LJ Reviews 2007 September #2

In this collection of 55 short essays (some excerpted and some newly written) edited by award-winning travel author Miller (Panama Hat Trail ), successful Latinos write personal accounts of how they learned English and the impact this had on their lives. The contributors range from notable writers to television personalities, from military officers to successful business leaders. All learned English not only in the classroom but also from television, radio, and the movies, encountering a different language as well as a different culture. The stories are funny (e.g., artist Enrique Martnez Celaya accidentally using the English word constipated to describe being ill) and poignant (e.g., poet and doctor Rafael Campo losing the ability to speak Spanish to a grandparent). The essays cover issues that affect any immigrant population: the navigating of two worlds, language learning as lifelong learning, and the importance of bilingualism and maintaining connection to a native culture. A timely book, as immigration and bilingual education are current topics of debate in this country. Recommended for all public libraries, especially those serving Spanish-speaking or immigrant populations.—Jennifer Zarr, NYPL