This is a list of my favorite books for anyone interested in the area of Multicultural Literature. If you aren't quite sure where to start. I suggest that you start here. This is a growing list so be sure to check each week for more suggestions.
Welcome to Diverse Perspectives. I love multicultural literature and I am happy to share a few of my favorite choices with you.
Multicultural Literature is for Everyone! We all benefit from learning about the stories and perspectives of others.
Multicultural Literary Journey
When I first started this Multicultural Literature journey, I did not know where to begin. I have always been a fan of African American Literature but about 10 years ago, I realized that I really was interested in reading about the experiences of all people. While I was working on my MFA in 2013, I was required to take a Multicultural Literature course and I fell in Love. I realized then that our diverse experiences make this world an interesting place and I would like to share my reflections here.
Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
This book is one of my absolute favorites. Anyone who knows me well knows that I absolutely love Toni Morrison, you can read all about just how much if you click the like below. Morrison takes you on a journey in all of her novels and Song of Solomon is no exception. The characters are well-developed and the storyline is complex. Most importantly, Morrison successfully demonstrates the connection between the past and the present, highlighting that African Americans cannot truly move forward until they learn to deal with the issues of the past.
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
There are many reasons that I love this book. The first is that it so beautifully expresses the experiences of African Americans during Reconstruction, it deals with the concept of what coming-of-age meant for an African American woman in America at the time, and would most likely have been listed as a feminist text if such a thing had existed in the 1930s.
Mean Spirit by Linda Hogan
Mean Spirit tells the story of the Osage Indians and the devastation that came to the lives of this Native American tribe behind greed. Based on true events, crime, murder, and money are all at the root of the destruction of the community that the Native people once cherished. The story is riddled with events that seem as though they could only be works of fiction but in reality, the true events are even worse than those of fiction. The story of the eradication of the Osage Indians in pursuit of land, oil, and money is one that should be included in the American story but instead, this book is nearly out of print and these events are buried in the archives of history.
(Classroom Resources for this text are coming soon)
Love Medicine by Louise Erdrich
Love Medicine tells the story of five interconnected Ojibwe families over the course of generations. The story begins with the unexpected death of one of their family members and takes the reader on a journey of ups and downs as they navigate the realities of their lives. Memories and old wounds must be dealt with as decades of hurt associated with family ties surface. The novel deals with the issue of alcoholism and exploitation that are often discussed as part of the Native American story yet is far from a stereotypical tale of the Native American experience.
Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez
Love in the Time of Cholera tells the story of young love lost and then rekindled after 50 years apart. Over the course of their time apart, the two live totally different lives. She marries for money and security and he has a string of affairs with hundreds of women in belief that he is still holding out for his one true love. I already know what you are thinking but the greatest value of this story is the authentic perspective of author Gabriel García Márquez and the development of the story. I also appreciate that Márquez is keeping a realistic gaze when it comes to the concept of a young man holding out for 50 years for the woman he loves.
The Price of Paradise by Susana Lopez Rubio
This book is on Kindle Unlimited and I devoured it. It speaks of the Cuban experience and the vivid imagery creates an experience like none other. Every second of reading this book I felt as though I had been transported to Cuba in the 1940s. I loved the development of these characters and their love story and the horrifying realities of the villain. Married to a horrible mobster by force, Gloria and Patricio's love was doomed from the beginning. In his naïve mind, he believed that she could just walk away from it all but her husband would never allow it so she sacrifices love for the safety of the Patricio. He tries to move on, but his love for Gloria never fades. It is a beautiful love story that highlights the challenges of love in a climate of violence and control. One of my absolute favorites!
Comments