Milagro en Miami = Miracle in Miami

Cuban-born Valdes (b.1959), a prolific poet and novelist who now lives in Paris, was a finalist for the 1996 Planeta Award for Te di la vida entera (I Gave You My Life, Planeta, 2000. reprint). This novel is the story of Iris Arco, who is taken from Havana to Milan by Italian photographer Adefesio Mondongo, who promises her family to make her the ""most beautiful girl in the world"" by converting her into a top model. While she is able to reach fame and finally feel somewhat confident about herself, it is only the exploitative Mondongo who profits from her success. Iris manages to escape to Miami and has the opportunity to achieve happiness when she marries a millionaire. Her bliss is spoiled, however, by the fear that she is being stalked by Mondongo. Vald s successfully intertwines the lively and restless life of Miami's Latino population and the dark chaos of the runway. The story is rich with humor, sex scenes, and Cuban slang that will not be difficult to comprehend within context. This book will be well received in public libraries and bookstores. Nelly S. Gonzalez, Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign