Translated Woman : Crossing the Border with Esperanza's Story

Translated Woman is an account of my friendship with a Mexican street peddler. It was named a Notable Book of the Year for 1993 by the New York Times and received Honorable Mention, Victor Turner Prize for Ethnographic Writing, from the Society for Humanistic Anthropology, in 1994. Translated Woman was adapted for the stage by PREGONES Theater, a Latino theater company based in the Bronx, New York. The stage adaptation, with live music and songs based on the book, has been performed in New Hampshire, the University of Michigan, and the University of Minnesota. The premiere of the work in a commercial venue took place on November 12, 1998 at the Painted Bride Theater in Philadelphia. Translated Woman is widely used in courses in women’s studies, Latin American and Latino studies, anthropology, history, psychology, education, and literature. It has gained a broad readership outside the academy and is frequently mentioned as an essential book on Mexico and on the new turn toward including a personal dimension in humanistic research. Before Meeting Esperanza, A Mexican Street Peddler Living In A Small Town Five Hundred Miles South Of The U.s. Border, Anthropologist Ruth Behar Knew Only What The Other Women In Town Had Said: Esperanza Was Thought To Be A Witch And A Cruel Mother; She Had Put A Spell On Her Former Husband For Abusing Her And Caused Him To Go Suddenly And Completely Blind. In This Brilliant And Magical Work, Ruth Behar Delves Well Beyond The Myths Of The Mexican Woman As Long-suffering Wife And Vindictive Witch As She Records Esperanza's Story In Her Own Words. The Story Begins With Rage. Esperanza Witnesses Her Father's Brutal Treatment Of Her Mother As A Child. As A Young Woman She Loses Several Of Her Children; She Believes Her Rage At Her Own Violent Husband Poisoned Them Through Her Breastmilk. But There Is More To Her Story Than Abuse And Suffering. With Wit And Insight, Esperanza Describes Her Eventual Sexual And Financial Freedom, Her Relationship With Her Grown Daughters, And Her Spiritual Redemption Through The Cult Of Pancho Villa. Translated Woman Also Records The Subtle Ironies And Difficulties Inherent In Any Encounter Between Two People From Different Cultures And Classes. Behar Eventually Abandons The Traditional Roles Of Interviewer And Subject As Esperanza's Story Leads Her To Reflect On Her Own Life As A Cuban Immigrant In The United States. In A Moving Final Chapter, Behar Explores Her Uncomfortable Position As A Latina Scholar Who Has Achieved Success In The American Academy.--jacket. Introduction: The Talking Serpent -- Coraje / Rage -- The Mother In The Daughter -- The Cross Of The White Wedding Dress -- The Rage Of A Woman -- The Daughter In The Mother -- Con El Perdon Suyo, Comadre, No Vaya A Ser Que El Diablo Tenga Cuernos: With Your Pardon, Comadre, Doesn't The Devil Have Horns? -- Mi Hija, Amarrate Las Faldas: My Daughter, Tie Up Your Skirts -- Esperanza / Redemption -- The Pig In The Stream -- The Stolen Eggs -- Angelitos--little Angels -- Una Vieja Orgullosa--a Proud Woman -- Viva General Francisco Villa! -- Literary Wetback -- Gringa Sings The Blues -- Ya Sabe Que Estamos Vendidos A Sus Personas: Now You Know That We've Been Sold To You -- Reflejos / Reflections -- Translated Woman -- In The Labyrinth Of The General And His History -- The Biography In The Shadow. Ruth Behar. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 345-369). The tenth-anniversary edition of this classic book, with a new preface

Translated Woman tells the story of an unforgettable encounter between Ruth Behar, a Cuban-American feminist anthropologist, and Esperanza Hernández, a Mexican street peddler.

A brave and unusual work. . . .
-The Boston Globe

A stunning critique. . . . Engrossing reading at the hands of a skillful interpreter.
-The New York Times Book Review Translated Woman tells the story of an unforgettable encounter between Ruth Behar, a Cuban-American feminist anthropologist, and Esperanza Hernández, a Mexican street peddler. The tale of Esperanza's extraordinary life yields unexpected and profound reflections on the mutual desires that bind together anthropologists and their'subjects.' A look at the life of one Mexican woman describes her sexual and financial freedom, her relationship with her daughters, and her spiritual redemption