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themahtin's review against another edition
5.0
Another wonderful woman's coming of age story, this one about a woman whose disabilities get in the way of (parts of) her dance career. Not as sad as you might think, because of Castillo's voice.
chelseamartinez's review against another edition
5.0
I read this book after hearing Ana Castillo read some of it aloud at a Free Library of Philadelphia event (well, I heard it on a podcast, many years later), mixed with some stories she told about living in her mother's basement during a hot summer while she wrote it.
All the characters, even those that only appear for a few pages, feel real to me, in the sense that I can picture Castillo picturing them in and around her Chicago neighborhood, commuting to work and walking in the evening to buy groceries, whether work is the Sbarro at Midway or an elote cart, or a hair salon, or a dance studio. If I owned this book rather than reading a library copy, I'd send this to the book swap I'm supposed to contribute to tomorrow.
*threadbare leotards*clueless people eating cold tortillas*shrimp fricasse from the conquest of mexico
All the characters, even those that only appear for a few pages, feel real to me, in the sense that I can picture Castillo picturing them in and around her Chicago neighborhood, commuting to work and walking in the evening to buy groceries, whether work is the Sbarro at Midway or an elote cart, or a hair salon, or a dance studio. If I owned this book rather than reading a library copy, I'd send this to the book swap I'm supposed to contribute to tomorrow.
*threadbare leotards*clueless people eating cold tortillas*shrimp fricasse from the conquest of mexico
idleutopia_reads's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars
When you find something familiar you tend to cling onto it in the hopes that it will lead you to a world that will reflect your experiences and mirror back insights that seem unique to you. I find myself constantly seeking reassurances in my reading that I am not alone in my thoughts and feelings- no matter how dark and twisted they may be. When I started reading Peel My Love like an Onion, I thought I had found a kindred spirit. A Mexican-American woman who struggled with her identity, that had a strenuous relationship with her mother and that sought scraps and pieces from other worlds to form a face she would recognize in the mirror. The prose used in this book is lyrical and it resonated with reflections and insights that I’ve had. There were many times when it was a pleasure to walk alongside Carmen, even when I had to slow my pace. There were other times when Carmen’s spirit would race ahead of us (myself and her body) and I would have to run to keep up with her. Carmen was afflicted with polio at a young age. It has left her a cripple, a label she acknowledges and recognizes since it is simply a fact for her. Despite this affliction she becomes a flamenco dancer. It is through this passion that she is able to tread a path she thought was beyond her and experience a love affair with two men. One she holds on to despite a love that has grown rotten and the other renews her with a passion she thought she wouldn’t experience again. This is where my kinship with Carmen turned a bit sour. You see, she had become such a dear friend but at this point she became the friend that fills her life with unnecessary drama, doesn’t heed your advice and keeps coming back to complain about something she has complete control over. It sometimes read like a soap opera and I wasn’t a fan of that. I wasn’t rooting for those men, if anything I wanted to tell them to leave Carmen alone and let her live her life. This is a wonderful book though and I became a fan of Ana Castillo. I want to read all of her works now. She was such a wonderful introduction to Xicana/Xicanisma literature. I felt I had found a voice that I could relate to and that is always a wonderful experience. The lyricism in this book makes it a joy to read, it’s interspersed with Spanish sayings and words that fit the tapestry and I definitely recommend it. I hope this review made sense. It was a book that demanded introspection on what my identity means to me, it held up a mirror that was at times twisted and at others a bit too reflective.
When you find something familiar you tend to cling onto it in the hopes that it will lead you to a world that will reflect your experiences and mirror back insights that seem unique to you. I find myself constantly seeking reassurances in my reading that I am not alone in my thoughts and feelings- no matter how dark and twisted they may be. When I started reading Peel My Love like an Onion, I thought I had found a kindred spirit. A Mexican-American woman who struggled with her identity, that had a strenuous relationship with her mother and that sought scraps and pieces from other worlds to form a face she would recognize in the mirror. The prose used in this book is lyrical and it resonated with reflections and insights that I’ve had. There were many times when it was a pleasure to walk alongside Carmen, even when I had to slow my pace. There were other times when Carmen’s spirit would race ahead of us (myself and her body) and I would have to run to keep up with her. Carmen was afflicted with polio at a young age. It has left her a cripple, a label she acknowledges and recognizes since it is simply a fact for her. Despite this affliction she becomes a flamenco dancer. It is through this passion that she is able to tread a path she thought was beyond her and experience a love affair with two men. One she holds on to despite a love that has grown rotten and the other renews her with a passion she thought she wouldn’t experience again. This is where my kinship with Carmen turned a bit sour. You see, she had become such a dear friend but at this point she became the friend that fills her life with unnecessary drama, doesn’t heed your advice and keeps coming back to complain about something she has complete control over. It sometimes read like a soap opera and I wasn’t a fan of that. I wasn’t rooting for those men, if anything I wanted to tell them to leave Carmen alone and let her live her life. This is a wonderful book though and I became a fan of Ana Castillo. I want to read all of her works now. She was such a wonderful introduction to Xicana/Xicanisma literature. I felt I had found a voice that I could relate to and that is always a wonderful experience. The lyricism in this book makes it a joy to read, it’s interspersed with Spanish sayings and words that fit the tapestry and I definitely recommend it. I hope this review made sense. It was a book that demanded introspection on what my identity means to me, it held up a mirror that was at times twisted and at others a bit too reflective.
