Las Memorias de Mama Blanca

I just finished reading Las Memorias de Mama Blanca. I'll be honest and say that it was a difficult read for me. It was very challenging to not look up every second word and instead try to get a sense of the passages I was reading. Thank goodness, there were some parts that not only did I find easy to read but also actually made me smile.

In reading this book, I was reminded of a 1950 movie called "Cheaper by the Dozen" based on the 1948 novel by Frank Bunker Gilbreth Jr. As a teen I remember seeing the movie and thinking what an adventure to live in a family of 12 with all the fun and challenges they experienced (I have only one sister and it seemed magical to have many siblings). As I look back now what appealed to me was the ability to see or peek inside someone else's world. Maybe I'm some kind of voyeur???

I am interested in how people function together in their lives facing challenges, growing up, becoming self-aware. One of the best places to see this in action is within a family. I guess that is what both interested and frustrated me while reading Las Memorias. I connected with and understood some of the interaction but knew there was so much more to interpret but as I wrote above, I would have never finished the book if I had looked up every second word.

I loved the humour in the book. On page 81 for example, when the sisters were playing outside they were disturbing their father who was working in his office. He told them to be quiet and play elsewhere. I remember my father, when he was preparing his sermon for church, would also tell my sister and me the same thing. On page 83, de la Parra writes how the father wanted a boy but instead had six girls.

Imagine having people in your life like Primo Juancho who really had nothing to say but seemed to have everything to say. The character of Vincente Cochocho was certainly interesting to say the least. Isn’t it just like life. You are attracted to someone but your mother tells you they are not good for you and then somehow that person becomes even more appealing. On page 144, de la Parra points out that very same thing with the relationship between the girls and Vincente. Moreover, what farmer wouldn’t want Daniel to be taking care of his cows?

For me, Teresa de la Parra allows us to peek into someone else’s life. We see childhood, the dynamics between siblings, and the relationships between people within a household. More importantly, it is a moving picture of a family with different personalities. Individually they learn what life is, about growing up and discovering that change is inevitable.