A review by seshat59
Anita de Monte Laughs Last by Xochitl Gonzalez

emotional sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? N/A
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

There are some solid criticisms of <u>Anita de Monte Laughs Last</u>, namely that Gonzalez never once mentions the name of the real life artist, Ana Mendieta, on whom this story is so heavily based. Some speculate it’s due to legal purposes, and others that she never consulted Mendieta’s family. Either way, I encourage you to read their reviews. I’m adding this as a forward to my previous review because I think it’s important to have all the facts. 

As a book, however, I did really like what Gonzalez did. The duality between Anita and Raquel, basing Anita and Jack on real artists, bringing some publicity to Ana Mendieta. (As an art history minor, I never learned anything about Mendieta, but my focus was on ancient art, but still…) The novel was so compelling that I did google and find the real story, and it’s fascinating. Mostly I wanted to see if the art described was real, and it certainly is. 

I love the exploration of gender, of egos, of imbalances in relationships, and abuse therein as well. Gonzalez really explores how lonely it is to be a person of color learning about white washed history and how isolating it is. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings