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In this novel of family history and myth, Christina Garcia gives us Reina and Constancia Aguero, sisters who grew up in Cuba, but who haven't talked in thirty years--not since Constancia snuck out of Cuba and crossed the water to the United States, where she assimilated into her adopted country's culture as completely and deeply as she could. The beautiful and charismatic Reina, meanwhile, stayed in Cuba where she became a skilled electrician and a staunch supporter of la revolucion. The long-estranged sisters are finally heading toward a reunion, and as they come together their own stories and the legacy of their scientist-parents is told and retold in an elegantly written novel that investigates the several natures of identity--personal, familial, and even national.
Book Description
Reina and Constancia Agüero are Cuban sisters who have been estranged for thirty years. Reina--tall, darkly beautiful, and magnetically sexual--still lives in her homeland. Once a devoted daughter of la revolución, she now basks in the glow of her many admiring suitors, believing only in what she can grasp with her five senses. The pale and very petite Constancia lives in the United States, a beauty expert who sees miracles and portents wherever she looks. After she and her husband retire to Miami, she becomes haunted by the memory of her parents and the unexplained death of her beloved mother so long ago.
Told in the stirring voices of their parents, their daughters, and themselves, The Agüero Sisters tells a mesmerizing story about the power of myth to mask, transform, and finally, reveal the truth--as two women move toward an uncertain, long awaited reunion.
Customer Reviews:
Magical.......2004-07-11
I read books for many reasons, but above all, to be transported out of my present life to different dimensions and fresh possibilities. However, sometimes, rarely, the language a writer uses is enough to cause rapture, and this truly is the case with Cristina Garcia, author of The Aguero Sisters. This is a novel in which the plot is almost incidental to the rich tapestry of characterizations, dissection of the human psyche, and descriptions of superstitions which take the reader's breath away. In fact, the long-awaited climax, when it finally comes, does not provide any resolution at all, which is a disappointment, but by no means a disaster because before getting to this point, the reader is transported back and forth between Cuba and the United States, communism and capitalism, family rifts and reconciliations, and most importantly, to a discovery of what happens to people who are separated from each other in a familial, political, and geographical sense. Above and beyond this, the writer's incredibly poetic manipulation of the English language, her second language, "peels back raw regions of misery" and uses "an explosive lexicon of hardship and bitter jokes." Oh, to come from a culture as rich as this and through suffering to find my true self rather than simply wallow in the grief of it all. I covet Garcia's relationship with words and understanding of human nature and all its strengths and frailties. If there were a guarantee that every book would be as engrossing as this one, then I would be sure to set aside time to read more regularly because the replenishment that comes from the pages of novels such as this is incalculable.
Worth a read.......2004-04-11
Not as good as Sonando en Cubano and takes a little time to be drawn into it, but it ends up being OK. It's a story of two sisters from Cuba and the divergent paths their lives take.
Dreaming in Cuban is better.......2003-08-12
Book is O.K., although a bit strange at the end. Dreaming in Cuban is a better book.
A haunting, mythical tale..........2002-05-13
The Aguero Sisters is my first book by Cristina Garcia, but I can say with confidence it won't be my last. This novel was a truly mesmerizing feat; each page a veritable feast for the senses with beautiful, rich imagery and lush details of the Cuban landscape. This book sat on my bookshelf for over two years -- and now I'm wondering what took me so long.
Mystery and mythical religion is the backdrop for Cristina Garcia's haunting and descriptive tale of The Aguero Sisters. The story opens with drama and mystery surrounding the death of Constancia and Reina's mother, Blanca. What follows are chapters told in each sister's voice -- Constancia, a successful cosmetics entrepreneur, who lives in Miami with her husband Heberto -- and Reina, an electrician, whose skills are in high demand all over Cuba. Each sister gives details of their lives, their feelings about their mother's unexpected death, and the background of their estrangement from each other. Also in the mix are chapters from Constancia and Reina's children as well as the family history told by the sisters' deceased father, Ignacio. And as the months pass by, each sister gets closer and closer to each other and learning the truth about their mother.
The Aguero Sisters is a beautiful and haunting tale about growing up in Cuba in the midst of political upheaval, their struggles in trying to escape, and their need for reconciliation of the past. I was captivated by the writing style and eloquent language as well as the mysterious storyline and descriptions of a country I will never get to see. Highly recommended read.
Charicature of the Cuban American experience........2002-02-12
The tales of two Cuban born sisters, Constancia and Reina. In the aftermath of a family tragedy, Constancia moves to Florida where she begins to live a classic rags-to-riches American Immigrant Dream life. Reina remains in Cuba where she works as a well known and respected electrician who manages important government projects.
The lives of the two sisters are told in parallel and illustrate both the ways in which separation affect the lives of those entwined with Castro's Cuba as well as how the past informs, and, all to often, defines lives the present.
