2002
Caramelo
Sandra Cisneros · b. 1954 · United States / Mexico
Why it matters
Three generations of the Reyes family shuttle between Chicago and Mexico City, anchored by a grandmother's caramelo-striped rebozo and a mountain of family lies. Cisneros's sprawling, maximalist answer to her own slim debut.
At a glance
family sagabildungsromanhistorical fiction
Difficulty 5/10medium pace464 pagesA wide multigenerational cast and a playful, digressive storytelling voice spread across a longer canvas.
Where to go next
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