Teenaged Mary Ellen -- known to her parents as Maria Elenita -- is pulling away from their conservative Puerto Rican world, towards dreams of rock music, political protest, and first love. But as she learns about the "secret" lives of her parents and other adults, she finds that the taste of freedom is not so sweet. Judith Cofer's new collection -- drawn from her own adolescence, with a novella included especially for the paperback edition -- will speak to readers of both sexes, and all races.
