Women Writing Resistance

September 15, 2017

This anthology edited by Browdy (comparative literature, Bard Coll. at Simon's Rock) is a collection of prose and poetry focusing on Latin America and the Caribbean, drawing attention to the theme of suffering throughout history. Each chapter takes readers on a journey as contributors write about a personal experience, a person in their life, or an event that made them realize they had a story worth telling, one that would help inform others and keep memories alive. We meet a Haitian grandmother whose wise words about remembering the past prevents anyone from dying. There is also a series of poetry, in English and Spanish, paying homage to Cuban poet Dulce Maria Loynaz. Ruth Behar, the chapter's author, depicts the challenges she and other Cubans have faced owing to the unpredictability of U.S.-Cuba political relations. Together these pieces discuss injustices that have evolved from colonization, imperialism, and globalization. They succeed in drawing attention to the plight of others and how throughout history, the majority has suffered to benefit the few. VERDICT A wonderful compilation of works by Latinx writers commemorating the past and aspiring to change the future.--Susan E. Montgomery, Rollins Coll., Winter Park, FL

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