Although this book is far and away Garcia's best know and most widely read work, I thought Dreaming in Cuban was actually a better effort. Nevertheless, this was an entertaining read.
Book Description
This digital document is an article from The Review of Contemporary Fiction, published by Review of Contemporary Fiction on September 22, 1997. The length of the article is 777 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: The Aguero Sisters. (book reviews)
Author: Jane Juffer
Publication:
The Review of Contemporary Fiction (Refereed)
Date: September 22, 1997
Publisher: Review of Contemporary Fiction
Volume: v17
Issue: n3
Page: p243(1)
Article Type: Book Review
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Book Description
This digital document is an article from World Literature Today, published by University of Oklahoma on January 1, 1998. The length of the article is 708 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: The Aguero Sisters.
Author: Ana Maria Hernandez
Publication:
World Literature Today (Refereed)
Date: January 1, 1998
Publisher: University of Oklahoma
Volume: v72
Issue: n1
Page: p134(2)
Article Type: Book Review
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Book Description
This digital document is an article from MELUS, published by Thomson Gale on March 22, 2006. The length of the article is 6589 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Consuming nostalgia: nostalgia and the marketplace in Cristina Garcia and Ana Menendez.
Author: Dalia Kandiyoti
Publication:
MELUS (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 22, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 31
Issue: 1
Page: 81(17)
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Book Description
Term paper due tomorrow? Need to cram for a test? Or just looking for the best information about a favorite literary work?
Turn to "Literature of Developing Nations for Students" to get your research done in record time. Brought to you by Thomson Gale--the world's leading source of literary criticism and analysis--this e-doc contains: author biography; plot summary; character analysis; a discussion of the work's themes, style, literary heritage, and historical context; a compendium of in-depth critical material; study questions; suggestions for further reading and much more.
Why choose "Literature of Developing Nations for Students"? Because no other source offers so much in such a compact package. Trust the experts: Thomson Gale--and "Literature of Developing Nations for Students."
Download Description
Term paper due tomorrow? Need to bone up for a test? Or just looking for the best information about a favorite literary work?
Turn to "Literature of Developing Nations for Students" to get your research done in record time. Brought to you by the Gale Group--the world's leading source of literary criticism and analysis--this e-doc contains: author biography; plot summary; character analysis; a discussion of the work's themes, style, literary heritage, and historical context; a compendium of in-depth critical material; study questions; suggestions for further reading and much more.
Why choose "Literature of Developing Nations for Students"? Because no other source offers so much in such a compact package. Trust the experts: The Gale Group--and "Literature of Developing Nations for Students."
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The Aguero Sisters
Manufacturer: The Ballantine Publishing Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000I2Z8WA |
Average customer rating:
- Dr. Texas by Debbie Macomber (Mills & Boon Large Print)
- Mr. Grouch mets Dr. Texas
- when two worlds collide...
- Taking chances and winning
- Wonderful Character Relationships
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Dr Texas (Heart of Texas, No 4)
Debbie Macomber
Manufacturer: Harlequin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 MacOmber, Debbie | ( M ) | Authors, A-Z | Romance | Subjects | Books
Macomber, Debbie | ( M ) | Authors, A-Z | Romance | Subjects | Books
General | Romance | Subjects | Books
General | Contemporary | Romance | Subjects | Books
Regency | Romance | Subjects | Books
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Caroline's Child (Heart Of Texas, No. 3)
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Texas Two - Step (Heart Of Texas, No 2)
ASIN: 0373833458 |
Customer Reviews:
Dr. Texas by Debbie Macomber (Mills & Boon Large Print).......2006-11-25
Fourth book in the Heart of Texas series (also known as Sons of Promise): Lonesome Cowboy, Texas Two-Step, Caroline's Child, Dr. Texas, Nell's Cowboy, and Lone Star Baby.
Description from the book back cover:
They call her Dr. Texas. She's Jane Dickinson from California, a GP who's working at the Promise clinic. They call him Mr. Grouch. Cal Patterson was left at the altar by his fiancee, and he's not over it yet. Too bad Jane reminds him of his almost-bride. In more ways than one ...
SONS OF PROMISE: They're rugged, proud and just a little sassy! They'll make you laugh and they'll make you cry. Meet them all in Promise, Texas.
Mr. Grouch mets Dr. Texas.......2004-08-26
Cal is bound and determined that No Woman is going to get his heart and do to it what happened a couple of years ago when he get left at the church alter. He has nothing for them and just wants to live his life on his ranch minding his own business. Jane arrives in town planning on staying the necessary 3 years to pay off her school loan and then plans to head back to California to join her uncle and adventually take over his medicine practice. But little does Cal know that there is a hole in his heart for someone to love, respect and share his life with on the ranch - and little does Jane know that the life and practice in a small town can be so rewarding. A quick read that is sweet, sweet, sweet. Hope you enjoy it!
when two worlds collide..........2000-06-07
The new doc in town is a big city girl and only in Promise for a couple of years, enough time to save her money and pay off her medical school debt then join her family's practice. But, no, that's not the ending of the story. Dr. Jane Dickensen heals the broken heart of grouchy cowboy Cal Patterson and they find a way for their two different worlds to combine, binding them by love and trust.
