Sabrina & Corina

Plot Summary

Collection Overview and Narrative Structure

"Sabrina & Corina" is a powerful collection of eleven interconnected short stories that weave together the experiences of Latina women across generations in Colorado and the American West. Kali Fajardo-Anstine masterfully creates a tapestry of narratives that span from the early 20th century to the present day, exploring themes of family, identity, displacement, and resilience within Indigenous and Chicana communities. The stories are linked not only by geographical location but also by recurring characters, family connections, and the persistent struggles against cultural erasure and economic marginalization.

The collection's structure mirrors the fragmented nature of cultural memory and family history, with each story functioning as both a complete narrative and a piece of a larger generational puzzle. Fajardo-Anstine employs a non-linear timeline that moves fluidly between past and present, allowing readers to witness how historical traumas and triumphs echo through successive generations. The titular characters, Sabrina and Corina, appear throughout various stories, sometimes as central figures and other times as background presences, creating a sense of continuity and shared experience that binds the collection together.

The author's approach to storytelling reflects the oral tradition of Indigenous cultures, where stories are passed down through generations, evolving and adapting while maintaining their essential truths. This narrative strategy allows Fajardo-Anstine to explore how personal and collective histories intersect, demonstrating how individual struggles are often reflections of broader systemic issues affecting marginalized communities. The collection moves between urban and rural settings, from Denver's changing neighborhoods to small mountain towns, capturing the diverse experiences of Latina women navigating different social and economic landscapes.

Key Stories and Character Development

The opening story, "Sisters," introduces readers to the world of Sabrina and Corina through the eyes of a young narrator witnessing her older sister's relationship with violence and loss. This story establishes many of the collection's central themes, including the impact of domestic violence, the strength found in female relationships, and the way trauma ripples through families and communities. The narrator's voice captures both the innocence of childhood and the premature wisdom that comes from witnessing adult struggles, setting a tone that recurs throughout the collection.

"Remedies" serves as a historical anchor for the collection, taking readers back to 1924 and introducing Luz, a curandera whose healing practices represent the preservation of Indigenous knowledge in the face of cultural suppression. Through Luz's story, Fajardo-Anstine explores themes of displacement, as Mexican and Indigenous communities face increasing pressure from Anglo settlement and industrial development. The story demonstrates how traditional knowledge and practices become acts of resistance against cultural erasure.

"She had learned long ago that healing was not just about herbs and prayers, but about remembering who you were before the world told you who you should be."

"Cheesman Park" presents a contemporary narrative that connects directly to the historical threads established in earlier stories. The protagonist discovers that her apartment building sits on land that was once a cemetery, primarily for the poor and marginalized. This revelation becomes a metaphor for how the past literally underlies the present, and how communities of color continue to be displaced and forgotten. The story skillfully weaves together personal grief with collective memory, showing how individual loss connects to larger patterns of historical injustice.

In "Julian," the collection explores masculinity and its costs within Latino communities. The story follows a young man struggling with his identity and place in the world, while his family grapples with economic hardship and social pressure. Through Julian's perspective, Fajardo-Anstine examines how traditional gender roles can become both sources of strength and sites of conflict, particularly for young men caught between cultural expectations and contemporary realities.

Themes of Identity and Belonging

"Ghost Sickness" delves deep into questions of mixed identity and cultural belonging, following a character who struggles with her Indigenous heritage in a world that often refuses to acknowledge the complexity of racial and cultural identity. The story explores the psychological impact of cultural disconnection, termed "ghost sickness" in some Indigenous traditions, and the healing that can come from reconnecting with ancestral knowledge and community. Fajardo-Anstine uses this narrative to examine how historical trauma manifests in contemporary mental health struggles and how traditional healing practices can offer pathways to recovery.

The story "Tomi" focuses on an elderly woman facing displacement from her longtime neighborhood due to gentrification. Through Tomi's experiences, the collection addresses how economic development often comes at the expense of established communities, particularly communities of color. The narrative captures the dignity and resilience of older generations while acknowledging the real losses that come with forced change. Tomi's story also explores intergenerational relationships and the ways that younger family members sometimes struggle to understand the sacrifices made by their elders.

"The neighborhood had been changing for years, but change was different from disappearance, and disappearance was what this felt like."

"Solidarity" brings the collection into contemporary political territory, exploring activism and community organizing within Latina communities. The story examines how personal and political consciousness develop together, and how individual struggles for dignity and respect connect to larger movements for social justice. Through its characters' involvement in labor organizing and community activism, the story demonstrates how resistance takes many forms and how collective action emerges from shared experiences of marginalization.

Culminating Narratives and Resolution

The final stories in the collection, including the titular "Sabrina & Corina," bring together many of the threads that have been developing throughout the book. These concluding narratives focus on the relationship between the two central characters as they navigate young adulthood, friendship, and the challenges of maintaining connection across difference. Their story becomes emblematic of the broader themes of the collection: the complexity of female relationships, the impact of family trauma, and the ongoing struggle to create meaning and beauty in the face of systemic oppression.

"Any Further West" serves as a powerful conclusion to the collection, taking readers on a literal and metaphorical journey westward that parallels the historical movement of families seeking opportunity and escape from violence. The story weaves together multiple timelines and perspectives, showing how the dreams and disappointments of earlier generations continue to shape contemporary experiences. Through its exploration of migration, both voluntary and forced, the story connects the specific experiences of Latina women to broader American narratives of movement and displacement.

Throughout these culminating stories, Fajardo-Anstine demonstrates remarkable skill in balancing individual character development with larger social and historical commentary. The characters' personal struggles—with addiction, violence, poverty, and discrimination—are never portrayed as merely individual failings but are consistently contextualized within broader systems of oppression and inequality. Yet the stories also celebrate the resilience, creativity, and love that allow communities to survive and thrive despite these challenges, creating a collection that is both unflinching in its social criticism and deeply affirming of human dignity and possibility.

Character Analysis

The Interconnected Lives of Latina Women

Kali Fajardo-Anstine's "Sabrina & Corina" presents a rich tapestry of Latina women whose lives intersect across generations, geography, and circumstances. The collection's strength lies in its nuanced portrayal of characters who resist stereotypical representations, instead emerging as complex individuals navigating the intersections of race, class, gender, and cultural identity in the American West. These women are mothers and daughters, sisters and strangers, each carrying the weight of inherited trauma while forging their own paths toward survival and self-determination.

The characters in Fajardo-Anstine's stories are unified by their shared experiences of marginalization and resilience. They inhabit a world where their Indigenous and Mexican heritage is often erased or diminished, where economic hardship is a constant companion, and where violence—both intimate and structural—shapes their daily realities. Yet these women are not victims; they are survivors who employ various strategies of resistance, from the preservation of cultural memory to the fierce protection of their families and communities.

Throughout the collection, Fajardo-Anstine employs a multi-generational approach that allows readers to witness how trauma and strength are passed down through family lines. The characters' stories reveal the ways in which historical injustices—the colonization of Indigenous lands, the exploitation of Mexican laborers, the erasure of Chicana voices—continue to reverberate through contemporary lives. This intergenerational perspective illuminates how each woman's struggles are both deeply personal and politically significant.

The author's characterization is particularly notable for its attention to the internal lives of women who are often rendered invisible in mainstream literature. These characters grapple with questions of belonging, identity, and agency in ways that feel both specific to their cultural context and universally human. Their voices are distinct yet interconnected, creating a chorus of Latina experience that challenges monolithic representations of Hispanic identity in American literature.

Sabrina: Innocence Lost and Resilience Found

In the titular story "Sabrina & Corina," Sabrina emerges as a character whose journey from childhood innocence to premature adulthood encapsulates many of the collection's central themes. As a young girl thrust into an adult world of violence and responsibility, Sabrina represents the ways in which systemic inequalities rob Latina children of their childhood while simultaneously fostering an extraordinary capacity for resilience and survival.

Sabrina's character development is marked by her growing awareness of the dangers that surround her and her younger sister Corina. When she witnesses the kidnapping and murder of a young woman in their neighborhood, Sabrina is forced to confront the reality that safety is a luxury her family cannot afford. Her response to this trauma reveals both her vulnerability and her strength—she becomes fiercely protective of Corina while struggling to process her own fear and confusion.

"Sabrina knew she couldn't tell anyone what she had seen, not even her mother. Some things were too dangerous to speak aloud, too heavy for the adults in her life who were already carrying so much."

The character of Sabrina is particularly compelling because she embodies the paradox of childhood in marginalized communities—she is simultaneously innocent and wise, protected and exposed, carefree and burdened with responsibility. Her relationship with Corina drives much of her character development, as she assumes a maternal role despite being a child herself. This dynamic illustrates how poverty and violence can disrupt traditional family structures, forcing children to mature rapidly and take on adult responsibilities.

Fajardo-Anstine uses Sabrina's perspective to explore themes of witnessing and testimony. As the story unfolds, it becomes clear that Sabrina's act of seeing—and her decision about whether to speak—carries profound moral and political weight. Her character raises questions about the responsibilities of witnessing trauma and the costs of both silence and speech in communities where speaking out can be dangerous.

Maternal Figures: Strength, Sacrifice, and Complex Love

The maternal figures throughout "Sabrina & Corina" are among the collection's most complex and compelling characters. These women—biological mothers, surrogate mothers, and mother figures—embody the contradictions inherent in motherhood within systems of oppression. They are simultaneously sources of protection and sites of vulnerability, fierce advocates for their children while struggling with their own limitations and traumas.

In stories like "Ghost Sickness" and "Remedies," Fajardo-Anstine presents mothers who must navigate the impossible terrain between keeping their families safe and maintaining their cultural identity. These women often make painful sacrifices, choosing to assimilate or relocate in hopes of providing better opportunities for their children, even when such choices come at the cost of cultural connection and community support.

The character of Luz Maria in "Ghost Sickness" exemplifies this complex maternal experience. As an Indigenous woman married to a white man and living in a predominantly white community, she struggles to protect her children from racism while maintaining connections to her cultural heritage. Her internal conflict between safety and authenticity drives the story's tension and reveals the impossible choices faced by many Indigenous and Latina mothers.

"She had learned to speak English without an accent, to dress like the other mothers at school functions, to smile and nod when people commented on how 'articulate' she was. But at what cost?"

These maternal characters are notable for their refusal to conform to either idealized or demonized stereotypes of motherhood. They are not perfect nurturers or selfless martyrs, nor are they negligent or abusive. Instead, they are fully realized human beings doing their best within systems that limit their options and constrain their choices. Their love for their children is unquestionable, but it manifests in complex ways that sometimes involve difficult decisions about protection, sacrifice, and survival.

Daughters and Sisters: Inherited Trauma and Individual Agency

The daughters and sisters in Fajardo-Anstine's collection carry forward the legacies of their families while struggling to forge their own identities and futures. These younger women inherit both the strength and the trauma of previous generations, and their stories explore how they navigate the tension between honoring their heritage and creating new possibilities for themselves.

Characters like Maria Dolores in "Cheesman Park" and the unnamed narrator in "Remedies" represent different approaches to this inheritance. Some embrace their cultural identity and fight to preserve family traditions, while others attempt to distance themselves from what they perceive as the limitations of their background. Both approaches carry costs and benefits, and Fajardo-Anstine avoids simple judgments about either choice.

The sisterly relationships in the collection are particularly nuanced, revealing how shared trauma can both bond and divide siblings. In the title story, Sabrina's relationship with Corina is shaped by her desire to protect her younger sister from the harsh realities she has witnessed. This protective instinct creates both intimacy and distance between the sisters, as Sabrina's knowledge isolates her even as it motivates her fierce love for Corina.

Throughout these stories, the younger generation of women grapples with questions of agency and self-determination. They must navigate between the expectations of their families and communities and their own desires for independence and self-actualization. This tension is complicated by the reality that individual success often requires leaving behind the very communities and traditions that have sustained their families through generations of hardship.

The daughters and sisters in "Sabrina & Corina" ultimately represent hope and continuity. They carry forward the stories of their ancestors while writing new chapters of their own. Their struggles and triumphs illuminate the ongoing process of cultural survival and adaptation, showing how each generation must find its own way of being both rooted and free.

Themes and Literary Devices

Cultural Identity and Belonging

Kali Fajardo-Anstine weaves the complex tapestry of Chicana identity throughout "Sabrina & Corina," exploring how characters navigate between multiple worlds and cultural expectations. The collection presents women and girls who are caught between their Mexican heritage and American upbringing, often feeling displaced in both spaces. This theme manifests most powerfully in stories like "Sabrina & Corina," where the titular characters struggle with their place in a predominantly white environment while maintaining connections to their Indigenous and Mexican roots.

The author employs code-switching as both a literary device and thematic element, seamlessly incorporating Spanish phrases and Chicano vernacular into the narrative voice. This linguistic blending reflects the characters' bicultural reality and serves as a form of resistance against cultural assimilation. In "Ghost Sickness," the protagonist's grandmother's use of traditional healing practices alongside modern medicine illustrates the tension between ancestral knowledge and contemporary American life.

Fajardo-Anstine's characters often find themselves defending their authenticity—too Mexican for some spaces, not Mexican enough for others. This in-betweenness creates a profound sense of longing and displacement that permeates the collection. The recurring motif of borders—both literal and metaphorical—emphasizes how these women exist in liminal spaces, constantly negotiating their identity across cultural boundaries.

The theme extends beyond individual identity to encompass community belonging. Many stories depict characters who have been separated from their cultural communities through economic displacement or family fragmentation, yet who carry their heritage within them through memory, language, and inherited wisdom passed down through generations of women.

Intergenerational Trauma and Healing

The collection masterfully explores how trauma travels through generations, particularly focusing on the ways women inherit and transform pain. Fajardo-Anstine presents trauma not as a linear narrative but as a cyclical force that shapes family dynamics across decades. In stories like "Cheesman Park," the protagonist confronts not only her own experiences of violence but also the unspoken traumas of her ancestors, suggesting that healing requires acknowledging historical wounds.

The author employs supernatural elements and magical realism to externalize psychological trauma, making the invisible visible. Ghosts and spirits frequently appear in the stories, representing unresolved grief and the persistence of memory. These spectral presences serve as metaphors for how the past continues to haunt the present, but they also offer possibilities for communication and reconciliation across generations.

Traditional healing practices feature prominently as counterpoints to modern therapeutic approaches. Characters often turn to their grandmothers' remedies, spiritual cleansings, and folk wisdom when conventional medicine fails to address their deepest wounds. This juxtaposition highlights the inadequacy of Western approaches to treating culturally specific trauma while celebrating Indigenous and Mexican healing traditions.

The theme of healing is deeply connected to storytelling itself. Many characters find solace in sharing their experiences, whether through formal testimony or informal conversation. Fajardo-Anstine suggests that the act of bearing witness—both speaking one's truth and being heard—is essential to breaking cycles of trauma and creating new possibilities for future generations.

Landscape and Place as Character

The American West functions as more than mere setting in "Sabrina & Corina"—it becomes a character in its own right, shaping the lives and identities of the collection's protagonists. Fajardo-Anstine's vivid descriptions of Colorado and the broader Southwest create a sense of place that is both beautiful and harsh, welcoming and exclusionary. The landscape mirrors the emotional terrain of her characters, reflecting their struggles with belonging and displacement.

The author uses environmental imagery to explore themes of colonization and cultural erasure. References to mining, development, and environmental destruction parallel the ways Indigenous and Mexican communities have been displaced and exploited. In several stories, characters express a deep connection to the land that predates American settlement, suggesting an ancestral claim that transcends legal ownership.

Desert imagery permeates the collection, with its associations of survival, endurance, and hidden beauty. Characters are often described in terms that echo the landscape—resilient like cacti, weathered like canyon walls, fierce like mountain storms. This technique creates an organic connection between people and place, suggesting that identity is rooted in geography as much as genealogy.

Urban and rural settings are carefully contrasted throughout the collection. Cities like Denver represent both opportunity and alienation, while rural areas embody tradition and limitation. Characters frequently move between these spaces, and their journeys often mirror internal transformations or returns to essential aspects of themselves.

Feminine Power and Solidarity

Fajardo-Anstine celebrates the strength and resilience of women while honestly depicting the challenges they face within patriarchal structures. The collection presents a spectrum of feminine experience, from young girls coming of age to elderly women reflecting on their lives. Throughout these varied perspectives, the author emphasizes the ways women support, protect, and empower one another, even in the face of systemic oppression.

The recurring motif of hair serves as a symbol of feminine power and cultural identity. In several stories, hair becomes a site of transformation, rebellion, or connection to ancestral traditions. Characters who cut their hair often do so as acts of defiance or self-determination, while those who maintain traditional styles honor their cultural heritage.

Mother-daughter relationships feature prominently, depicted with complexity and nuance. These relationships are sources of both conflict and strength, as mothers struggle to protect their daughters while daughters seek to forge their own paths. The author avoids sentimentality, presenting these bonds as complicated by generational differences, economic pressures, and cultural expectations.

Female friendship and chosen family structures provide alternatives to traditional kinship networks. Characters often find their strongest support systems among other women who share similar experiences of marginalization or displacement. These relationships demonstrate the possibility of creating new forms of community and belonging.

Economic Inequality and Class Struggle

The collection unflinchingly examines the economic realities faced by working-class Chicana families, revealing how poverty shapes every aspect of daily life. Fajardo-Anstine presents characters who work multiple jobs, navigate inadequate healthcare systems, and make impossible choices between competing necessities. The author avoids both romanticizing poverty and reducing her characters to their economic circumstances, instead showing how people maintain dignity and hope despite systemic inequalities.

Educational opportunities and limitations feature prominently as markers of class mobility. Several stories explore the promise and disappointment of education as a path to better circumstances. Characters who achieve academic success often find themselves caught between worlds, questioning whether advancement requires abandoning their communities and cultural identity.

The gentrification of traditionally Chicano neighborhoods serves as a backdrop for several stories, highlighting how economic development displaces communities and erases cultural history. Characters witness their neighborhoods transforming around them, often feeling powerless to resist changes that price them out of their ancestral homes.

Labor—both domestic and wage work—is depicted with respect and complexity. The author shows how women's work, particularly caregiving and household management, often goes unrecognized despite its essential nature. Characters take pride in their work while simultaneously struggling against exploitation and limited opportunities for advancement.

Critical Analysis

Narrative Structure and Storytelling Technique

Kali Fajardo-Anstine employs a masterful collection structure in "Sabrina & Corina" that creates a cohesive portrait of Latina identity across generations and geography. The eleven stories function both as independent narratives and as interconnected explorations of shared themes, creating what literary critics have termed a "story cycle" rather than a simple collection. This structural choice allows Fajardo-Anstine to examine the multifaceted nature of identity, belonging, and cultural preservation from multiple angles while maintaining narrative cohesion.

The author's use of varying narrative perspectives—from first-person intimate confessions to third-person omniscient observations—demonstrates remarkable versatility and serves the thematic content expertly. In stories like "Ghost Sickness," the first-person narration creates an immediacy that pulls readers into the protagonist's psychological state, while the third-person perspective in "Remedies" allows for a broader examination of family dynamics and cultural transmission. This technical flexibility enables Fajardo-Anstine to match form to content, choosing the narrative approach that best serves each story's emotional and thematic needs.

