A review by hkihm
A House of My Own: Stories from My Life by Sandra Cisneros

5.0

I really enjoyed this book, even though I probably last read The House on Mango Street twenty years ago. Cisneros' writing is so elegantly simple and understated, but at the same time full of life and passion. She recounts her life as a writer of course, but more often than not the stories she includes in this volume are ones about other people - her family, or people who inspired her. Recollections she was asked to write for publications, or just tales about her friends and those who joined her on the journey. She writes about their generosity so appreciatively, it is not hard to imagine her returning the favor or paying it forward. Another thing I found interesting about this book is that she chose to include several excerpts describing important or even minor things in her life - the paint color of her house, an ofrenda display she made after her mother's death, a painting her aunt hated, an upholstered couch, etc. Somehow these object meditations do play a role in giving a more rounded picture of Cisneros. A major theme in the book is being brave enough to do the things that you fear - whether that is moving away from home, writing a book, performing at a writer's workshop full of old white dudes, choosing to take the road less traveled.