My Daughter's Eyes and Other Stories

My Daughter's Eyes and Other Stories,winner of the 2007 Mrmol Prize, is a collection of fourteen interrelated stories about young Dominican women living in the Bronx as they deal with the choices they make in their everyday life. These stories span three decades, beginning in the 1970s, and their topics range from mother-daughter struggles, father-daughter betrayal, family, and child abuse, to emerging sexuality, love, loss, and healing.

Annecy Baez's daring treatment of taboo themes, such as sexual child abuse and the struggle of the individual against restrictive traditional values, makes this book unique in Dominican fiction.

Annecy Baezwas born in the Dominican Republic and came to the United States when she was three years old. She was raised in the Bronx and currently lives in Irvington, New York. She is a poet and fiction writer, and her literary work has appeared in Caudal,a Dominican journal; Tertuliando/Hanging Out,a bilingual anthology; and Callaloo.A psychotherapist by training, she holds a doctoral degree in clinical social work. Currently, she is the director of the Counseling Center at Lehman College and devotes her free time to writing.

"Bez delves into three decades worth of a community of Bronx Dominican women in these linked stories. Though many characters flow in and out of the stories, a few turn up frequently, including Mia and Zuleika, teenage friends who take their adolescent and postadolescent lumps together. In 'The Red Shoes,' Zuki lusts after a pair of red heels that her mother thinks are whorish; as in almost every other story, a sexual undertone seethes, if awkwardly, throughout. 'To Tell the Truth' is a more dramatic portrayal of sexual tension: Mia is caught skipping school and carousing with boys, bringing forth her father's wrath. In 'Como Se Dice Success in Spanish?' Zuki and Mia read tarot cards and reflect on some of their lovers and their life decisions. Spanglish dialogue peppers the narrative, and though the prose is utilitarian, Bez's sympathetic portrayal of a niche group has flashes of insight." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

My Daughter's Eyes and Other Stories, winner of the 2007 Mármol Prize, is a collection of fourteen interrelated stories about young Dominican women living in the Bronx as they deal with the choices they make in their everyday life. These stories span three decades, beginning in the 1970s, and their topics range from mother-daughter struggles, father-daughter betrayal, family, and child abuse, to emerging sexuality, love, loss, and healing.

Annecy Baez's daring treatment of taboo themes, such as sexual child abuse and the struggle of the individual against restrictive traditional values, makes this book unique in Dominican fiction.

Annecy Bez is a poet and fiction writer. Her literary work has appeared in Caudal, a Dominican journal, Tertuliando/Hanging Out, a bilingual anthology, and Callaloo. A psychotherapist by training, she holds a doctoral degree in clinical social work. Presently, she is the Director of the Counseling Center at Lehman College.