About the Book

As a Latina educator, poet, mother, lecturer, and native of El Paso, Texas, Pat Mora is a denizen of nepantla—a Nahuatl word meaning "the land in the middle." In her first collection of essays, Mora negotiates the middle land’s many terrains exploring the personal issues and political responsibilities she faces as a woman of color in the United States. She explores both the preservation of her own Mexican American culture and her encounters with other cultures.

Highlighted Reviews

"Mora seduces us through her eye/I. She sees and writes the convincing story that otro modo de ser is possible."—Norma Alarcón, UC Berkeley

"Mora’s essays move gracefully from grading papers to dances of the heart, from El Paso deserts to Cincinnati to Puerto Vallarta to Pakistan, from women’s world’s of every day life to wolf woman and fierce mother. Always matter-of fact and close to the earth, she inspires reverence for mundane life, human diversity, and creativity."—Renato Rosaldo, Stanford University

"Mora may ruffle feathers of those less intellectually and politically honest. I wish more of us were willing to do so." — Krista Comer, Western American Literature

"Mora's voice is a welcomed addition to the growing chorus of Latina writers...What she has to say should reward anyone who appreciates the interesting, well-written essay." — Booklist

"Although its intended audience is general, this collection could be useful for educators and serve as a source of encouragement to others who, like the author, consider themselves "in the middle." — Library Journal

"Twenty inspiring essays written in a very poetic prose...A valuable contribution to American literature in general, and to Chicano and Mexican American letters."—Choice

"The media-driven stereotype of Mexican Americans, which emphasizes drugs, dropouts, and delinquents, ignores their participation in the intellectual shaping of our society, and of the artistic and literary canon. Mora seeks to rectify the image; her essay collection helps fill the gap in the annals of American thought."—Marie-Elise Wheatwind, Women’s Review of Books

"Multiculturalism as seen through a perceptive and witty Mexican-American's eyes. Her insights on bilingualism, education, women, higher education, and family are sharp and exact."—The Reader's Review

"(A) collection of strong, feminist essays that, like Cornel West's recent Race Matters, could have been entitled "Latina Matters," for they beautifully inspire as they educate."—Southwestern American Literature