A House of My Own - by Sandra Cisneros (Paperback)

About the Book

"From the beloved author of The House on Mango Street: a richly illustrated compilation of true stories and nonfiction pieces that, taken together, form a jigsaw autobiography: an intimate album of a literary legend's life and career."--

Book Synopsis

Winner of the PEN Center USA Literary Award for Creative Nonfiction - From the celebrated bestselling author of The House on Mango Street: "This memoir has the transcendent sweep of a full life." --Houston Chronicle

From Chicago to Mexico, the places Sandra Cisneros has lived have provided inspiration for her now-classic works of fiction and poetry. But a house of her own, a place where she could truly take root, has eluded her. In this jigsaw autobiography, made up of essays and images spanning three decades--and including never-before-published work--Cisneros has come home at last.

Written with her trademark lyricism, in these signature pieces the acclaimed author of The House on Mango Street and winner of the 2019 PEN/Nabokov Award for Achievement in International Literature shares her transformative memories and reveals her artistic and intellectual influences. Poignant, honest, and deeply moving, A House of My Own is an exuberant celebration of a life lived to the fullest, from one of our most beloved writers.

Review Quotes

"Dazzling . . . part artist statement, part declaration of independence." --Los Angeles Times

"Delightful. . . . This memoir has the transcendent sweep of a full life. . . . [Cisneros'] prose reads like poetry, rhythmic and energetic; her poetry is as natural and effortless as plainspoken prose." --Houston Chronicle

"[A] spirited collection. . . . [A House of My Own] puts a gifted storyteller at your fingertips, one who offers a panoply of life in apartments, rented rooms and borrowed houses, a journey with a curious, lively mind and reflections on cultures, families and traditions." --Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

"Resonant. . . . A complex, nuanced picture of the writer emerges--think of a mosaic, a collage." --Chicago Tribune

"A fierce talent. No one writes like Cisneros. . . . A House of My Own is a compilation of true stories and non-fiction pieces that form a 'jigsaw autobiography' of the author's life." --Jezebel

"An extraordinary and magical journey. Sandra Cisneros makes me so happy that I am a reader, so joyful that she is a writer, and even more exhilarated that she is part of our world. Read this book and laugh, cry, and rejoice!" --Edwidge Danticat

"Cisneros is right there in the room, fiercely candid, warm and gracious, talking about everything. . . . A literary salon steeped in storytelling and writers, [A House of My Own] honors her process and influences and draws attention to crucial and difficult points of her development. Like a manifesto, it reasserts Cisneros's artistic credo." --The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

"In a tone that is intimate and inviting--indeed, we feel we are sitting right next to [Cisneros] as she sips tea (or chugs tequila) at her home in Mexico, and recounts her adventures with a laugh and a shake of the head: Ay Dios mio." --Los Angeles Review of Books

"[Cisneros] has documented her life through a mélange of essay, poetry, and battle cry." --Oprah.com

"Cisneros . . . has here written what may well be the best memoir of the year thus far. . . . A fierce portrait of an artist and her quest, and the roads taken and not taken to find a home of her own." --Library Journal (starred review)

"[Cisneros] opens wide the doors to the house of her life, and we are all privileged to cross the threshold." --The Austin Chronicle

"Throughout each story, though written for a diverse smattering of purposes and people, is Cisneros's constant molding of words like clay. . . . [Her] words will make existing fans love her more, and drive new readers to reach for her previous works after closing this one." --The Washington Times

"Cisneros's earnest but casual voice resonates throughout, rich with humor and a sense of urgency." --Pasatiempo (Santa Fe)

"Welcoming and deeply gratifying." --NBC News

"Gorgeous." --The Rumpus

"Frank, accessible examinations of multiple subjects braided together in Cisneros's personable, self-examining style." --Albuquerque Journal

About the Author

Sandra Cisneros is a poet, short story writer, novelist and essayist whose work explores the lives of the working-class. Her numerous awards include NEA fellowships in both poetry and fiction, the Texas Medal of the Arts, a MacArthur Fellowship, several honorary doctorates and national and international book awards, including Chicago's Fifth Star Award, the PEN Center USA Literary Award, and the National Medal of the Arts awarded to her by President Obama in 2016. Most recently, she received the Ford Foundation's Art of Change Fellowship, was recognized among The Frederick Douglass 200, and was awarded the PEN/Nabokov Award for Achievement in International Literature.

Her classic, coming-of-age novel, The House on Mango Street, has sold over six million copies, has been translated into over twenty languages, and is required reading in elementary, high school, and universities across the nation.

In addition to her writing, Cisneros has fostered the careers of many aspiring and emerging writers through two non-profits she founded: the Macondo Foundation and the Alfredo Cisneros del Moral Foundation. She is also the organizer of Los MacArturos, Latino MacArthur fellows who are community activists. Her literary papers are preserved in Texas at the Wittliff Collections at Texas State University.

Sandra Cisneros is a dual citizen of the United States and Mexico and earns her living by her pen. She currently lives in San Miguel de Allende.