Gabrielle Lucille Fuentes

Right off the bat, Gabrielle Lucille Fuentes may be one of my new favorite authors. Her slim but dense collection Are We Ever Our Own is a challenging and beautiful conversation on identity, womanhood,colonialism, Cuban-American history, grief, art, and self-actualization. The eleven stories are all loosely linked around the women of the Armando Castell family - artists, rebels, and seekers who have no idea how far their blood has scattered. The stories play with reality, genre, and tone - The opening story stars the ghost of the very real artist Ana Mendieta quietly haunts the museum of her male partner and artist who overshadowed her career (and possibly lead to her death). Following are fable-like tragedies in occupied Cuba, crushingly realistic tales of hope and betrayal, an academic commentary of published letters of a late artist, and slices-of-life with just a hint of mystery. Several take place in a time unstated, or a reality where the magical is taken for granted - a little patience is rewarded with beautiful prose and real feelings. All of the characters deal with their identity as Cuban, either under occupation or as immigrants, and their relationship to the quiet and overt prejudice they face - even the ones who may be born of the wind.

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for a review through LibraryThing's Early Reviewer Program. I'm so glad I did.… (más)

"Are We Ever Our Own" is a terrific collection of short stories by Gabrielle Fuentes and it is no surprise it won a short fiction award. Every story is beautifully told with mythical style imagery and poetic type vocabulary. The author relates the struggles of Cuban women throughout the history of the Cartelli family. After reading this book, you will better understand the women who must endure and overcome personal tragedy as well as physical violence while trying to escape oppression and even end up in America.

Surviving in a culture haunted by family and wartime ghosts, women seek whatever measure of peace and dignity they can find. The stories move back and forth from Cuba and America, reflecting the experiences of courageous women embracing a yearning for freedom. These are powerful stories that will challenge your sensibilities and make you think about the dynamics of your own culture and certainly that of the Latinos.

It is important for Latino women to understand the dynamics that accompany them into different cultures and those that pervade their own personalities. You will recall the characters in this book long after you have finished reading it and put it down.… (más)