This Weekend, Pick Up The Pieces With 'Gabi'
On Gabi's relationship with her mother
I think that non-Latino readers will be shocked to think, why doesn't her mother want her to go off to college. Well, what's really funny is while I was reading this, I remembered when it was time for me to go to college, and I had said to my mother that I might go ... not far, but it was, "are you crazy? Why would you do that? Why would you not, you know, live at home with your family until you're married?" That's what your supposed to do. It's just a really difficult set of realities to try to live with ... and that's one of the things I really loved about this book as well, because I think Latina girls reading this are going to see their families in this.
On the complex issues Gabi deals with
I think there are many authors — and Isabel sits squarely in this group — who don't shy away from telling young people the truth. Who are producing work for young women that really dignifies their intelligence and dignifies their experience.