How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents is most definitely a novel that I would read of my own accord. I thoroughly enjoyed reading every page and got to really take my time with it, as I began reading weeks ago. Alvarez has a brilliant way with words that is not the least bit pedantic. She has an ability to create countless similes and metaphors that fit perfectly with the feeling she aims to evoke in the reader. This is evident in the story where Rudy Elmenhurst’s parents approve of his relationship with Yolanda because they felt it “should be interesting for him to find out about people from other cultures. It bothered [Yo] that they should treat [her] like a geography lesson for their son” (Alvarez 97). Alvarez’ style is so wonderfully modern, casual and comfortable that the reader can not help but b captivated. It is truly comforting to read, in that I found the characters to be exceedingly relatable. It is interesting that although I have never experienced anything close to the hardships of immigration, I felt such a strong connection with these girls whilst reading, particularly with Yolanda. Perhaps it is the incredibly strict and overprotective Catholic parents we have in common, but on several occasions during Yo’s stories I felt as though I was reading the story of my own life.

Although I loved every story, I believe the two that struck me to the core were “Joe” and “The Rudy Elmenhurst Story.” The former for its brilliant metaphorical use of language and the latter because I have encountered men exactly like Rudy Elmenhurst, way back when I was almost as sheltered and naïve as Yolanda. I really loved the manner in which Alvarez remarks that as John handed her the irises “she could not make out his words. They were clean, bright sounds, but they meant nothing to her” (Alvarez 76). Yolanda goes on to reduce their verbal communication to the word “babble” and only then does she believe that they can attempt a fresh start: “maybe now they could start over, in silence” (Alvarez 77). This ironic presentation of language as something that complicates communication to the point of no return was, I thought, a fantastic insight. So often we rely on language, words created by others that can never completely and truly express the intricate specificity of the feelings we intend to convey. I believe that in “Joe,” Alvarez intends to express the futility and insufficiency of borrowed words to mend the personal issues that stem from places much deeper than the surface upon with language floats.