The Girls from the Revolutionary Cantina

by Mike Padilla

Boasting irreverent, edgy humor and a clear sense of Southern Californian culture, this hilarious, insightful debut novel by award-winning author M. Padilla brilliantly captures the comforts and dangers of friendship.

Inspired by their good-natured rivalry, career-oriented best friends Julia Juarez and Ime Benevides have never let anything come between them. Then enters Julia's new coworker, Ilario, who pulls both women's heartstrings,...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312593082
• ISBN13: 9780312593087
• Release Date: June 2010
• Publisher: St. Martins Press-3PL
• Length: 368 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.5" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Brainy beach read

I loved this book! It was screamingly funny and a very fast read--I finished it in four days. Each of the girls has a vivid, distinct personality: Ime, the Chuppie (Chicano Yuppie) with a silver BMW and and a sense of entitlement as big as her car payment; Concepción, a dance teacher who doesn't care if the rent is paid as long as she throws the best party of the year; Marta, a foul-mouthed, pot-loving bar owner; Nina, a seemingly mousy seamstress who's hiding a scandalous secret; and Julia, the novel's heroine, who is torn between her loyalty to her friends and her career ambitions--and her attraction to her sexy boss, Ilario. But while the plot is that of a screwball comedy, the conflicts are very real. How do you balance career with personal relationships? How do you measure loyalty to your friends, culture and community against your ambitions for a better future? What do you do when your loyalties begin to drag you down? And how do you find a relationship with a man who isn't threatened by your strengths and ambitions? But these questions never weigh down the narrative. I finished the novel in four days, making it a perfect summer read. Padilla does a fantastic job of weaving descriptions of Chicano culture and the San Fernando Valley into the novel. Even if your knowledge of Southern California extends only as far as The Hills, you'll enjoy this light, lively and fun window into an often-overlooked subculture.

Well-Crafted Novel with a Soul

More than just a fun beach read, THE GIRLS FROM THE REVOLUTIONARY CANTINA is a well-crafted novel with a soul. Given the set-up--a group of women struggling to maintain friendships while coping with tensions engendered from relationships and career aspirations--it's tempting to characterize the book as a Latina SEX IN THE CITY, but GIRLS cuts closer to the bone. Julia, the protagonist of the book, has much more at stake than Carrie Bradshaw. Bad choices--or bad fortune--for her mean a return to the sort of life she had when she was growing up in the Valley, the daughter of an laid-off auto plant worker. Padilla avoids pretension, however, blending sex, humor, and labyrinth-like twists to deliver a story that entertains while saying something thoughtful about the modern Latina experience in Southern California.

Colorful Latina Adventure

I was lucky to read an advance copy of Girls from the Revolutionary Cantina. Expecting a familiar retread of cocktails and shoe-shopping, I was surprised by the LA local flavor, the wit, humor and the realistic conflicts. Each character stands out, and their relationships are funny and complicated. These women are fun to follow, for sure, but their difficulty maintaining past friendships amid new and changing circumstances is grounded and believable. A fun and colorful Latina adventure with bittersweet wisdom as well.

Sex in the Valley - a smart and stylish summer book!

I don't often read summer beach-type books, let alone romantic-drama chick lit stuff, but I found this to be a really smart page-turner. While Revolutionary Cantina is highly compulsive reading, I would assert that there's a lot going on underneath its unpredictable narrative. The two main characters, Julia and Ime, best friends since childhood, are both career-oriented Latinas - but neither has abandoned their modest Pacoima roots. So while they might wear Marc Jacobs or drive a 5 Series BMW, they are still shopping on the weekends at the local Mexican supermarkets and hanging out with their friends at the Revolutionary Cantina. Padilla creates a vivid portrait of Los Angeles' less-glamorous sister, the Valley, and deftly balances his cultural portrait of a very specific time and place - and the women that inhabit it -- with acute psychological detail and gentle social commentary. Of particular delight are the seemingly-cryptic chapter headings, such as "Lucite is Ten Times Stronger than Glass," or "Reflections on Chinese Restaurant Decor" which only adds to the fun. Highly recommended!

What a fun read!

I loved this book! Warm and witty, Latina-flavored Sex in the City -- San Fernando Valley style. Padilla's writing is charming, heartfelt and funny.