The Big Boring Book Blog

“Woman Hollering Creek”, is about a Mexican woman, named Cleófilas, who marries Juan Pedro Martínez Sánchez. After moving across the border to Seguín, Texas, her hopes of having a happy marriage, like the characters she watches in the telenovelas, are dashed. Throughout their marriage, Juan Pedro is unfaithful, abusive and often leaves her in isolation. As her depression increases, so does her interest in the legendary figure, la llorona, and the creek named after her that runs behind her house. However, unlike this “weeping woman”, who chooses death as a means to escape her unloving husband, Cleófilas, in a sense, chooses life. With the aid of two independent women, Felice and Graciela, she is able to leave her life of abuse and escape back to Mexico.

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Common Theme

At first, Cleofilas longs for nothing more than to have a healthy and happy marriage like the ones shown in novelas. As the story proceeds, we see the Cleofilas now longs for her freedom from the abusive relationship and turns to death as her escape.

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Quotes

"But what Cleofilas has been waiting for, has been whispering and sighing and giggling for, has been anticipatng since she was old enough to lean against the window displays of gauze and butterflies and lace, is passion… The kind the books and songs and telenovelas describe when one finds, finally, the great love of one’s life, and dows whatever one can, must do, at whatever the cost"