Wonderfully written and easy to read. Enjoy!
Taking chances and winning.......2000-04-17
This is a lovely story about opposites in modern day Texas.Not a steamy story, but one of honor and commitment. END
Wonderful Character Relationships.......1999-12-07
Dr. Texas is a fun read. The characters are very involved with each other and relate well to one another. It is not necessary to read the prior books in the series, although it does help in keeping the characters straight.
There is some romance in this one, but not a lot. If you're looking for steamy-scenes, this one only gets luke-warm as far as passion, but the relationship between Cal and Jane is a compelling one.
Dr. Texas is a fun, light-hearted read. I recommend it.
Book Description
Caronline's Child
Who's the father of Caroline Daniels's child? Everyone in town wants to know, but no one's ever asked—or ever will. The people of Promise are protective of Caroline and five-year-old Maggie. They care. Especially rancher Grady Weston, who's beginning to realize he more than cares….
Dr. Texas
They call her Dr. Texas. She's Jane Dickinson, a newly graduated physician from California who's working at the Promise clinic— but just for a couple of years. They call him Mr. Grouch.
Cal Patterson was left at the altar by his out-of-state fiancée, and he's not over it yet. Too bad Jane reminds him so much of the woman he's trying to forget!
Customer Reviews:
excellant book.......2007-09-21
this was a very good book. I cant wait for the follow up on this .
this .
Average customer rating:
- Not a 10, better than a 2 maybe a 4?
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The Road to Dr Pepper, Texas: The Story of Dublin Dr Pepper
Karen Wright
Manufacturer: State House Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Company Profiles | Biography & History | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Hospitality, Travel & Tourism | Industries & Professions | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | World | History | Subjects | Books
Texas | State & Local | United States | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1933337044 |
Book Description
The Road to Dr Pepper, Texas is the story of Dublin Dr Pepper Bottling Co., a David-Goliath case study of the world's first Dr Pepper bottling plant and the only one that has always used pure cane sugar in spite of compelling reasons to switch sweeteners.
The book traces the story from the founder's birth through the contemporary struggles of a tiny independent, family-owned franchise against industry giants.
Owners of the plant have been touched by every major social, economic, and political issue of the past 114 years, and many of those forces threatened the survival of the plant.
The Dublin plant's 100th birthday in 1991 was a turning point because the national media created an identity so unique that it has taken on a life of its own. Thanks to the Travel Channel, Food Network, Texas Monthly, Southern Living, and others, the Dublin plant and museum attract tens of thousands of tourists every year, and Dublin Dr Pepper is consumed around the world through internet sales.
The Road to Dr Pepper, Texas tells how a small plant ignored most of the cherished rules of production and marketing-and succeeded-in spite of not speeding up production, not expanding its franchise area, not cutting production costs, and not adapting to changing times.
Customer Reviews:
Not a 10, better than a 2 maybe a 4?.......2007-05-24
While this book was not too bad for someone familiar with the Kloster's and Dublin and Dr Pepper history, it won't appeal to a very wide audience. It was well researched. It tries to cover the history of Dublin Texas, the history of Dr Pepper, and the History of the owners of Dublin Dr Pepper Bottling Co. Each could be it's own or several books.
Customer Reviews:
Fabulous.......1999-09-03
Cathy Gillen Thacker constantly amazes me with her wonderful writing ability. I can never put one of her books down because of the stupendous comedy and page-turning action. This one just proved my theory: this lady is the best writer out there! I hope she never quits. She is simply the best.
Product Description
In 1851 the expedition of Captain Lorenzo Sitgreaves set out to explore and map the southern portion of the Four Corners region of the Southwest an area won in the recent war with Mexico. Included in the expedition was Dr. Samuel W. Woodhouse, a thirty-year-old physician and naturalist. Although Sitgreaves' report is only eighteen pages long, Woodhouse kept four detailed pocket diaries of the expedition s explorations from San Antonio to San Diego, including notes on the topography, plants, and animals they encountered. His diaries also provide the first detailed descriptions of the native peoples of the area. Much of his account concerns exploration from the Indian Pueblo of Zuñi westward along the Thirty-fifth Parallel to the Colorado River, then downriver to the Yuma Crossing and across the desert to San Diego. But there is more: Woodhouse also made entries nearly every day from boarding a ship in New York for Texas until he left Zuñi. He recorded three weeks in San Antonio, made daily entries across the Trans-Pecos, and described much of a month in New Mexico. This is the first time Woodhouse's private journal has been published. While the bare facts of the Sitgreaves expedition have long been known, Woodhouse's diaries add depth and detail and are a treasure trove for historians, ethnohistorians, and naturalists, as well as anyone with an interest in the history of the Southwest. Twenty-five scenic plates show terrain and native peoples in a land never before pictured and are some of the earliest examples of chromolithography done in the United States.
