Memory Mambo - Achy Obejas
(Cleis Pr)
reviewed by Gabriella Leff
Juani's relationship with her cousin Caridad takes us on a ride through trust, faith and a loss of innocence that is all the more disturbing due to its remarkable familiarity. Caridad's abusive husband, the macho Jimmy, is at the core of the problem. Jimmy's controlling behavior and Caridad's tacit submission to it are mere glimpses of the more traditional relationships within Latin culture. Difficulties arise as they try to adapt to modern boundaries and attitudes. We watch the relationship between Juani and Caridad break down as well. When Jimmy does the unthinkable, Caridad stands by him, losing her last threads of connection to Juani. Along the way, Juani is challenged to examine what it means to her to be a lesbian, particularly in the face of Jimmy's insulting insinuations.
But, in the end, it is no surprise that Juani is so easily absorbed by her family's drama. Anything is better than trying to figure out what happened that fateful night when she and Gina broke up. Gina was her world, her deliciously satisfying world-and she crushed it in a moment. Juani longs for the truth of who she is, not just for the record, but because she is paralyzed by the thought that she's capable of blindly destroying her own happiness. As she gains a better understanding of her cousins, her parents, her aunts and uncles, Juani is revealed to herself. While she doesn't necessarily uncover the whole truth she went after, what she does get is priceless.
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