Familia

Finished Sandra Cisneros's Caramelo at lunch today, and it was the perfect palate-cleanser after my disappointment with Tartt. Whereas Tartt's prose is removed and cold (rather like that Miss Havisham-style author portrait on the back flap), Cisneros's is like a warm, soft rebozo. Her love for her Mexican culture and family is evident in every turn of phrase, and Caramelo is as perfectly executed as semi-autobiographical fiction can get. Even as she renders the overbearing Awful Grandmother in all her tyranny, the underlying thread is of compassion and love for family even when its members drive you 'round the bend.

I loved the casual manner of Cisneros's style, and the conversations between the "author" (the charming and authentic Celaya Reyes) and her rambunctious family create a deeply intimate portrait with charm and humor. But the novel truly shines in the small details that make up a life: Celaya's unfortunate childhood haircut, father Inocencio holding tacks in his mouth as he upholsters a sofa, great-grandfather Eleuterio's drooping face after his stroke. Cisneros elegantly walks the line between moving the plot along and giving enough detail to bring the characters from black and white to full-blown color. And maybe that's the best way to describe Caramelo - a bold explosion of color that captivates the eye and shows off the passion of the artist.

Bonus: the cover art Vintage chose for this is brilliant - an absolutely perfect choice.