Publisher's Synopsis
In the preface to her memoir, Ercenia ôAliceö Cede±o recalls the secrecy and turmoil that marked her youth: ôI spent most of my growing years mad at my mother and wanting her to change to fit in with the rest of the world,ö she writes. ôWhen my sisters and I wanted her to visit our friendsÆ mothers, she would say, æWhy do people need to know other peoplesÆ lives?Æ Looking back, I wonder if she was really saying, æI donÆt want them to know our business.Æ There was so much to hide.ö Now bringing those hidden memories to light, Amß, Your Story Is Minetraces the hardship, violence, deceit, and defiance that shaped the identity of two generations of women in AliceÆs family. Born in the mountains of northern Mexico, AliceÆs mother married at age 14 into a family rife with passion that often turned to anger. After losing several infant children to disease, the young couple crossed into the United States seeking a better life. Unfolding in a series of powerful vignettes, Amß, Your Story Is Minedescribes in captivating detail a daring matriarch who found herself having to protect her children from their own father while facing the challenges of cultural discrimination. By turns wry and tender, AliceÆs recollections offer a rare memoir that fully encompasses the Latina experience in the United States.
