I will admit, I did not know much about the Latinx Diaspora before reading Wild Tongues Can’t Be Tamed. After reading the book, however, I felt so educated about this major cultural movement. I loved the way Saraciea J. Fennell gave us 15 different essays about Latin Americans and their lives in their home countries. It explains the struggles, hardships, ups, and downs that they have experienced – and that I never knew about before. These essays are so eye-opening about a certain lifestyle that not many people know. If you are looking for an educational, but at the same time entertaining series of personal narratives, this book is right for you.

One of my favorite essays within this book featured an Afro-Cuban person talking about how they experienced racism due to their Cuban background. This person has repeatedly been given “a Cuban test and failed,” because they were not as lightly colored as most people from Cuba. It took them a while to find themselves and realize who they truly were, but I loved the way this person eventually found themselves. I always thought racism was from white to black; but, as shown here, a Cuban was racist toward another Cuban of more African descent.

I was never the type of person who enjoyed reading personal essays because I didn’t think they would be interesting. But this book is like reading 15 mini-stories, each one more interesting than the next! I am proud to say that my attention was kept the entire time.

After reading this review, I hope you at least give the book a try. I promise you will learn something new, but also enjoy it at the same time. It is perfect for reading a separate essay each day to get in your daily reading quota. Or, you can do what I did and binge-read all of them. Whatever works for you! Thank you to the editor, Saraciea J. Fennell for putting these essays together in a way for us to easily enjoy them!