gingerrachelle's review
2.0
This is one of those times I wish half stars were an option. I was pretty sure this would be a 3 star but that ending really took it down a notch for me. I hate stories about toxic men and love triangles where in neither man is a good choice. I thought this was about a woman who finds herself, but it was just another book about a woman who finds herself back in bed with an ain't shit man.
rbiddy's review
3.0
He became as essential to my life as the sun that rises each morning to tell us we have not died the night before but just gone to sleep to dream.
raehink's review
2.0
I read Castillo's Massacre of the Dreamers and so I was familiar with her style of writing. Even so, I had a hard time getting into and through this love story. Carmen Santos (La Coja--The Cripple) is a polio victim who also happens to be a flamenco dancer. The book tells of her two great loves, Agustin and Manolo. I enjoyed the insights into the Hispanic/Latino culture.
A book group read.
A book group read.
idleutopia_reads's review
4.0
3.5 stars
When you find something familiar you tend to cling onto it in the hopes that it will lead you to a world that will reflect your experiences and mirror back insights that seem unique to you. I find myself constantly seeking reassurances in my reading that I am not alone in my thoughts and feelings- no matter how dark and twisted they may be. When I started reading Peel My Love like an Onion, I thought I had found a kindred spirit. A Mexican-American woman who struggled with her identity, that had a strenuous relationship with her mother and that sought scraps and pieces from other worlds to form a face she would recognize in the mirror. The prose used in this book is lyrical and it resonated with reflections and insights that I’ve had. There were many times when it was a pleasure to walk alongside Carmen, even when I had to slow my pace. There were other times when Carmen’s spirit would race ahead of us (myself and her body) and I would have to run to keep up with her. Carmen was afflicted with polio at a young age. It has left her a cripple, a label she acknowledges and recognizes since it is simply a fact for her. Despite this affliction she becomes a flamenco dancer. It is through this passion that she is able to tread a path she thought was beyond her and experience a love affair with two men. One she holds on to despite a love that has grown rotten and the other renews her with a passion she thought she wouldn’t experience again. This is where my kinship with Carmen turned a bit sour. You see, she had become such a dear friend but at this point she became the friend that fills her life with unnecessary drama, doesn’t heed your advice and keeps coming back to complain about something she has complete control over. It sometimes read like a soap opera and I wasn’t a fan of that. I wasn’t rooting for those men, if anything I wanted to tell them to leave Carmen alone and let her live her life. This is a wonderful book though and I became a fan of Ana Castillo. I want to read all of her works now. She was such a wonderful introduction to Xicana/Xicanisma literature. I felt I had found a voice that I could relate to and that is always a wonderful experience. The lyricism in this book makes it a joy to read, it’s interspersed with Spanish sayings and words that fit the tapestry and I definitely recommend it. I hope this review made sense. It was a book that demanded introspection on what my identity means to me, it held up a mirror that was at times twisted and at others a bit too reflective.
When you find something familiar you tend to cling onto it in the hopes that it will lead you to a world that will reflect your experiences and mirror back insights that seem unique to you. I find myself constantly seeking reassurances in my reading that I am not alone in my thoughts and feelings- no matter how dark and twisted they may be. When I started reading Peel My Love like an Onion, I thought I had found a kindred spirit. A Mexican-American woman who struggled with her identity, that had a strenuous relationship with her mother and that sought scraps and pieces from other worlds to form a face she would recognize in the mirror. The prose used in this book is lyrical and it resonated with reflections and insights that I’ve had. There were many times when it was a pleasure to walk alongside Carmen, even when I had to slow my pace. There were other times when Carmen’s spirit would race ahead of us (myself and her body) and I would have to run to keep up with her. Carmen was afflicted with polio at a young age. It has left her a cripple, a label she acknowledges and recognizes since it is simply a fact for her. Despite this affliction she becomes a flamenco dancer. It is through this passion that she is able to tread a path she thought was beyond her and experience a love affair with two men. One she holds on to despite a love that has grown rotten and the other renews her with a passion she thought she wouldn’t experience again. This is where my kinship with Carmen turned a bit sour. You see, she had become such a dear friend but at this point she became the friend that fills her life with unnecessary drama, doesn’t heed your advice and keeps coming back to complain about something she has complete control over. It sometimes read like a soap opera and I wasn’t a fan of that. I wasn’t rooting for those men, if anything I wanted to tell them to leave Carmen alone and let her live her life. This is a wonderful book though and I became a fan of Ana Castillo. I want to read all of her works now. She was such a wonderful introduction to Xicana/Xicanisma literature. I felt I had found a voice that I could relate to and that is always a wonderful experience. The lyricism in this book makes it a joy to read, it’s interspersed with Spanish sayings and words that fit the tapestry and I definitely recommend it. I hope this review made sense. It was a book that demanded introspection on what my identity means to me, it held up a mirror that was at times twisted and at others a bit too reflective.
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