Particularly noteworthy is the author's handling of time and memory throughout the collection. Stories often employ non-linear structures that mirror the way memory and trauma operate in real life. The past intrudes upon the present, and generational experiences echo across decades. This temporal fluidity is especially evident in "Cheesman Park," where the narrative moves seamlessly between different time periods, creating a layered understanding of how historical trauma manifests in contemporary life. The technique reflects the Indigenous concept of circular time, where past, present, and future exist simultaneously, adding another layer of cultural authenticity to the work.

Fajardo-Anstine's dialogue deserves special recognition for its authenticity and cultural specificity. She captures the rhythms and patterns of speech that reflect her characters' diverse backgrounds without resorting to stereotypical representations. The code-switching between English and Spanish feels natural and purposeful, serving both to establish character authenticity and to highlight the linguistic complexity of bicultural existence. This attention to linguistic detail contributes significantly to the collection's overall verisimilitude and cultural resonance.

Representation of Latina Identity and Intersectionality

One of the most significant achievements of "Sabrina & Corina" is its nuanced portrayal of Latina identity that refuses to homogenize or oversimplify the diverse experiences within Latino communities. Fajardo-Anstine's characters represent a spectrum of backgrounds—Indigenous, Mexican, Chicana—and her stories explore how these different heritages intersect with class, gender, sexuality, and geography to create unique individual experiences. This intersectional approach aligns with contemporary feminist and critical race theory while remaining accessible to general readers.

The collection's treatment of colorism within Latino communities is particularly brave and important. In several stories, characters grapple with being too dark or too light, too Indigenous or not Indigenous enough, highlighting the complex racial hierarchies that exist within marginalized communities themselves. The story "Sabrina & Corina" explicitly addresses these tensions through the relationship between the two titular characters, whose different appearances affect their experiences and opportunities in profound ways.

"We were cousins, but we looked like we could be from different continents. Sabrina with her light eyes and soft hair, me with my darker skin and features that marked me as other in ways that mattered to the world, even if they shouldn't have mattered to us."

The author's exploration of gender roles within traditional Latino families provides another layer of intersectional analysis. Female characters navigate expectations of familial duty, traditional gender roles, and their own desires for autonomy and self-determination. Stories like "Remedies" examine how women serve as both preservers and prisoners of cultural tradition, while "Ghost Sickness" explores how trauma and mental health intersect with cultural expectations of feminine strength and endurance.

Fajardo-Anstine's inclusion of LGBTQ+ characters and themes adds crucial dimension to her portrayal of Latino communities. Rather than treating queer identity as separate from cultural identity, she shows how they intersect and sometimes conflict, creating authentic portrayals of characters who must navigate multiple forms of marginalization simultaneously. This representation is particularly significant given the historical underrepresentation of queer Latino voices in mainstream literature.

Historical Context and Cultural Preservation

The collection demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of how historical trauma and displacement continue to affect contemporary Latino communities in the American West. Fajardo-Anstine weaves historical context throughout her stories without resorting to heavy-handed exposition, instead allowing historical realities to emerge through character experiences and family narratives. This approach makes the historical content more emotionally resonant and personally meaningful for readers.

The stories frequently reference the long history of Latino presence in Colorado and the broader Southwest, challenging dominant narratives that position Latino communities as recent arrivals or outsiders. Through family stories and generational memories, Fajardo-Anstine establishes her characters' deep roots in the region, countering anti-immigrant rhetoric and historical erasure. The story "Cheesman Park" is particularly effective in this regard, revealing layers of Denver's hidden Latino history while connecting past and present experiences of displacement and marginalization.

Cultural preservation emerges as a central theme throughout the collection, with characters serving as keepers of family stories, traditional practices, and cultural knowledge. The author explores both the burden and the privilege of this role, showing how cultural transmission occurs through everyday interactions, family rituals, and storytelling traditions. In "Remedies," the grandmother figure embodies this preservation role, passing down both practical knowledge and cultural wisdom to younger generations who must decide what to preserve and what to adapt.

The collection also addresses the loss of cultural knowledge and the ways that assimilation and displacement interrupt cultural transmission. Characters often struggle with feeling disconnected from their heritage while simultaneously feeling responsible for preserving it. This tension reflects real experiences within immigrant and Indigenous communities, where the pressure to assimilate can conflict with the desire to maintain cultural identity and traditions.

Literary Merit and Contemporary Relevance

"Sabrina & Corina" represents a significant contribution to contemporary American literature, particularly within the growing body of Latino/a literary work. Fajardo-Anstine's technical skill as a writer is evident in her precise prose, well-developed characters, and sophisticated handling of complex themes. The collection demonstrates the maturity and craft that have established her as an important voice in contemporary fiction.

The book's literary merit is enhanced by its successful integration of social and political themes with compelling personal narratives. Fajardo-Anstine avoids the trap of didactic writing by grounding her social commentary in authentic character experiences and emotions. The stories work as literature first, with their political and cultural significance emerging naturally from the narrative content rather than being imposed upon it.

The collection's contemporary relevance is undeniable, addressing issues of immigration, cultural identity, and belonging that dominate current American political discourse. However, Fajardo-Anstine's approach transcends mere topicality by exploring the universal human experiences that underlie these contemporary issues. Themes of family, identity, loss, and resilience resonate across cultural boundaries while maintaining their specific cultural authenticity.

