Author:   Bertrand, Diane Gonzalez
Title:   Sweet fifteen
Publisher:  Arte Publico Press   Publication Date:  1995
Pages:   296
Paper price: $8.95    ISBN:  155885133x
Type: Fiction      Grade level(s): 9 and up
Translation notes:  not a translation

Reviewer:  Nancy Rupp, Milpitas Public Library
Comments:
When Stephanie’s father dies suddenly, she really is not interested in having a quinceanera, the Hispanic celebration that welcomes young women to adulthood, but her older brother and mother are insistent that she have one because that is what her father wanted.  Rita, the dressmaker hired to make her dress, becomes very close to Stephanie, and helps her and her mother learn how to make compromises and respect the real tradition and meaning behind the celebration.

While the quinceanera is the frame on which this novel is shaped, it is the characters who provide the story.  Rita, an independent woman with great respect for her culture and her family, grapples with the ups and downs of owning her own business, while quietly supporting Stephanie.  Rita falls in love with Stephanie’s older brother Brian, and much of the interaction occurs between them.  This would probably appeal to mature teens who identify with Rita.  Unfortunately, the cover is pink lace, which looks very dated.  Recommended with reservations.