Potrayals of female power.

• Author: Martinez, Elizabeth Coonrod

Irony and passion are strong elements of four recent books with very different themes: the abuse of power in colonial Hispanic tradition, US-Mexican family history related through food, the pervasive influence of the Mafia in pre-Castro Cuba, and the silencing in "official" history of how Cuban culture was forged by nonwhite women. Two novels, a memoir, and a research study, these books represent high-quality artistic work by women, as well as powerful portraits of women in history (herstory, perhaps).

The novels of Alicia Yanez Cossio--one of the few known or recognized Ecuadorian women writers--often depict the entrenched power of the Church on interpreting the past. Only her second novel to be released in English translation, The Potbellied Virgin is a humorously paradoxical, scathing observation on how power and influence--and a colonial mindset--continue, told through the example of an archetypal community.

Denise Chavez, a major Chicana writer for more than a quarter century, has created both somber and humorous renditions of small-town life in the US Southwest, revolving around discussions of food. A Taco Testimony is a loving tribute to the warmth of a mother, the healing power of her tacos, and a daughter's love and respect for her parents despite economic and other difficulties experienced during her upbringing.

Novelist Mayra Montero, who attests to the influence of Alejo Carpentier, burst onto the literary scene in the 1990s, espousing a new Caribbean ethos. Her diverse plots jump from island to island, revealing the complexity of Afro-Caribbean and transcultural practices, and Western influence in decay. Dancing to "Almendra" is a pulsating rendition of life during the final years of the Batista era, in an ambience of casino life, movie stars, and organized prostitution.

Flora Gonzalez Mandri's Guarding Cultural Memory: Afro-Cuban Women in Literature and the Arts brings to the surface various aspects of women's contributions to the formation of Cuban culture and society, demonstrating how they have been effectively submerged by the official--and patriarchal-political systems. Although academic, this book is an interesting read, providing comprehensive historical background and examples. Any academic jargon is quickly and eloquently explained and explored.

The Potbellied Virgin, by Alicia Yanez Cossio. Translated by Amalia Gladhart. Austin: University of Texas Press, 2006 (La cofradia del mullo del vestido de la Virgen Pipona, Paradiso Editores, 2002).

With this remarkable writer now nearing 80 years of age, it is good to see another of her novels released in English translation. This is a work that will not disappoint readers--a delightfully witty depiction of a community in the central Andes, documenting political history from the late nineteenth century through the 1960s. Yanez Cossio's wry turns of phrase, narrative that flows at a clip, and characters who represent stark differences in socioeconomic levels distinguish her body of work. With nine novels, two collections of short stories, poetry and children's books, she is an established, prominent author--and yet she remains virtually unknown in the United States and Europe. This English translation will hopefully change that. Part of a series called New World Studies, the book includes a short introduction which helps situate the various incidents in Ecuadorian history cited by four old men in the book, who sit on a park bench observing and commenting on daffy occurrences and recalling anecdotes from the past. They belong to the disenfranchised Pando family, connected to the liberals who lost their short rule early in the twentieth century.

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The Benavides clan, which has ruled ever since, represents the archconservative element of Ecuadorian political history. Their elite status is preserved through the actions of the women in the Sisterhood of the Bead on the Gown of the Potbellied Virgin, a small, secretive group of matrons. The...