“Genius. YO SOY LATINA! is a work of art and a pioneering journey to voice the different Latino races and cultures.” —Raul Gonzales, Mas Ruido

“YO SOY LATINA! indeed. Nieves-Powell skillfully and honestly renders the varying experiences faced by all women of color.” —Jimmie Briggs, The New York Amsterdam News

In this critically acclaimed play by author Linda Nieves-Powell, six women from varying Latino sub-cultures arrive at a “What is a Latina?” seminar in hopes of understanding their culture’s impact on their lives. It doesn’t take long for each woman to offer her unique perspective on men, jobs, family, and Latino society. Their dialogue offers an honest view of the challenges and struggles that Latino women face. As they seek a solution to the question, “What is a Latina?” they discover the answer must come from within. This soul-searching provides the strength they need to express themselves—and their culture—in a positive light. Also included is a narrative version of YO SOY LATINA! In this version, Nieves-Powell reveals candid thoughts on her motivation in writing the play and delves deeply into the world of Latino women.

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From Publishers Weekly
As the charmingly low-key first novel from writer producer Nieves-Powell (Yo Soy Latina!) opens, it's been 10 years since Staten Islander Idalis married the macho but unambitious Manny, and three months since they loosely separated due to their inability to agree on plans for raising their six-year-old son. Idalis wonders whether the marriage can be saved (Manny's looking elsewhere), and whether she'll be working as a secretary at a Madison Avenue ad agency for the rest of her life because of subtle racism and the lack of a college degree. A dreamboat she meets on the Staten Island ferry may provide one answer, but a visit to her old Bronx stomping grounds with Selenis, a former homegirl who's now a disappointed housewife and mother, may allow Idalis to put the past to bed and pursue a brighter future. Nieves-Powell crafts an unhurried, nonjudgmental everywoman's tale. (Mar.)
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From Booklist
Ever since her husband moved out, Idalis has been obsessed with the past. Of course, she’d never trade her cherished son, but she wonders how life would be different if she hadn’t married. Maybe she would have finished college and wouldn’t be just a secretary. Or perhaps she would have ended up with someone she hung out with at the Bronx dance club she frequented in the 1990s. It’s not long before she convinces her best friend Selenis to revisit those days with her at a reunion night at the club. The women find that they can’t recapture their youth, nor can they ignore the present. This debut novel by acclaimed Latina writer-director-producer Nieves-Powell illuminates the inner lives of Latinas making their way through a virtual obstacle course in contemporary New York City. Some potentially interesting subplots don’t fully develop, but Nieves-Powell’s playwriting experience shows in the novel’s realistic, sassy dialogue. --Aleksandra Walker

PRICE: $13.30 on Amazon.com