Synopses & Reviews
A vibrant, cant-put-it-down novel of six friends—each one an unforgettable Latina woman in her late ‘20s—and the complications and triumphs in their livesInseparable since their days at Boston University almost ten years before, six friends form the Dirty Girls Social Club, a mutual support and (mostly) admiration society that no matter what happens to each of them (and a lot does), meets regularly to dish, dine and compare notes on the bumpy course of life and love.
Las sucias are:
--Lauren, the resident “caliente” columnist for the local paper, which advertises her work with the line “her casa is su casa, Boston”, but whose own home life has recently involved hiding in her boyfriends closet to catch him in the act
--Sara, the perfect wife and mother who always knew exactly the life she wanted and got it, right down to the McMansion in the suburbs and two boisterious boys, but who is paying a hefty price
--Amber, the most idealistic and artistic member of the club, who was raised a valley girl without a word of Spanish and whose increasing attachment to her Mexica roots coincides with a major record labels interest in her rock ‘n roll
--Elizabeth, the stunning black Latina whose high profile job as a morning television anchor conflicts with her intensely private personal life, which would explain why the dates the other dirty girls set her up on never work out
--Rebecca, intense and highly controlled, who flawlessly runs Ella, the magazine she created for Latinas, but who cant explain why she didnt understand the man she married and now doesnt even share a room with; and
--Usnavys, irrepressible and larger than life, whose agenda to land the kind of man who can keep her in Manolo Blahniks and platanos almost prevents her seeing true love when it lands in her lap.
Theres a lot of catching up to do.
Review
"Valdes-Rodriguez's debut novel delivers on the promise of its sexy title, offering six lively, irreverent characters....This is a fun, irresistible debut." Publishers Weekly
Review
"[A]n incredible first novel....[T]his is truly a universal friendship book, crossing cultural lines as the characters advise, comfort, and support each other." Library Journal (Starred Review)
Review
"[P]redictable but affecting debut that takes a long, hard, and funny look at life in the US for Latina women....[W]ell-drawn, charmingly flawed characters from an author who explodes some myths (while cementing others)." Kirkus Reviews
Review
"[A]n honest, sweet look at the enigmatic nature of friendship....Valdes-Rodriguez...writes with authority on these challenges [of minority professionals], but her book will ring true for readers of all ethnicities." Amy Scribner, BookPage
Review
"In this cake mix of a book, the ingredients may be spiced differently, but they're still prepackaged. You know what you're going to get. It doesn't stay fresh long, and it's not very nourishing." Caroline Leavitt, The Boston Globe
Review
"The premise of the story isn't exactly groundbreaking territory, but the breadth of voices from Latina women largely ignored in popular fiction make for compelling tales of love, ambition, family, and friends." Hermione Malone, Savannah Morning News
Synopsis
A vibrant and absorbing novel of six friends each an unforgettable Latina and the complications in their lives.
Synopsis
The
New York Times bestselling novel that is a sensational debut about six friends--each one an unforgettable Latina woman in her late '20s--and the complications and triumphs in their lives.
Synopsis
In this irrepressible, can't-put-it-down novel of six friends-each one an unforgettable woman in her late twenties-you'll meet:
--Lauren, the "caliente" columnist for the local Boston paper whose love live has recently led her to her boyfriend's closet...to catch him in the act with someone else
--Sara, the perfect wife and mother who's got it all but who is paying a high price
--Amber, raised a Valley girl without a word of Spanish but who is becoming a huge rock en espanol star
--Elizabeth, the stunning black Latina whose TV anchor job conflicts with her intensely private personal life
--Rebecca, hyper-in-command in the world of her glossy magazine, Ella, but totally at sea when it comes to men
--Usnavys, fabulous and larger than life, whose agenda to land the kind of man who can keep her in Manolos almost prevents her finding true love
Synopsis
Meet the six unforgettable women who make up
The Dirty Girls Social Club
Lauren, the “caliente” columnist for the local Boston paper whose love life is making headlines… Sara, the perfect wife and mother whos got it all but pays a high price… Elizabeth, the stunning black Latina whose TV anchor job conflicts with her intensely private personal life… Amber, the Valley girl who doesnt speak Spanish but is fast becoming a huge rock star en Espanol… Rebecca, hyper-in-command in her glossy magazine world but clueless when it comes to men…and Usnavys, fabulous, larger than life, and at risk of falling head over five-inch Manolos in love….
No matter what happens to each of them, the Girls dish, dine, whine, and compare notes as they try to sort out the bumpy course of life and love. And what a wild ride it is!
“Delivers on the promise of its title…fun, irresistible.”—Publishers Weekly
“Compulsive.”—Entertainment Weekly
Synopsis
The bestselling author of The Dirty Girls Social Club returns with an engrossing memoir about how falling in love with a sexy cowboy turned her feminist beliefs upside down.
Feminism was a religion in Alisa Valdes’s childhood home. Betty Friedan and Gloria Steinem took the place of Barbies and left Valdes impressed with a feminist ideology that guided a prolific writing career—at twenty-two Valdes was named one of the top feminist writers under thirty by the editor of Ms Magazine.
Yet despite her professional success, Valdes hit forty-two a single mom and a serial dater of inadequate men in tweed jackets—until she met the Cowboy. A conservative rancher, the Cowboy held the traditional views on gender roles that Valdes was raised to reject. Yet as she falls head-over-spurs for him and their relationship finds harmony, she finds the strength, peace, and happiness that comes from embracing her femininity.
From their first date the Cowboy makes her pulse race, and she discovers that “when men… act like men rather than like emasculated boys, you as a woman will find not only great pleasure in submitting to them but also great growth as a person.” Told with plenty of humor and candor, The Feminist and the Cowboy will delight the many readers who made The Pioneer Woman a bestseller—not to mention every woman who dreams of being swept away by a rugged cowboy.
About the Author
ALISA VALDES-RODRIGUEZ, an award-winning print and broadcast journalist and a former staff writer for both the Los Angeles Times and the Boston Globe, was named one of todays 25 Most Influential Hispanics by Time magazine. She is the bestselling author of the novels Make Him Look Good and Playing with Boys, both available in paperback from St. Martins Griffin.
www.alisavaldesrodriguez.com
Reading Group Guide
As soon as it was written,
The Dirty Girls Social Club began turning heads.
The Chicago Tribune reported that the book "set off a bidding frenzy" among publishers.
The Associated Press reported that "even people running the copy machines at the major publishing houses just had to read
The Dirty Girls Social Club."
Its no wonder the media is all in a whirl. In this heartfelt and absorbing novel, Valdes-Rodriguez opens up the lives of six upwardly mobile Latina friends in their late 20s. These women, who come from widely varied backgrounds, meet at Boston University and, after graduating, meet every six months to share their stories. Facing the complications and pressures of everyday lives, the Social Club offers a chance to meet regularly, dish, dine, and help each other over the bumpy course of life and love.
Filled with humor, drama, and the redemptive power of friendship, The Dirty Girls Social Club promises to be one of the most talked about books of the year.