The Tortilla Star

by Abbey Carpenter

InThe Tortilla Star, Bette finds that love can come in different forms – one that unlike her professional work as an accountant, she doesn’t control, that isn’t orderly, and is highly unpredictable. Though she’s six inches taller and hasn’t gotten past Spanish 101, she relishes being drawn into a rich, passionate adventure with Marco, an undocumented immigrant. As a volunteer teaching English, she is introduced to a new culture which welcomes her into its folds of family, long-held customs, and fiestas, as well as poverty and racism. She experiences first-hand some of her students’ challenges in the U.S. and also shares their joys – a child’s first time in a swimming pool, the wonders of a county fair. On this journey with Marco and her other Mexican immigrant friends, she hopes desperately that her expanding sense of family will not dissolve as the government makes rules that destabilize their lives.

219 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 6, 2020

Reviews

[Tess Ailshire · Rating 3 out of 5]

I chose to read this based on the synopsis, as I try to read fiction that presents a different view from my own. I did not expect to like Bette, or the story, but rather to learn how other people think.

What I found was *almost* exactly what I expected. A woman so concerned with her own experiences and desires that she is willing to ignore or belittle anyone who disagrees with her except those that lead closer to her goal.

Bette is an affront to modern women. She allows her love for all things Mexican to overshadow her personality. She cooks what her man likes. She bitches about her man's attitudes - toward women, toward gender roles, toward her non-Mexican friends - but puts up with it and seems to put it ahead of her own desires. Her spices? Unused. Her non-Mexican friends? Abandoned.

Bette ignores laws of the US -- guess if she doesn't like a law, she doesn't obey it. I see nothing that indicates she might actually get off her ass and *do* something about it (rather than complain about laws and leaders). I don't see her sending Marco back and then sponsoring his legal presence. I don't see her environmental concerns overcoming the utter disdain for a group who would rather throw trash on the ground than in a nearby convenient receptacle.

Bette is an American who thinks "Mexican = good" despite the things she witnesses that are not good, even according to her moral code.

The more I read, the more she disgusted me.

I finished the story, and was thrilled it ended with one less American living in the US.

[Ginger Pinholster · Rating 5 out of 5]

With an assured hand, Abbey Carpenter takes us on a romantic but never romanticized exploration of multicultural love. When an accountant named Bette falls in love with Marco, an undocumented Mexican immigrant who is one of her English as a Second Language students, she winds up enthralled by his culture and heritage, too. Carpenter's lush descriptions of food, conversation, and families who are continuously threatened by deportation reveals as much about Mexican traditions as it does about U.S. animosity toward those struggling on the margins of society. Bette finds herself "in the middle of her two worlds and two languages." A coworker named John challenges her commitment to Marco and his way of life. Carpenter's characters are vividly drawn, three-dimensional people who never recede into caricature. The relationship between Bette and Marco is irresistible. I highly recommend this kind-hearted, thoughtful book.

[Vicky Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a socially-conscious reader, I'm drawn to novels, historical fiction, and memoir that helps me understand people's lives beyond where I lived and traveled. Abbey Carpenter’s novel The Tortilla Star is full of the experiences of a passionate and compassionate woman. The protagonist Bette helps people seek a better way of life in the United States through teaching ESL classes. She helps her new immigrant friends navigate everyday experiences like shopping and medical emergencies. Bette makes trips into Mexico and discovers that country’s cultural richness through deep family connections. This novel shows a woman who wants to love and give love to others by forming a family atmosphere that was missing from her own life. The novel is a testament to Bette's ability to step out of her comfort zone into bold choices that make a difference through her social justice actions.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gringa ESL teacher provides insight into the lives of her mostly Mexican students. She is pulled into their world when she starts up a romance with one of them. As she spends more out-of-class time with her boyfriend and his housemates, she begins to realize her privilege and begins to challenge many of her assumptions. I learned a lot about Mexican culture, the Spanish language, and the ways that different cultures approach life. Great read!