The Dirty Girls Social Club

by Alisa Valdes and Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez

Book Overview

Alisa Vald s-Rodr guez's vibrant, can't-put-it-down, New York Times-bestselling novel of six friends--each one an unforgettable Latina woman in her late '20s--and the complications and triumphs in their lives

Inseparable since their days at Boston University almost ten years before, six friends form the Dirty Girls Social Club, a mutual support and (mostly) admiration society that no matter what happens to each of them (and...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312313829
• ISBN13: 9780312313821
• Release Date: May 2004
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.5" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

Cheers for the "Sucias"!

At first, it took a few pages for me to get into this book. But once I started reading, I couldn't put it down. Images of friends and acquaintances, relatives and neighbors began popping into my head as I read more and more about each "sucia." I found myself laughing, crying, relating to each woman's experience, and wanting to call Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez and ask her how she managed to unearth so much that lies within each Latina that so many people seem to miss. I found myself identifying with some of the 'dirty girls', from Rebecca, who is a control-freak, success-oriented woman who just wants to be different from her mother, to Usnavys, who wants to be 'from the block' and give back to her neighborhood but still wants everyone to know that she 'made it' by shopping Neimans and driving the BMW. I related to Sara, and felt angry at times that her experience with violence is so parallel to what many Latinas endure right now. I felt empowered by Amber, who didn't let her threatened boyfriend keep her from obtaining her goals. I cried at the discrimination Elizabeth faced for her personal life. And I felt like Lauren, with all her problems and experiences, was really telling my story, too. As a Latina, it is difficult for me to find books that accurately depict my feelings and experiences in society, the way that I navigate America as a Latin woman, and how the 'other' really treat us, whether that be men from within our own culture to men who are not; or professionals in the workplace, or people at large. It's about time that someone opened eyes through creative text using humor and parody. This book transcends cultures and boundaries, so whether you are Asian, Anglo, or African American, you will still relate to their experiences and plights. This book would in fact be a better film than Terry Mc Millan's Waiting To Exhale, since it discusses more cultural and social issues at large that desperately need to be discussed in society. I was impressed by Valdes-Rodriguez's talent and brilliance, her energy and enthusiasm for what she is discussing, and I hope to read more from her in the future. I recommended the book to other "sucias" I know, in hopes that they will be inspired and moved as I was, as well. Read this book, and then share it with a girlfriend, your Mom, or your 'tias'.It's amazing.

Sucia Sisterhood

Sassy and spirited, with a Latina spin on all the other girlfriend books (Angry Housewives, the YaYas, the gals on Grand Avenue, Blue Bottle Club, Friendship Cake, Sweet Potato Queens, to name a few) that celebrates the power of women and their friendships and the coming together from different backgrounds. It was very interesting to me to move outside my "buddy list" (middle aged white women) and meet "the dirty girls" (sucias). A very regionally diverse cluster of college buddies who stay in touch after their graduation from Boston University. Living in Texas where golden brown skin often times means "immigrated at some point from Mexico" - I was less aware of the cultural differences between Cubans, Columbians, Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, as well as the many various backgrounds of the less recent immigrants and/or natives of this country. Ms. Valdez-Rodriguez shows the reader the many different points of reference and I promise that I learned something. While the writing is light and fun, some heavy subjects are addressed, and each sucia personality is conveyed in a way where they quite become real, warts and all. Latino males do not fare particularly well, although the Sucias do manage to find a few keepers. I thoroughly enjoyed this story, and would highly recommend it. Actually, I am hoping the Dirty Girls will reappear in a few years time, with more interesting life experiences.

Great for what it is

Considering this book was from the onset compared to Terry McMillan, I didn't expect this text to indicate the second coming of Toni Morrison. Thus, I read it as a "beach book" and I thoroughly enjoyed the book. I would say, though, that the book is somewhere in between mass market books and literary fiction. The book was much better than I expected it to be, and I stayed up all night to read it. It was fun and sad and it explored a lot of heavy issues without being didactic. Most Latinas/os writers tend to write literary works; Valdes-Rodriguez's offers something new, something that is light but still manages to show the hardships of life while still showing that Latina/o experiences do not simply circulate around issues of poverty and racism. I think it's important to have Latina/o writers writing about all aspects of life, not just memoirs that depict racism, poverty, etc. Valdes-Rodriguez does explore racism, homophobia, and domestic violence but this is shown in conjunction with everyday experiences. While many of us experience these issues every day, we also have messy break ups with our partners and have time to laugh; thus, I think Valdes-Rodriguez offers us charcters with complete lives, lives we can all relate to.

Usnavy -- what's in a name

I am making the women in my family and circle of friends read this book; mostly so that we can say the name "Usnavy" to each other with a smile. While I suppose that the framework of the story centering around friends who have connected because of their latin roots, no matter how far removed or important to each of the girls' lives, provides for a common "emotional" language and some colorful references, it seems to me that the thoughts and opinions from each woman are exactly those of my own and my friends, regardless of whether or not any one of us has Latin roots. I was born and raised in Los Angeles, so I'm probably more Latin than some Latina's raised in America. The author keeps up the pace and is able to conjur lasting images with each chapter and each character. For me, it was very real and damn funny. The reticence to help a "friend" who perhaps doesn't connect as strongly with another friend in a social circle is an important theme in real girlfriend life. The author nailed it when she was able to point out the real fear of coming out with the truth about one's sexuality, sex life, romantic interests, and intimate secret home life. I love how she was able to reflect on each girl's inability to tell another friend (girl or boy) the truth as she saw it for fear of being abandoned by that friend. Mostly, I love how she was able to use language and modern day references to get to the heart of the matter of how we all have trouble communicating with each other. My 67 year old mother loved the book, too. I'm grateful it was published at all. Thank you St. Martin's Press.

Excellent debut - well worth its hype

THE DIRTY GIRLS SOCIAL CLUB is a juicy, profound, well-written, and emotionally riveting novel about six professional Latina girlfriends who are all going through various stages of life. From Rebecca, a magazine owner who is trapped in a marriage she cannot stand, to Elizabeth, the attractive television anchor who has a secret that threatens her career, the sucias (dirty girls) all have hurdles to jump, decisions to make, new lessons to learn. When the manuscript was on submission, this book caused a bidding frenzy and after reading, it's easy to understand why. The Dirty Girls Social Club is destined to earn a lot of attention. It's culturally rich, yet relatable as it deals with the universal themes of women, friendship, family, work, and relationship issues. The content is heavy on the Spanish, but it's a very sophisticated novel, textured, detailed, and is eye-opening in many ways in terms of exposing cultural stereotypes uncommonly known. Some scenes caused the hair to rise on my neck and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. Fantastic plot twists, great description that places the reader in the scene (whether you're in Boston, LA, or Rome), there are dozens of compelling scenes, and so many elements of life and love which ring with honesty regardless of your ethnicity. This is the book to get, the book to read, the book that will cause tongues to wag from the East Coast, to the West Coast and beyond. It's a kicker of a novel, one of those types where the more you read, the better it gets, and the warmer you feel. Women all over will be cheering for The Dirty Girls Social Club.