365 Days of Books

Gringa Latina tells a story that I know nothing about and yet it resonates deeply within me. I've never been to Peru and I am either Latina nor Gringa but like Gabriella De Ferrari I have been a "Second Culture Kid", a person who matures in two very different and separate cultures. De Ferrari does not use the term nor does she talk about the experiences of anyone but herself but there are strong similariites between the lives of people who are outsiders no matter where they are. Gabriella De Ferrari is the child of Italian parents who fell in love with Peru and raised their family there; later De Ferrari went to college in America and became a citizen. A gringa in Peru; a Latina in America; somehow both fully and separately.

This is a gentle, thoughtful book. There is no racing from exciting instant to instant but rather an amble, a soft look into the graceful home and garden and a quiet look into the intimacy of the family.