balls. The quinceanera thrives today in the U.S., as a way for girls to keep in touch with their culture.
    • 2/5
      Great insight into the tradition of quinceañera.
    • 3/5
      Acclaimed Latina author Julia Alvarez examines the tradition of the quinceanera, and what it means to the young women who experience it.With frequent dips into her personal history, Alvarez looks at the contradictions that make up the quinceanera - a "sweet fifteen" party for Latinas - a ceremony that celebrates Hispanic women, at the same time it reinforces traditional gender roles. An entire industry has sprung up around these ceremonies, and Alvarez picks apart the strange web of commerce and custom surrounding this coming of age party.Alvarez is an excellent writer, and when she gets going, her descriptions of quinceanera disrupted by hurricanes or photo shoots that take the place of the party and are smooth and illuminating. However, a number of things keep this book from being a totally compelling read. One is Alvarez's determination to link the quinceanera experience to her own adolescence, even though Alvarez herself never had a quinceanera, and seems to experience her teenage self in a completely different way than the girls she's focusing on.Another problem is Alvarez's decision to focus on a single quinceanera, and frequently interrupt the telling to flashback on her own life, visit other quinceanera, interview an expert, or some other diversion. I like a non-linear narrative as much as the next person, but the device doesn't work well here.Finally, Alvaraez can't seem to make up her mind about the quinceanera -- she flip-flops on it's meaning and place modern society. Alvarez's indecision makes the book feel watered down and wishy washy.
    • 4/5
      An interesting look at a tradition I was unfamiliar with. Alvarez seems to remain ambivalent about what, if anything, this coming of age really means or does for the girls and their families. Frankly, I can't say I blame her.