Reference Reviews

Lawrence Looks at Books

Latin American Women Writers: A Resource Guide to Titles in English. Kathy S. Leonard. 349p. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2007. 978-0-8108-6015-5; 0-8108-6015-5; 2007-22464. $80.

Latin American Women Writers: A Resource Guide to Titles in English With the growing output of Latin American women writers, their work is increasingly finding demand among North American readers. This guide surveys the availability in English of the works of 473 women writers from Latin America. While authors from Cuba, Mexico, Brazil, Chile and Argentina are the most numerous, coverage extends to 20 countries and Puerto Rico. The range includes well known figures like Isabel Allende, Claribel Alegrìa, Silvina Ocampo and Christina Peri Rossi as well as many more obscure authors. The guide surveys the contents of 323 anthologies of short stories, 241 novels or novellas and 110 autobiographies, memoirs, or biographies. While more than a century of Latin American writing is represented, the majority of these English-language editions date from the last 20 years. The creative materials are divided by type. The biographical works are succinctly summarized. Entries for anthologies include the title of each short story as well as notes on introductory essays, bio-bibliographical material, and awards. Entries on novels and novellas provide brief synopses and original titles in Spanish. The separate author and title indexes reference entry numbers in the volume lists. The title index lists the titles of more than 3,000 books or short stories. Additional indexes arrange authors and novels by country of origin. Kathy Leonard is a professor of Spanish linguistics and has produced numerous translations as well as other guides to Hispanic literature. Her latest work will help book selectors and researchers navigate an expanding literature.

— John Lawrence