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2003 | Fiction & Poetry
Every year, Ceyala "Lala" Reyes' family--aunts, uncles, mothers, fathers, and Lala's six older brothers--packs up three cars and, in a wild ride, drive from Chicago to the Little Grandfather and Awful Grandmother's house in Mexico City for the summer. Struggling to find a voice above the boom of her brothers and to understand her place on this side of the border and that, Lala is a shrewd observer of family life. But when she starts telling the Awful Grandmother's life story, seeking clues to how she got to be so awful, grandmother accuses Lala of exaggerating. Soon, a multigenerational family narrative turns into a whirlwind exploration of storytelling, lies, and life. Like the cherished rebozo, or shawl, that has been passed down through generations of Reyes women, Caramelo is alive with the vibrations of history, family, and love.
Sandra Cisneros
(Author)
| Published by | Vintage |
Main Image Courtesy: Vintage.
Images And Data Courtesy Of: Vintage.
This content (including text, images, videos and other media) is published and used in accordance
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This is the story of the Reyes family and their adventures, traveling from Mexico to Chicago and places in between. Lala, the youngest, narrates the tale, jumping backwards (to the beginnings of the Awful Grandmother) and forwards in time. So much drama, just like a telenovela.
I think I might have been the only one in our book club who truly enjoyed it. The flow was a little choppy, but I felt that it worked for the story.