The book's critical reception and award recognition, including the American Book Award and inclusion in numerous "best of" lists, confirms its significance within contemporary literature. Literary critics have praised Fajardo-Anstine's ability to bring fresh perspective to familiar themes while introducing readers to underrepresented voices and experiences. The collection has been particularly noted for its contribution to the diversification of American literature and its authentic portrayal of Latino communities in the American West.

"These stories pulse with life and truth, offering readers a window into experiences that have been historically marginalized while creating universal connections through shared human emotions and struggles."

The lasting impact of "Sabrina & Corina" lies in its successful combination of literary excellence with cultural representation and social relevance. Fajardo-Anstine has created a work that serves multiple functions: preserving and celebrating Latino culture, challenging dominant narratives about American identity, and contributing to the ongoing diversification of American literature. The collection stands as both an artistic achievement and a cultural document, ensuring its continued relevance for future readers and scholars.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Sabrina & Corina about?

Sabrina & Corina is a collection of eleven interconnected short stories by Kali Fajardo-Anstine that explores the lives of Latina women across generations in the American West. The stories span from the early 1900s to the present day, following families as they navigate issues of identity, survival, and belonging. Set primarily in Colorado and New Mexico, the collection examines themes of displacement, cultural preservation, and the complex relationships between mothers and daughters. Each story stands alone while contributing to a larger narrative about Indigenous and Chicana experiences, revealing how historical trauma and resilience are passed down through generations of women.

Who are the main characters in Sabrina & Corina?

The collection features various protagonists across different time periods, with many characters connected through family lineages. Key figures include Luz, a young woman dealing with domestic violence in "Cheesman Park"; Maria Santos, a curandera (healer) in "Ghost Sickness"; and the titular characters Sabrina and Corina in "Sister Saints." Other significant characters include Simodecea, a pregnant teenager in "Tomi"; Dolores, grappling with her daughter's murder in "Julian"; and various mothers, daughters, and sisters who represent different generations of the same families. The characters are primarily Indigenous and Chicana women who face challenges related to poverty, violence, cultural identity, and the preservation of their heritage.

Is Sabrina & Corina based on a true story?

While Sabrina & Corina is a work of fiction, Fajardo-Anstine draws heavily from her own family history and the real experiences of Indigenous and Chicana communities in the American West. The author has stated that many stories were inspired by tales passed down through her family, particularly stories about her great-grandmother. The historical context, cultural practices, and social issues depicted in the collection reflect authentic experiences of displacement, discrimination, and survival faced by these communities. The characters and specific events are fictional, but they are grounded in historical realities and cultural truths that give the stories their emotional authenticity and power.

What is the setting of Sabrina & Corina?

The stories are primarily set in Colorado and New Mexico, spanning from the early 20th century to contemporary times. Specific locations include Denver neighborhoods like Cheesman Park and Westside, as well as rural areas of the Southwest. The geographic setting is crucial to the collection's themes, as it represents the traditional homeland of Indigenous peoples and the complex history of Mexican-American communities in the region. Fajardo-Anstine uses the landscape—from urban environments to desert and mountain settings—to reflect her characters' internal states and their connection to ancestral lands. The setting also highlights issues of gentrification, cultural erasure, and the ongoing struggle for belonging in places where families have lived for generations.

How are the stories in Sabrina & Corina connected?

The eleven stories are connected through shared family lineages, recurring characters, and intergenerational relationships that span over a century. Characters from one story often appear as relatives or ancestors in others, creating a family tree that readers can trace throughout the collection. For example, characters in earlier stories set in the 1900s are revealed to be great-grandmothers or ancestors of characters in contemporary stories. The connections are sometimes explicit, through shared surnames or direct references, and sometimes more subtle, through similar cultural practices, locations, or inherited trauma. This structure allows Fajardo-Anstine to explore how family stories, cultural knowledge, and both pain and strength are transmitted across generations.

Why do the characters in Sabrina & Corina struggle with identity?

The characters struggle with identity because they exist at the intersection of multiple cultures and face ongoing marginalization. As Indigenous and Chicana women, they navigate the complex legacy of colonization, which has resulted in cultural suppression and disconnection from ancestral traditions. Many characters are mixed-race and grapple with questions of belonging—too Indigenous for some spaces, not Indigenous enough for others. They face pressure to assimilate into mainstream American culture while trying to preserve their heritage. Economic displacement and gentrification further complicate their sense of place and belonging. Characters like Luz in "Cheesman Park" exemplify this struggle, as she tries to maintain her cultural identity while surviving in environments that don't always welcome or understand her background.

What motivates the female characters in these stories?

The female characters are primarily motivated by survival, protection of family, and preservation of cultural heritage. Many, like the protagonist in "Tomi," are driven by the need to escape abusive situations or poverty while maintaining connections to their communities. Maternal figures are often motivated by the desire to pass down cultural knowledge and protect their children from the traumas they themselves experienced. Characters like Maria Santos in "Ghost Sickness" are motivated by spiritual calling and the responsibility to heal their communities. Others are driven by the need to honor ancestors and maintain family stories, even when those stories include painful truths. The pursuit of agency and self-determination in the face of systemic oppression is a consistent motivating force across generations.

How do characters deal with trauma in Sabrina & Corina?

Characters employ various coping mechanisms to deal with trauma, often blending traditional healing practices with modern survival strategies. Some, like Maria Santos, turn to curanderismo (traditional healing) and spiritual practices to address both personal and community trauma. Others use storytelling as a way to process and preserve difficult family histories. Many characters find strength in female relationships and community support networks. Some cope through cultural practices like cooking traditional foods or maintaining family rituals. However, the collection also shows less healthy coping mechanisms, including silence, denial, and sometimes perpetuating cycles of abuse. The intergenerational nature of the stories reveals how trauma responses are passed down, but also how resilience and healing practices are transmitted through families.

What themes does Sabrina & Corina explore?

The collection explores themes of cultural identity, intergenerational trauma, and survival within marginalized communities. Central themes include the complexity of mestiza identity, the impact of colonization on Indigenous peoples, and the resilience of women facing systemic oppression. The stories examine how cultural knowledge and family trauma are transmitted across generations, as well as the tension between assimilation and cultural preservation. Themes of displacement—both physical and cultural—run throughout, as characters navigate gentrification, economic hardship, and loss of ancestral lands. The collection also explores themes of healing, community support, and the power of storytelling to preserve history and identity. Motherhood, in all its complexity, is another significant theme, examining both protective and destructive aspects of maternal relationships.

How does Sabrina & Corina address issues of race and ethnicity?

The collection directly confronts the complexities of mixed-race identity and the particular challenges faced by Indigenous and Chicana women. Fajardo-Anstine explores how characters navigate multiple racial categories and the ways racism manifests in their daily lives, from workplace discrimination to social exclusion. The stories address colorism within Latino communities and the pressure to appear more or less Indigenous depending on the situation. Characters often struggle with authenticity questions—being perceived as not "Mexican enough" or not "Indian enough" by different communities. The collection also examines how racial identity intersects with class, as many characters face economic marginalization tied to their ethnic background. Through specific incidents and character interactions, the stories reveal both overt racism and subtle forms of cultural erasure.

What role does place and landscape play in the stories?

Place and landscape function as both literal setting and symbolic representation of cultural identity and belonging in Sabrina & Corina. The American Southwest—particularly Colorado and New Mexico—serves as ancestral homeland for many characters, making their relationship to the land deeply personal and political. Fajardo-Anstine uses natural imagery to reflect characters' emotional states and spiritual connections to their heritage. Urban settings like Denver represent both opportunity and displacement, as gentrification pushes families from neighborhoods they've inhabited for generations. The contrast between city and rural environments often reflects characters' internal conflicts between modern life and traditional ways. Mountains, deserts, and rivers appear throughout as sources of strength and spiritual guidance, connecting characters to ancestors and cultural practices that predate colonization.

How does the book explore family dynamics?

The collection presents complex family dynamics shaped by trauma, cultural preservation, and survival strategies across generations. Mother-daughter relationships are particularly central, often characterized by both fierce protection and painful misunderstanding. Many stories show how mothers try to shield daughters from harsh realities while inadvertently passing down their own unresolved trauma. The collection explores how family secrets—including stories of violence, displacement, and loss—affect subsequent generations. Extended family networks, including grandmothers, aunts, and chosen family, provide crucial support systems. Fajardo-Anstine also examines how economic stress and cultural marginalization create additional pressure on family relationships. The stories reveal how families serve as both sources of strength and sites of conflict, as characters struggle to balance individual desires with family obligations and cultural expectations.

What is the significance of the title Sabrina & Corina?

The title refers to two characters in the story "Sister Saints," whose relationship embodies many of the collection's central themes about female friendship, survival, and cultural identity. Sabrina and Corina represent different approaches to navigating life as young Latina women—one more assimilated, one more connected to traditional culture. Their friendship illustrates the tensions between fitting into mainstream American society and maintaining cultural authenticity. The title also suggests the importance of female relationships throughout the collection, as women support each other through various challenges. By choosing these two names, Fajardo-Anstine emphasizes the personal, intimate nature of the larger historical and cultural forces she explores. The title reflects how individual relationships and personal choices are shaped by broader social and cultural contexts affecting entire communities.

How does Sabrina & Corina portray indigenous identity?

The collection portrays Indigenous identity as complex, multifaceted, and often complicated by historical trauma and cultural displacement. Characters struggle with questions of authenticity and belonging, particularly those who are mixed-race or disconnected from tribal communities. Fajardo-Anstine explores how colonization has disrupted traditional cultural transmission, leaving some characters with fragments of ancestral knowledge. The stories show both the pain of cultural loss and the resilience of Indigenous practices that survive despite attempts at erasure. Traditional healing practices, spiritual beliefs, and connection to the land remain important even for characters who appear assimilated. The collection avoids romanticizing Indigenous identity while honoring its significance in characters' lives. It presents Indigenous identity as living and evolving rather than static, showing how people adapt and maintain cultural connections across different historical periods and circumstances.

