Faults
: A Novel by
Terri de la Pena
New Year's Eve, 1993, and Toni Dorado is heading
home. After almost two years, heart-sore but hopeful, she is
returning to Los Angeles and the family and the lover she left
behind. In Los Angeles Toni's mother, Adela, awaits her return
with joy, as does Gabriela, Toni's niece. But her return rekindles
old resentments in her sister Sylvia and still-sharp pain in her
ex-lover Pat. Terri de la Peña weaves a luxurious tapestry in the
telling of their story, a story of Latina women, their loyalties,
their struggles, and their triumphs. Shifting perspective
seamlessly between each of them, we experience Toni's hopes for a
better life and a reconciliation with Pat, Adela's fears that her
family is tearing itself apart, Sylvia's desperate battle for
survival in a violent marriage, Gabriela's mix of fierce love and
contempt for her mother, and Pat's struggle to forgive Toni. As
their volatile relationships hover on the verge of explosion, the
Northridge earthquake tears Los Angeles apart, and they are forced
to face each other with all defenses down. This moving novel is a
richly colorful and unforgettable tribute to forgiveness and the
enduring strength of family.
Lesbian
Travels : A Literary Companion by Lucy Jane Bledsoe
(Editor),
Terri de la Pena (Contributor)
Lesbian writers reveal stories of their travels
in these twenty literary pieces set around the world. West Africa,
Kathmandu, Russia, Israel, Chile, and many other fascinating
destinations form the backdrop to a rich variety of women's true
adventures. Whether dealing with partnership, self-discovery,
foreign political issues, or love and sex, these stories capture
some illuminating facet of what it means to travel as a lesbian
woman.
Audre Lorde experiences a wakening in Mexico
where she finds a women's community and a love affair. "It
was in Mexico that I stopped feeling invisible. In the streets, in
the buses, in the markets, in the Plaza, in the particular
attention within Eudora's eyes." In "Beds" Judith
Barrington humorously handles the Question in hotels in France
with her partner: a room with two single beds or a double? Susan
Fox Rogers explores how travel can open up the traveler as she
voyages to Alaska with her father and converses in ways not
possible at home.
Regardless of their destination, lesbian
travelers can find in this volume the perfect traveling companion.
CONTRIBUTORS: Donna Allegra, Judith
Barrington, Nisa Donnelly, Marianne Dresser, Margaret Erhart,
Sonja Franeta, Sarah Grossman, Sarah Jacobus, Audre Lorde, Carole
Maso, Gerry Gomez Pearlberg, Terri de la Pena, Susan Fox Rogers,
Marianna Romo-Carmona, Becky Shine, Linda Smuckler, Evelyn white,
and Barbara Wilson.
