The Tequila Worm

Canales, Viola. 2005. THE TEQUILA WORM. New York: Wendy Lamb Books. ISBN 0-85-74674-1

Sofia yearns to be a comadre, “someone who makes people into a family,” yet she’s unsure how to become one. Growing up in the barrio of McAllen, Texas with her tightly woven family, Sofia finds herself torn between the Mexican-American heritage of her family and the desire to become herself in the immense world and “be brave enough to eat a whole tequila worm.” In her mule-headed way, she “kicks” the girl who called her Taco Head and earns a scholarship to a boarding school, St. Luke’s Episcopal School, which is three hundred and fifty miles away in Austin. Determined to gain her family’s blessings to attend, she reminisces about her childhood and begins to embrace the traditions of her family and church. Her best friend and cousin, Berta, aspires to be a wife and mother, yet Sofia dreams of going to Harvard and becoming a lawyer. After deciding not to have a quinceanera, she works diligently sorting cucumbers to earn the extra money it will take to attend the new school. She begins her sophomore year at the new school, and then becomes homesick. To fill that void and as a member of a family of storytellers, she writes vivid and humorous stories about her youth, strengthening her ties to her family and their rich customs.

The author, Viola Canales, winner of the Pura Belpre Award in 2006 and many other honors, mirrors her own life in the barrio of McAllen, Texas with warmth and charm. “Canales shows snapshots in the life of her protagonist from childhood squabbles to her return to the barrio as an adult (Semifero 2005).” She richly blends Mexican-American traditions throughout the novel peppering the paragraphs with Spanish words and phrases. “It combines wonderfully absurd humorous moments with serious issues like discrimination, family separation, and the death of a parent (Semifero 2005).”

“Absolutely essential for multicultural literature collections,” exclaims Claire Rosser, a KLIATT reviewer.

Interested in another book by Viola Canales or about Mexican-American heritage? Read Canales’ first book Orange Candy Slices (2001) ISBN 978-1558853324.

References

Semifero, Angela. "The Tequila Worm." Voice of Youth Advocates 28.3 (2005): 212-213. Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts with Full Text. EBSCO. Web. 8 Sept. 2011.

Rosser, Claire. "Canales, Viola. The Tequila Worm." Kliatt July 2005: 8. Literature Resource Center. Web. 8 Sep. 2011.