What literary techniques does Fajardo-Anstine use effectively?

Fajardo-Anstine employs several effective literary techniques, including non-linear storytelling that mirrors how family stories are actually shared across generations. She uses vivid sensory details, particularly related to food, landscape, and cultural practices, to create authentic atmosphere and emotional resonance. The author skillfully weaves Spanish and Indigenous words into English text, creating a natural bilingual narrative voice that reflects her characters' lived experiences. Magical realism appears subtly in stories like "Ghost Sickness," blending spiritual beliefs with realistic narratives. Fajardo-Anstine also uses recurring symbols and motifs—such as mountains, saints, and specific family recipes—to create connections between stories. Her dialogue captures distinct voices while revealing character relationships and cultural dynamics. The technique of revealing family connections gradually throughout the collection creates a sense of discovery that mirrors how people learn their own family histories.

How does the book address violence against women?

The collection directly addresses various forms of violence against women, from domestic abuse to systemic violence rooted in racism and poverty. Stories like "Cheesman Park" depict intimate partner violence, while others address the broader violence of cultural erasure and economic marginalization. Fajardo-Anstine shows how violence affects not just immediate victims but entire families and communities across generations. The stories explore both physical violence and psychological trauma, including the violence of being separated from cultural identity and ancestral lands. However, the collection balances these difficult realities with portrayals of resistance, healing, and survival. Women support each other through violent situations and work to break cycles of abuse. The author doesn't sensationalize violence but presents it as a harsh reality that characters must navigate while maintaining their humanity and cultural connections.

What makes Sabrina & Corina unique in contemporary literature?

Sabrina & Corina stands out for its authentic portrayal of Indigenous and Chicana experiences in the American West, a perspective often marginalized in mainstream literature. The collection's intergenerational structure, spanning over a century, allows for a unique exploration of how historical trauma and cultural knowledge are transmitted through families. Fajardo-Anstine's nuanced treatment of mixed-race identity and the complexity of mestiza experience offers depth rarely seen in contemporary fiction. The book's focus on women's relationships and survival strategies provides a distinctive feminist lens on these communities. The seamless integration of cultural practices, including curanderismo and traditional healing, into realistic narratives creates a unique narrative voice. Additionally, the collection's focus on the Mountain West as Indigenous homeland challenges common literary representations of the American West, offering perspectives rooted in pre-colonial history and ongoing Indigenous presence.

How does the book explore the concept of home?

The concept of home in Sabrina & Corina is complex and multifaceted, encompassing both physical place and cultural identity. For many characters, home is tied to ancestral lands in the Southwest, but this connection is complicated by displacement, gentrification, and economic necessity. Some characters find home in cultural practices and family relationships rather than specific locations. The collection explores how the meaning of home changes across generations—what feels like home to grandmothers may feel foreign to granddaughters, and vice versa. Stories show characters creating home through cooking traditional foods, maintaining spiritual practices, and preserving family stories. The book also examines how systemic forces like poverty and racism can make people strangers in their own homelands. Ultimately, Fajardo-Anstine suggests that home is something characters must actively create and maintain through cultural practices and community connections.

What is the historical context of Sabrina & Corina?

The collection spans from the early 1900s to the present, covering significant periods in Chicano and Indigenous history in the American Southwest. The historical context includes the Mexican Revolution's impact on migration patterns, the Great Depression's effects on marginalized communities, and mid-20th century civil rights movements. The stories reflect the historical reality of land dispossession, forced assimilation policies, and ongoing discrimination faced by Indigenous and Mexican-American communities. Post-World War II economic changes, including urbanization and the decline of traditional industries, form important background for several stories. More recent historical context includes gentrification of traditional neighborhoods and contemporary discussions about immigration and border policies. Fajardo-Anstine grounds her fictional narratives in real historical processes that have shaped these communities, showing how broader historical forces affect individual families and personal relationships across multiple generations.

How does Sabrina & Corina contribute to Chicana literature?

Sabrina & Corina makes significant contributions to Chicana literature by centering Indigenous identity within Chicana experience and exploring the complexity of mestiza identity across generations. The collection expands the geographical scope of Chicana literature beyond the Southwest borderlands to include the Mountain West, particularly Colorado. Fajardo-Anstine's focus on working-class women's experiences and survival strategies adds depth to representations of Chicana life. The book's intergenerational structure contributes to ongoing conversations in Chicana literature about cultural transmission and the evolution of identity over time. The integration of Indigenous spiritual practices and healing traditions enriches the cultural landscape of Chicana literary representation. The collection also contributes to discussions about colorism, authenticity, and belonging within Latino communities. By presenting characters who navigate multiple cultural identities, the book reflects the complex realities of contemporary Chicana experience while honoring historical struggles and cultural resilience.