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"Vida" by Patricia Engel (2010)

June 25, 2024

One of the things I admire most about this book is Engel's decision to not translate her inclusion of Spanish. This made me reflect on Anzaldúa's use of Spanish in the same way or Red Shirt's choice to always translate Lakota, even after a definition had been given.

Where Red Shirt's narrative began to feel bogged down as the translations were repeated throughout the book, Engel does an excellent job at keeping the center plot moving without rushing through important details or character development.

The book is organized in primarily in chronological order following the protagonist, Sabina, as she navigates growing into herself through a variety of romantic, platonic, and familial relationships. The last story is the only standout as not being chronological, though it mirrors the first story, "Lucho" in a lot of ways: Sabina forms relationships with people that no one else wants to deal with outside of the person's romantic capabilities/availability until meeting an unfortunate and untimely end of their current existence in a motor accident.

The setup for the structure is very similar to Cisneros' House on Mango Street as there are many stories where the central character is not Sabina, but the person she's forming a bond with (most notably in the titular story/chapter "Vida" but also in the first story "Lucho" is when this stands out most to me in memory). The result of this is a touchstone (Sabina) for the reader as they see what being an immigrant or first-generation American can mean for someone's existence/survival.

The book seems to exist in a liminal space. Sabina never really figures out who she is or where she belongs (a theme most explored in the final story as she returns to Columbia and receives criticism, paralleling the bullying she received growing up in the U.S.). Sabina exists in the in-between in her relationships, her geographical location (bouncing between NYC, Jersey, and Miami most frequently), and most of all, her identity. Though I followed this character and her relationships for the 179 pages that make up this book, I came away knowing very little about Sabina specifically. I mostly remember how the setting and other characters impacted her and revealed hidden truths (a call-back to "Lucho" where she references peeling Lucho's onion while getting to know each other). It's this disconnect from the protagonist (also seen in Cisnero's book) that lends itself more to a collection of stories than a novel. Just as I cannot remember anything about the protagonist of Mango Street I doubt I will remember anything about Sabina in a few weeks.

Source: https://www.joellebyarsportfolio.com
In Short Stories Tags short stories, 4 stars
← "Bead on an Anthill" by Delphine Red Shirt (1997)"Nocturnes: Five Stories of Music and Nightfall" by Kazuo Ishiguro (2009) →

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