Average customer rating:
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Acting With an Accent/Texas
Dr. David Alan Stern
Manufacturer: Dialect Accent Specialist
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD
General | Performing Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0926862200
Release Date: 2003-06-01 |
Product Description
Self-instructional program with step-by-step lessons to learn four Texas dialects. CD w/book.
Average customer rating:
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Longhorn Hoops: The History of Texas Basketball
Richard Pennington
Manufacturer: Athletic Department, The University of Texas at Austin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
History of Sports | Miscellaneous | Sports | Subjects | Books
General | Basketball | Sports | Subjects | Books
General | Sports | Subjects | Books
Texas | State & Local | United States | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0292765851 |
Average customer rating:
- Part of a Great 1-2 Punch
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A Handbook of Texas Baptist Biography
Dr. Joseph E. Early Jr.
Manufacturer: AuthorHouse
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books | Authors, A-Z | Bible & Other Sacred Texts | Books on CD | Books on Cassette | Buddhism | Christianity | Earth-Based Religions | Fiction | General | Hinduism | Islam | Judaism | Large Print | New Age | Occult | Other Eastern Religions | Other Practices | Religious Art | Religious Studies | Spirituality
General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
Religious | Leaders & Notable People | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
Reference & Collections | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
South | Regional U.S. | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
Directories | Catalogs & Directories | Reference | Subjects | Books
History | Bibliographies & Indexes | Publishing & Books | Reference | Subjects | Books
Religion | Bibliographies & Indexes | Publishing & Books | Reference | Subjects | Books
Texas | State & Local | United States | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1418446963 |
Book Description
Never before has so much information on the lives of so many Texas Baptists appeared in one source prior to this work, one would have to examine dozens of books and visit dozens of libraries and private holding spread across the state of Texas and beyond to acquire the information found in this one text. One particular strength of this book may be found in Early's excellent use of primary source material. By doing his own research Early corrects many of the biographical errors that have been perpetuated in Texas Baptist history texts for more than one hundred years. Whether one is doing intricate research or simply wanting to know more about the heroes of Texas Baptist past, Early's book is a must read.
Customer Reviews:
Part of a Great 1-2 Punch.......2004-07-09
Joseph Early has started his publishing career with a bang! Together with his Sourcebook of Texas Baptist History, this collection of biographies should be required reading for everyone who ever speaks about, reads about, or even thinks about Texas Baptist history.
I count somewhere around 250 Texas Baptist leaders in the book. All the heavy hitters are here, along with introductions to some people you probably do not know. You won't be able to do your dissertation from these brief articles, but the bibliographies that follow the entries would get you well on your way. Early has demonstrated a gift for encapsulating the most important facets of each life in the alotted space. Kudos to him!
The biographies are arranged alphabetically. The greatest drawback of the book is the typesetting: The font is not particularly large, and the heading for each bibliography is set with greater weight than the heading for each personality, making it appear that each person goes with the preceding bibliography rather than with the bibliography following the entry.
I heartily recommend the immediate purchase of both of these books.
Average customer rating:
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Dr. Lawrence A. Nixon and the White Primary (Southwestern Studies)
Conrey Bryson
Manufacturer: Texas Western Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
African-American & Black | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
General | United States | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
Texas | State & Local | United States | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
Civil Rights | United States | Political Science | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0874041007 |
Average customer rating:
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Adventures of a Frontier Naturalist: The Life and Times of Dr. Gideon Lincecum
Jerry Bryan Lincecum
Manufacturer: Texas A&M University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General | United States | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
Texas | State & Local | United States | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
General | Nature & Ecology | Science | Subjects | Books
Natural History | Nature & Ecology | Science | Subjects | Books
General | Zoology | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
Travel | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0890965927 |
Books:
- The Atrocity Exhibition
- The Best Short Stories of Fyodor Dostoevsky (Modern Library)
- The Box Man: A Novel
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- The Cement Garden
- The Clayborne Brides: One Pink Rose, One White Rose, One Red Rose
- The Colony of Unrequited Dreams: A Novel
- The Dreamland Chronicles
- The Facts of Winter
- The Famished Road
Books Index
Books Home
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Dreaming in Cuban
Monkey Hunting
A Handbook to Luck
Geographies of Home
Cubanisimo: The Vintage Book of Contemporary Cuban Literature
