Alvarez,
Julia. How Tía Lola Came to Visit Stay.
New York: Dell Yearling, 2001. ISBN: 0-329-28338-3
SUMMARY
Miguel’s
life has changed drastically since his parents decided to divorce. He and his sister
moved from New York City with their mother to a small town in rural Vermont,
leaving his father and friends back in New York City. His Latino looks stand out in the Vermont community, which is something he is not use to. Then, his Tía Lola moves
in with them from the Dominican Republic to help his mother as the family
adjusts to their new life. Tía Lola is very different from anyone he has ever met, and he is not sure he likes having her stay with them. She does not speak
English, she wears colorful and outrageous clothes, and her outgoing personality
does not fit in with the image he wants to portray when he tries to make friends
in his new home. With so many adjustments, Miguel begins to worry that his life
will never be normal again.
ANALYSIS
Julia
Alvarez brings the culture of the Dominican Republic to life through the lively
and vivacious Tía Lola, a memorable character in her book How Tía Lola Came to Visit Stay. Set in the backdrop of a quiet
rural community in Vermont, Tía Lola’s vibrant personality contrasts with both the
subtle setting and with her great-nephew's expectations of what an aunt should
be.
Miguel and
his mother and sister move to Vermont from New York City after his parents
decide to divorce. In New York City, Miguel’s Latino heritage did not stand
out because there were many Latinos where he lived. However, it does not take long
for Miguel to realize things are different in his new home where “…his black hair and brown skin stand out. He feels so different from everybody…he
hasn’t made one friend in three weeks.” Miguel is not the only one in the family who
is struggling to adjust to the new lifestyle. His mother finds the adjustment
to single parenting difficult, and so asks her Tía Lola to come to Vermont to
help her and the children.
The day Tia
Lola arrives, Miguel immediately knows that things will be different from that
point on when he sees her. “Her skin is the same soft brown color as theirs.
Her black hair is piled up in a bun on her head with a pink hibiscus on top.
She wears bright red lipstick and above her lips she has a big black beauty
mark. On her colorful summer dress, parrots fly towards palm trees, and flowers
look ready to burst from the fabric…” She has “…a voice impossible to resist,”
and Miguel finds he is caught up in the magic of Tía Lola, even if he cannot understand
her Spanish words.
Alvarez’s
cultural markers encompass a variety of traditions found in the Dominican
Republic. Tía Lola loves to dance the merengue, a traditional folk dance that
originated in the Dominican Republic. She enjoys giving the children, and anyone else who desires to learn, dance lessons
after dinner. Her meals are delicious and the children and guests enjoy eating foods like pastalitos, delicious little pastries. Miguel
struggles between his need to fit into the Vermont community and his
fascination and growing love for his colorful Tía whose love for people and
life transcend the language barrier. Her philosophy, “You don’t have to speak
the same language to have fun with other people,” wins the hearts of the people
in the small Vermont community, and soon Miguel and his family become accepted
members in the small rural town.
Julia
Alvarez enlightens the reader about the Dominican Republic culture and its
richness in tradition, which is personified in Tía Lola. One cannot help but be
captivated by this beautiful person whose love for life, people, and tradition
sings out from each page of the story.
AWARDS/REVIEWS
“Dominican Spanish words flavor the
narrative like so many of Tia Lola’s spices.” Horn Book, Fall, 2001.
“This story seamlessly weaves two culturas
while letting each remain intact, just as Miguel is learning to do with his own
life.” Kirkus Reviews, January 2001.
“This book succeeds in teaching readers to
be more understanding of the differences in others, and does so without
preaching.” Library Talk, October
2001.
CONNECTIONS
The Tia Lola Stories by Julia Alvarez:
How Tia Lola Learned to Teach
How Tia Lola Saved the Summer
How Tia Lola Ended Up Starting Over
Share
with your classroom the following video of the traditional merengue dance from
the Dominican Republic:
PERSONAL
RESPONSE
When I first saw this book and the cover,
I thought about Mary Poppins. The cover’s illustration shows a woman wearing
colorful clothing and carrying a flowery carpet bag as she gazes forward
looking at a snowy gray-blue setting of an isolated farmhouse. The cover itself
lets the reader know that this lady is going to make some changes in that
little farmhouse. Sure enough, Tía Lola seems like the Dominican Republic’s
version of the proper Mary Poppins who is able to change the life of two
children so that things will never be quite the same again.
How Tia Lola Came to Visit Stay. Cover illustration.
Internet on-line. September 28, 2013 from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/julia-alvarez-2/how-taa-lola-came-to-visit-stay/
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