A Matter of Pride and Other Stories Book

Fiction. Latino/Latina Studies. "In these stories, Mohr continues to mine the vein found in earlier collections set in the Puerto Rican neighborhoods of the South Bronx. She often writes for and about young adults, but here her characters are mostly older and concerned about their marriages and careers. Their lives are marked by a tension between getting out of the barrio—earning college degrees, achieving some measure of professional success—and going back, whether that means visiting the now-desolate old neighborhood or having a Puerto Rican honeymoon. Another common thread is Mohr's feminism and the despicable macho posturing of many of the men. And in one story about a woman guided by voices she thinks she hears in church, Mohr explores the strong mix of religion and superstition that imbues Nyorican culture. Her plain, straightforward narrative style makes the stories easy to read"—Mary Ellen Quinn, Booklist.