Women with Big Eyes
(Riverhead Books)

A number-one international bestseller, this book is Mexican novelist Angeles Mastretta’s most widely read work. Each of the stories reveals a different woman, yet they are all linked by single thread: the revelation that women share an unnamed force, whether it comes in the form of iron resolve, flaming passion, or simply the knowing and mystical ways to nurture a soul. In the pages of you can meet the outrageous Aunt Leonor, who denies herself the forbidden fruit of love until almost to late; mysterious Aunt Cristina, whose famed marriage is rumored to be nothing more than fable; radiant Aunt Valeria, whose secret happiness is to “close your eyes and make of your husband whoever most appeals to you”; and sage Aunt Ofelia, a woman who never cries. Mastretta’s women in this book are vibrant, sly, wise, earthy and full of life with stories that mesmerize the readers. (Oscar Aguilar)

No One Will See Me Cry
(Curbstone Press)

Based on extensive research in medical files from the era, this historical novel avoids focusing on the great events of revolutionary Mexico and instead brilliantly portrays those living on the fringes of reason. Structured around luminous punctures –holes of light in the vast darkness of officially recorded years- this novel is at once a review of one of the most turbulent times in Mexican history, a love story, and a meditation on the ways in which medical and popular language defined insanity. It is a startling visitation with so called losers of an era as they try to plumb the meaning of their lives. In the observation ward of the General Insane Asylum La Castaneda, an incoming female patient strikes a pose for the asylum photographer, a frail man with a long-standing to morphine. Soon they begin to tell each other fragmented stories about a past they almost shared, and a future in which they do not believe. (Victor Faulkner)

Chaka! Through the fire
(Rodale Books)

Chaka Khan tells the story of her life’s wild ride for the first time in her unforgettable book of memoirs. Stronger and wiser than ever, she reveals the soaring highs and searing lows of her 30 years in the music biz with rare insight and irresistible wit. From her turbulent but culturally-rich childhood in Chicago, to her rise to superstardom with the band Rufus, to her illustrious solo career, Chaka charts a journey studded with eight Grammy Awards, 3 platinum albums, seven gold singles and 10 #1 hits. Born Yvette Marie Stevens, Chaka Kan was raised in Chicago’s hotbed of politics and culture by tribe of strong and talented women. Even as a young girl, her voice was unforgettable, quickly earning her the nickname “Little Aretha”. Her wild teen years were spent hanging out with the Black Panthers and fronting for the red-hot band Rufus in raucous clubs for fifty dollars a night. With all those moments she creates a dramatic story that nobody can forget. (William F. Morales)

Pocahontas
(Harper San Francisco)

The animated movie “Pocahontas” had all the ingredients for a classic Disney love story, but it did no tell the real story. Now this book brings us the real untold story of her. This thoroughly biography examines the role of this beloved American heroine as the true “mother of our nation” and gives the complete un-romanticized story of her life. In a world confronted by major upheaval, Pocahontas was able to become an extraordinary ambassador, forming groundbreaking relations with the British. Previously viewed as brave, but naïve pawn in early American history, the story of Pocahontas is now revealed in a new light. Called the “Beloved Women”, an honor designated to a female of great spiritual powers who was trained from birth in the diplomatic and political ways of the tribe, Pocahontas used her tribal status to play a pivotal role in the birth of our nation. (Xavier Sibaja)