Damas, Dramas And Ana Ruiz by Belinda Acosta

Ana Ruiz's life is a mess. A college administrator, she is married with two teenage children, or at least that is how it appears to the outside world. But, reality is different. She and Estaban, her childhood sweetheart, have separated and it is unclear what will become of her marriage. Her daughter, Carmen, who is fourteen and a daddy's girl, blames Ana for the breakup and Ana allows her to think so, shielding her from reality. This creates a situation where Carmen is worse than most teenage girls, blaming Ana for everything and acting as if she hates her. Ana, searchinig for a way to reconnect with Carmen, decides to give her the quinceanera (a party marking a girl's transistion to womanhood) that she never got to have.

Carmen grudgingly agrees to the party. As party plans go on, Ana meets a visiting artist at the college. He is charsmatic and exciting, and seems interested in Ana. This interest starts to awaken Ana from the dull deadness of what her life has become. This new interest and the resolution of several plotlines comes at the time the party occurs.

I enjoyed this book quite a bit. I did a blog tour of it several weeks ago, but didn't have time to read it before the tour. Ana is a great heroine; smart, caring and starting to realise that no one gives you a great life; you have to go out and create it for yourself. I could definately relate to her difficulties with her teenage daughter, as that time is approaching for me as my daughter gets closer to those dramatic years. This book is recommended for readers of female literature as well as those interested in reading about how the Hispanic culture handles everyday life issues.