The Mixquiahuala Letters

I love that this book tackles issues relating to race, nationality, and gender, through its main characters and setting. The narrator of the novel, Teresa, is a woman of Mexican heritage and modest upbringing, and is contrasted with the woman to whom she writes her letters, Alicia. Alicia is lighter skinned and of Spanish ancestry, and her family is from an upper-middle-class background. This contrast between the characters allows the reader insight into the privileges and disadvantages that exist around racial and ethnic backgrounds as well as class statuses. In conjunction with the race and class discussion, the novel also highlights the experiences of women in the US as well as Mexico. This combination leads to a compelling story of two women in a world that is often dangerous and unfriendly to them. However, the epistolary format, with the option to read the letters in different orders, necessitates that the letters are a bit ambiguous at points. For me, this made it difficult to discern a firm plot and made the book feel a little rhythm-less. That said, I personally prefer books that are more linear, while someone who enjoys putting together the pieces of a story would likely not have an issue with the format.

This book explores the freedoms of 2 young women as they revisit their past adventures and deal with more current tramas in their lives. Reading letters written from Teresa, we learn more about her point of view and her love for her artist counterpart, Alicia. Both women struggle with societal norms such as getting married, settling down and having a family. At the same time, they must face man's oppression and objectification of women. Although the story isn't perfectly chronological, the events show us that Teresa and Alicia's love for each other is not diminished by how men have humiliated and hurt them.

It baffles me how this can have any negative reviews. This book is perfect. It examines literally everything feminist and chicana.. it's amazing! It does have a "chose your own story" concept, and I read each one of the options and they all tell a different story. but you also HAVE to read it all the way through.. there are some letters that none of the 3 options include. This book examines the "la virgen/ la puta" aspect women face and so many controversial things that everyone can relate to, I thought this book was phenomenal. And if you have an interest in feminist or chicana literature you need to read this.

This book was a required read for one of my classes but as I got started on it, I found myself really enjoying it and wanting to keep reading. The format was confusing at first but after I figured it out and chose my path (quixotic), I found it to be uniquely compelling. I related to the women's issues that were explored and was interested to read about the comparisons between the roles of women in the US versus in Mexico and all of Teresa and Alicia's adventures and experiences as chicana women. Overall, a worthwhile and enjoyable read.

This book is amazing! Castillo really has a way of transporting you through her letters. I read this for an English class and couldn't of been happier!

My son's book for college, arrived on- time.

Fascinating and very reflective.

It was a good read the reader will understand the Chicano identity and how it was developed. A cultural phenomenon.