Count on Me: Tales of Sisterhoods and Fierce Friendships

At the center of this collection of short essays is a term which has no exact translation to English: comadre, a word “unique to Latino culture” which “encompasses some of the most complex and important relationships that exist between women.” Comadres are “best friends, confidants, co-workers, advisors, neighbors, and godmothers to one’s children” and the anthology itself was commissioned by an organization called Las Comadres Para Las Americas, an international network that connects Latina women for mutual support. With such sterling goals, it is not surprising that the collection falters in terms of drama and tension. Some of the writing is lovely—in particular a story from Esmeralda Santiago (When I Was Puerto Rican), “Las Comais,” in which she describes the quartet of women who raised her in Puerto Rico. There are other bright spots, like an account from Michelle Herrera Mulligan (editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan Latina), “Anarchy Chicks,” of her troubled, frequently dysfunctional relationship with her (non-Latina) childhood best friend, Tara. Peculiarly, the book sets itself up to potentially alienate a larger audience through the suggestion that Latinas have the market cornered on complex friendships, and uplifting tales of great female friends of any race or ethnicity hardly constitute compelling nonfiction. Agent: Adriana Dominguez, Full Circle Literary Agency. (Sept.)