Author: Carla Trujillo

ISBN: 1880684942 

Set in the Bay Area of the 1960s, this novel is narrated by Marci Cruz, an
eleven-year-old Latina who fervently wishes for two things. The first is for God
to turn her into a boy, because she has something of a crush on Raquel, her
teenaged neighbor; the second is for Eddie, her father, to disappear.

A couple of times a week, Eddie beats Marci, and Corin, her younger sister, for
some infraction, usually with his leather belt. It always occurs when Delia,
their mother, isn't home. Eddie always accuses the girls of lying, or says that
he had to break up their fight, and Delia always believes him. During an
argument, Eddie leaves the house, and doesn't return. Delia is forced to get a
job at the local Woolworth's, and things settle down at home. Several months
later, during which time he has been living with a woman named Wanda, Delia
takes Eddie back, despite the girls' pleading with her not to do so. The
beatings resume.

Marci and Corin disown Eddie as their father, refusing to call him "Daddy" or
"Father." With help from a neighbor, they tie him up and threaten him with a
switchblade. Marci gets a book on karate from the local library, intending to
learn some moves to use on Eddie. He resumes his relationship with Wanda; Delia
will accept a lot of things, but she will not tolerate Eddie even looking at
another woman. Marci borrows a camera from her Uncle Tommy, and sits across the
street from a local bar, intending to get pictures of Eddie and Wanda together.
Unintentionally, the pictures get into Delia's hands, and then comes the "final"
confrontation with Eddie.

This book is not just about domestic violence. Marci nearly gets thrown out of
catechism class, for asking too many questions that eleven-year-olds shouldn't
ask. Her teacher, Miss Beauchamp, insists on speaking with a French accent, even
though she is from Wisconsin. One day, at church, she sees Uncle Tommy and
Father Chacon, the parish priest, come out of the same door in the confessional.

In a way, this book is not pleasant reading, but it is very good reading. The
author does a fine job at "doing" a pre-teen Latina. This book could easily take
place in any part of America. All in all, it's very much worth reading.

The above review was contributed by: Paul Lappen: CLICK TO VIEW Paul Lappen's Reviews