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A review by bites_of_books
Fifteen Candles: 15 Tales of Taffeta, Hairspray, Drunk Uncles, and Other Quinceanera Stories by Adriana V. López
4.0
I had read a few of the stories before for a class in college but this time I read the whole book.
I loved it, it is fifteen stories from different authors and their experiences with quinceañeras, the coming of age party for a 15-year-old Latina. As a Latina, I didn't have a quinceañera, I exchanged it for a trip to Disneyland (which I insist hasn't been fulfilled yet...), so it was interesting to me to see how other Latinas went about having theirs in the US. There are things that change when you go to the US, but certain traditions never will fade, such as the quinceañera.
Something that I found interesting is how quinceañeras don't only affect the girl who is being celebrated, also her parents and her guests. The chambelanes have some really interesting stories about their experiences being the arm that leads her to the dance floor for the dances, their role as "man" when they don't actually have a celebration that symbolises their coming of age.
Something else that I liked is that you get the perspectives from different cultures, Mexican, Cuban, Colombian, Puerto Rican, etc., and it is really interesting to see how they are all the same and different at the same time.
I recommend this to anyone interested in the Latino culture, the cultural transition after immigrating, or anyone who wants to remember their quinceañera party or remember why they didn't have one ;)
I loved it, it is fifteen stories from different authors and their experiences with quinceañeras, the coming of age party for a 15-year-old Latina. As a Latina, I didn't have a quinceañera, I exchanged it for a trip to Disneyland (which I insist hasn't been fulfilled yet...), so it was interesting to me to see how other Latinas went about having theirs in the US. There are things that change when you go to the US, but certain traditions never will fade, such as the quinceañera.
Something that I found interesting is how quinceañeras don't only affect the girl who is being celebrated, also her parents and her guests. The chambelanes have some really interesting stories about their experiences being the arm that leads her to the dance floor for the dances, their role as "man" when they don't actually have a celebration that symbolises their coming of age.
Something else that I liked is that you get the perspectives from different cultures, Mexican, Cuban, Colombian, Puerto Rican, etc., and it is really interesting to see how they are all the same and different at the same time.
I recommend this to anyone interested in the Latino culture, the cultural transition after immigrating, or anyone who wants to remember their quinceañera party or remember why they didn't have one ;)