Cristina Rivera Garza

A labyrinthine excavation of forgotten Mexican women writers, this Gothic novel illustrates how gendered language can wield destructive power.

Italian American Women Writers on Food and Culture

The Milk of Almonds

Jen Estrella

I had stopped asking what really happened in order to explore the foundation of reality itself. I was in pursuit of something new, something that, in one way or another, would change the way I experienced the ocean.
My rating is meaningless and tentative. I need to reread and annotate this. I would also advise, if you are interested in reading this, to read Amparo Dávila's The Houseguest and Other Stories first. Not that reading it is a prerequisite to understanding's Cristina Rivera Garza's aim in this book, but some of the scenes, characters, and words (I think) were taken from Dávila's work. I just think it'll deepen your appreciation for The Iliac Crest, if you read Dávila's work first. Some words to describe this complicated book: ambiguities, Mexican literary history, gender fluidity, borders between worlds and ideas, fiction and reality, madness and reality, language and gender 

On an interesting note, I found my reason for reading nicely articulated by Sarah Brooker - 
  Literature is at its most successful when it challenges the reader with new perspectives through difficult writing. It is crucial that these readings inspire us to question our assumptions about the world around us and our ways of engaging with society.

The Milk of Almonds Italian American Women Writers on Food and Culture

Reviews