Literature - Authors & Writers, Authors - Biography
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Overview
The only daughter in a family of seven children, Sandra Cisneros learned early on how to claim the space and solitude she desired, and to rely on her imagination to take her to worlds other than the one around her. She grew up between two cultures: living in Chicago but traveling regularly to Mexico to visit family. This childhood spent navigating different languages, landscapes, and customs left Cisneros longing for a place that felt like home. She began writing stories and poems in high school, continued at Loyola University, and went on to graduate school at the prestigious Writers' Workshop at the University of Iowa. After a few years struggling to define herself as a writer, one success has followed another, and today Sandra Cisneros is one of the most widely read and admired writers of her generation. A committed activist for Mexican-American causes, she now lives in San Antonio, Texas - a city famed for its embrace of Mexican culture - in a purple house that she calls home. A Home in the Heart: The Story of Sandra Cisneros introduces young-adult readers to the groundbreaking author of Caramelo, Woman Hollering Creek, and The House on Mango Street, and relays the compelling story of her life.Editorials
Children's Literature
This biography does a splendid job of giving an overview of Sandra Cisneros' life and accomplishments as a renowned Mexican-American writer. Young readers would benefit from reading this biography prior to reading one of her works. If not, after reading about her life, they will want to read one of her published works. Being the only daughter out of seven male children, growing up in Chicago, and frequently traveling to Mexico with her family obviously shaped and influenced who she would become as a professional writer. Cisneros was the first Mexican-American writer to receive an advance of $100,000 on a book. In this biography, Cisneros comes across as a fireball who firmly sticks to her principles whether it is to appear in a GAP advertisement, being featured in a Texas Monthly article, or wanting to have her home painted in a "vivid purple" color in San Antonio. Cisneros has come to represent her cultural background and be a vocal activist for the Mexican-American community. Readers from varying backgrounds will enjoy this biography. It has black and white photographs, as well as a timeline, sources, bibliography, and index. 2005, Morgan Reynolds Publishing, Ages 14 up.—Rosa Roberts
School Library Journal
Gr 6-9-While this biography is informative, the writing is dry and uninteresting. The author discusses Cisneros's personal experiences that are the source of much of her writing and explains her efforts to write poetry and fiction. Yet, while the subject's life is full of ups and downs, vibrant and dark circumstances, this book fails to engage readers. It reads like a disjointed list of facts rather than a unified narrative. Brackett cites many of Cisneros's own speeches and writings, and sources are documented. A few black-and-white photos of uneven quality are included. Overall, this title will inform readers about the writer's life, accomplishments, and struggles, and would be used strictly for reports.-Joel Bangilan, Houston Public Library, TX Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.Book Details
Published
August 31, 2004
Publisher
Greensboro, N.C. : Morgan Reynolds Pub., c2005.
Pages
128
Format
Hardcover
ISBN
9781931798426