Madre: Perilous Journeys with a Spanish Noun
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15
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Average rating4
How could madre mean whore as much as virgin? What happens to the ninety-nine madres when one father enters the room and they become a group of padres? And why can't a bien educada woman in Mexico say the word madre without raising eyebrows? --
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My family calls me “Madre.” I was, consequently, eager to read this book, a book that centers on a single word, “madre.” Imagine my horror, then, when I discovered in the very first chapter that this word is often a very, very ugly word in Mexico. Oh dear. Quite disconcerting. I'd envisioned a book of happy stories about “madres.” I read on, nevertheless fascinated with Bakewell's stories about this word. (BTW, “Madre” does have some positive connotations. Sigh. Thank goodness.) If you love language, and especially if you love the Spanish language, you will enjoy this book.*
