Almost a Woman

The acclaimed author of When I Was Puerto Rican continues the riveting chronicle of her emergence from the barrios of Brooklyn to the theaters of Manhattan. "Negi," as Santiago's family affectionately calls her, leaves rural Macun in 1961 to live in a three-room tenement apartment with seven young siblings, an inquisitive grandmother, and a strict mother who won't allow her to date. At 13, Negi yearns for her own bed, privacy, and a life with her father, who remains in Puerto Rico. Translating for Mami at the welfare office in the morning, starring as Cleopatra at New York's prestigious Performing Arts High School in the afternoons, and dancing salsa all night, she seeks to find balance between being American and being Puerto Rican. At once a universally poignant coming-of-age tale, and a brave and heartfelt immigrant's story, Almost a Woman is Santiago's triumphant journey into womanhood.