The Dirty Girls Social Club - Alisa Valdés-Rodríguez

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The Dirty Girls Social Club

A Novel

St. Martin's Griffin, May 2004
ISBN: 978-0-312-31382-1, ISBN10: 0-312-31382-9,
5 1/2 x 8 1/4 inches, 320 pages,
Trade Paperback, $14.99

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See All Categories Latin American & Caribbean Studies Latin American & Caribbean Studies - All Titles Literature U.S. & Canada: Novels World: Latin America & Caribbean

Inseparable since their days at Boston University almost ten years ago, 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 boyfriend's 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 boisterous 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 label's interest in her music

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, but who can't explain why she didn't understand the man she married and now doesn't even share a room with

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 from seeing true love when it lands in her lap

There's a lot of catching up to do.

Praise

"As a guilty pleasure I would say The Dirty Girls Social Club ranks somewhere between Valrhona chocolate and Jimmy Choo shoes—I simply could not put it down."—Whitney Otto, author of How to Make An American Quilt

"With this novel, Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez has created a starburst story filled with starburst characters. The world of the sucias is a world of sizzling romance and troubled loves, of great wit and great sorrow, of fast friendships and—most important—ferocious loyalties. The Latina community has a rich new voice and Valdés-Rodríguez is it."—Jeffrey Kluger, coauthor of Lost Moon: The Perilous Voyage of Apollo

"Although its characters are proudly Latina, the story is more than a primer on Hispanic culture. It's also about friendship, growing up, and negotiating the bumps and jolts of everyday life . . . Valdes-Rodriguez's writing style is raunchy yet refined, with a variable cadence that echoes six different voices. But in the end, it's the complex, finely drawn characters who make the book work."—Rocky Mountain News

"Dirty Girls sets out to prove Latina can mean anything—black, white, rich, poor, Spanish-speaking, [or] not Spanish-speaking."—The Miami Herald

"[Valdes-Rodriguez's] compelling characters are enhanced by their racial identities but not at all inaccessible to the non-Hispanic . . . an enjoyable read."—San Antonio Express-News

"Those who liked The Joy Luck Club or The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood will enjoy The Dirty Girls Social Club . . . It is heartfelt, fast-moving, and often funny."—Oklahoman

"Her affectionate treatment of these all-too-human sucias suggests that Valdes-Rodriguez just might be a card-carrying member of a real-life Dirty Girls Social Club. To which we can only say: lucky her."—Bookpage

"Marked by fast-paced dialogue and a pop-culture sensibility, this engaging novel, each section of which is written from a different woman's perspective, carries an unmistakable message."—Book

"[An] affecting debut that takes a long, hard, and funny look at life in the U.S. for Latina women . . . an upscale telenovela with well-drawn, charmingly flawed characters from an author who explodes some myths."—Kirkus Reviews

"Valdes-Rodriguez's novel delivers on the promise of its title [with a] diverse group of women that defies stereotypes. The book addresses serious questions—prejudice, the difficulty of winning respect from Latino men—but balances them with enough romances . . . to satisfy any chick lit fan. This is a fun, irresistible debut."—Publishers Weekly

About the Author(s)

Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez

Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez is an award-winning print and broadcast journalist and a former staff writer for both the Los Angeles Times and The Boston Globe. She is one of Latina magazine's women of the year for 2003. She lives with her husband and son in Albuquerque, New Mexico. This is her first novel.

photo: Photo: Anna Peña

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Excerpt

Chapter One

Twice a year, every year, the sucias show up. Me, Elizabeth, Sara, Rebecca, Usnavys, and Amber. We can be anywhere in the world—and, being sucias, we travel a lot—but we get on a plane, train, whatever, and get back to Boston for a night of food, drink (my specialty), chisme y charla. (That's gossip and chat, y'all.)

We've done this for six years, ever since we graduated from Boston University and promised each other to meet twice a year, every year, for the rest of our lives.

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