The title

Why do you think the book was called "Florida"? Any theories about the suntan box?

There's a lot of geography covered in the book. The story moves around the upper Midwest, the Southwest, Florida, California and New York (these are the ones I can remember). Why so many locations?

"Florida"

I'm going to get the conversation rolling before we fall too far behind.

What did you think of "Florida"? I had mixed feelings about it. I enjoyed Christine Schutt's writing style and was captivated by the early part of the narrative but became less intrigued as the main character aged and became reacquainted with her mother. I'm not sure I understood her trajectory into adulthood, exactly. Any insights?

Next pick

"Miss Lonelyhearts" by Nathanael West

Food in "Mango Street"

Mama's hair smelling like bread in "Hair" - Angel Vargas in "There Was an Old Woman..." who dropped from the sky "like a sugar donut" - Alicia and the "lunchbox tortillas" ...

References to food abound in "The House on Mango Street." Are there any special foods you associate with childhood, and is there a history behind it?

My special food is the "nine-layered cake" that my grandmother made. It's made with coconut milk and rice flour. I'd peel each layer apart in a sort of sacred ritual before eating it. Ahh! It's beyond good.

Florida

For our next book I thought we could read about another young girl, but this time growing up in rather different circumstances. This book is “Florida” by Christine Schutt.

Does that sound appealing to everyone? And would the 1st of July be suitable for starting our discussion?

Ethnic?

Did you consider this an "ethnic" book?

Esperanza - what's in a name?

Hi everyone,

Before we start serious discussion of "House on Mango Street," I wanted to get your overall thoughts and impressions. Did you love it/hate it, or fall somewhere in-between? Which was your favorite vignette and why?

That's a general introduction. For a more focused beginning:

“My Name” vignette – “Esperanza” tells us her name means hope in English and sadness in Spanish. “A muddy color.” From the outset of the novella, would you say Esperanza caters more to her English or Spanish definition of her name? Or do you think they're equally balanced?

Looking forward to hearing from you!