The Latina’s Bible by Sandra Guzman

My name is Sandra Guzmán, and I am an EMMY award winning journalist and author, former newspaper editor and editor in chief of Latina magazine. I am also a proud first generation Latina trying to use my access to the publishing world to write works that inspire and lift Latina sisters and women of color.

The original critically acclaimed self-help book, The Latina’s Bible, was published in 2002 by Random House and it touched the lives of thousands of women across the nation.  It has been described as a gem. A reviewer said of the original, that “this is a book for all Latinas living in the U.S. Guzmán writes with much sisterly love and respect, pointing out ways Hispanic women can meld the best of Latin culture with feminist-based U.S. values. She fosters a self-reliant, take-charge attitude in her readers, while encouraging healthy relationships and communication with family.”

It’s a book geared toward US Hispanic women. Think Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Dolores Huerta, Eva Mendes, America Ferrara, your tías, hermanas and primas.  You. Me.

We speak English, and sometimes, dream in Español. We are a combination of two worlds that sometimes don’t coexist so easily. Sometimes we can’t be Mexican, Dominican, Cuban, Puerto Rican, Colombian, Ecuadorian, {insert Latin American national origin here} enough. Other times, we are too gringa! Only a Latina who has to balance the tradition of her Latino family while trying to be a modern woman in the gringo world can truly appreciate these lives.

My book has become a staple for young Latinas and is one of those rare books that combine good advice, hard-earned wisdom, and valuable mirroring. There are too few solid resources for Latinas that reflect our own experiences and that give voice to our challenges.

The New Latina’s Bible will be published by Seal Press, a boutique publishing house on the West Coast that publishes books by and for women. The new version has fourteen chapters that cover the gamut in our lives — from health, to sexuality, from love to family, from spirituality to career. The truth  is that Latinas view the world through a unique cultural prism and heal from a unique cultural perspective. Yet very little is published for the millions of American women who identify as Latinas. This book is one small attempt to have a conversation with them, and with each other.

In general, books for women of color are sparse. Women in their teens and twenties face that critical time in their lives when deep impacts can be made–both positive and negative.

It’s my hope that The New Latina’s Bible will continue to find it’s way into the hands of Latinas, those who are proud of their heritage and those who feel like they’ve been living relatively invisible lives; those who know about their tradition and customs and those for whom these birthrights have been nearly erased.

My new publisher has described this book as a treasure. We are hoping you will help to increase its visibility and recognition by spreading the word, buying it for yourself, a friend, and a cousin…