The Moths and Other Stories

I have to admit it. I bought this book in a rushed in-and-out at a feminist bookstore because of its gorgeous cover. To my delight, the stories within it are as complex and deviant as the painting. Viramontes' writing is not breezy; it requires attention, especially as the book progresses. Her subjects are not for the weak at heart. They are raw and offer no excuses or apologies for it. The sexual ambiguity, the inminent violence, the imposing masculine presence, and the abundance of religion in the culture of Chicano women are all explored to the bone in these stories. I highly recommend this book.

In Philadelphia, over the past summer, I happened to be in a used book store perusing the shelves for a good read. Being a student of writing, I thought after a short time, that I should look for some works by my professors at school. The first author I looked for was Helena Maria Viramontes, because the way she talks about writing is better than a lot of the stuff authors publish. She always talks in class about her novel, Under the Feet of Jesus, or her new work. All they had was a collection of short stories that I didn't remember ever having heard her talk about, called The Moths and Other Stories. I picked it up, bought it, and by the end of the day had finished reading it. What a great collection of stories it is. It's so enjoyable to read that you finish it before you would like to. I have told professor Viramontes about my finding it, and she said that she rarely thought of the collection anymore, but that she was very happy with some of the stories it contained. I was very happy with the whole book. I think you will be too.