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A review by leafthroughmypages
Becoming Maria: Love and Chaos in the South Bronx: Love and Chaos in the South Bronx by Sonia Manzano
4.0
"Becoming Maria: Love and Chaos in the South Bronx" was written in an interesting style. I think, as seeming par for the course as Maria on Sesame Street, it was written for younger audiences to be able to digest it. More than that, it was written as if she's telling the story from that moment/age rather than looking back on it. This attempt at in-the-moment context may feel "more real" to the younger audience. I appreciate what it's trying to do, even if it isn't necessarily for me. I also believe that the abrupt changes in the story probably reflect the feeling of how the events occurred to Ms. Manzano in real life: quickly and mostly without explanation.
The story is a tough, but solid one. While my heart breaks for this little girl, and frankly her entire family, who all seem like psychological case studies displaying various symptoms of poverty and the patriarchy, I am in awe of the woman that emerges from the flames. Generally speaking, my thoughts about any given TV celebrity is that they come from privilege(or are being exploited for their poverty a la Honey Boo Boo), but as Sonia grew up among these pages in front of me, I became so grateful for the true grit experience that brought her to Sesame Street and that continued to inform her character once there.
I am glad Ms. Manzano wrote this. I hope it inspires children, or anyone really, who struggles daily to keep the suffering from devouring their hope whole to persevere and keep reaching for their West Side Story dream.
Rating: 3.5 stars.
I recommend this story.
The story is a tough, but solid one. While my heart breaks for this little girl, and frankly her entire family, who all seem like psychological case studies displaying various symptoms of poverty and the patriarchy, I am in awe of the woman that emerges from the flames. Generally speaking, my thoughts about any given TV celebrity is that they come from privilege(or are being exploited for their poverty a la Honey Boo Boo), but as Sonia grew up among these pages in front of me, I became so grateful for the true grit experience that brought her to Sesame Street and that continued to inform her character once there.
I am glad Ms. Manzano wrote this. I hope it inspires children, or anyone really, who struggles daily to keep the suffering from devouring their hope whole to persevere and keep reaching for their West Side Story dream.
Rating: 3.5 stars.
I recommend this story.