Soledad and other short stories

Soledad and Other Short Stories explores the experiences of six different women of Latin American descent. Each one attempts to re-define their identity by accepting or refusing the traditions constructed by many Mexican and Puerto Rican cultures. The stories of these women collide by depicting how their struggles and realizations are the basis of feminist advancement. In Soledad, or Solitude, a Mexican-American girl gets involved in a dangerous relationship while she tries to escape from her father\u27s control and self-destroying habits. In Broken Chicks an adolescent girl moves to North Carolina with her mother where she learns the importance of voicing one\u27s opinions despite the philosophies of elders. The Space Between is the story of a woman that believes she controls her sister\u27s newborn baby because of her financial advantage. Size A analyzes the mother-daughter relationship when dealing with eating disorders and other issues of power and control. Pieces of Oscar takes a woman of independent means back home to Puerto Rico as she tries to reconstruct the body of her brother by fishing him out of the ocean. She learns that she must continue her life despite her brother\u27s deadly accident. Servicio de Lavanderia challenges the traditional views of Spanish culture by refusing to do laundry. The story starts with the desire for a week long retreat, but ends in dismissing the values of a seemingly patriarchal family while gaining back autonomy