| Description |
xii, 443 pages : illustrations ; 21 cm |
| Summary |
Partly a reflection on the culture of machismo and partly an exploration of the author's boyhood spent in his sister's hand-me-down clothes, this book delves into the enduring and complex bond between Martinez and his deeply flawed, but fiercely protective older brother. He delves into the complicated relationships between extended family and the inner conflicts that result when the desire to Americanize clashes with the inherent need to defend one's manhood in an aggressive, archaic patriarchal farming culture. Martinez provides a real glimpse into a society where children are traded like commerce, physical altercations routinely solve problems, drugs are rampant, sex is often crude, and people depend on the family witch doctor for advice. Charming, painful, and enlightening, it examines the traumas and pleasures of growing up in South Texas, and the often terrible consequences when two very different cultures collide on the banks of a dying river. |
| Subject |
Martinez, Domingo -- Childhood and youth.
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Journalists -- United States -- Biography.
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Mexican Americans -- Texas, South -- Biography.
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| ISBN |
9780762779192 paperback |
|
0762779195 paperback |
|
