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A Cup of Water Under My Bed: A Memoir Hardcover – September 9, 2014
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Editorial Reviews
Review
“Warm and thoughtful, Hernández writes with cleareyed compassion about living, and redefining success, at the intersection of social, ethnic and racial difference. Personal storytelling at its most authentic and heartfelt.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Gorgeously written from start to finish.” —Boston Globe
“Journalist, feminist, and first-time memoirist Hernández presents a coming-of-age story that dives into the complexities of language, sexuality, and class. . . . An accessible, honest look at the often heart-wrenching effects of intergenerational tension on family ties.” —Booklist
“During a time in history when so much is said about women of color, working-class folks, immigrants, Latinas, poor people, and los depreciados but seldom from them, Hernández writes with honesty, intelligence, tenderness, and love. I bow deeply in admiration and gratitude.” —Sandra Cisneros, author of The House on Mango Street
“A striking and illuminating memoir of stark beauty that challenges our notions of identity and feminine power; absolutely riveting and unforgettable.” —Patricia Engel, author of It’s Not Love, It’s Just Paris
“Hernández writes with grace and clarity about the singular joys and unique pains of growing up in two worlds. . . . A marriage of power and poetry.” —Laila Lalami, author of Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits
“Hernández is a stone-cold truth teller, and her talent is eclipsed only by her fearlessness. If this debut is a sign of what’s to come, plan to have your heart and head broken wide open. Again and again.” —John Murillo, author of Up Jump the Boogie
“Gorgeously written from start to finish.” —Boston Globe
“Journalist, feminist, and first-time memoirist Hernández presents a coming-of-age story that dives into the complexities of language, sexuality, and class. . . . An accessible, honest look at the often heart-wrenching effects of intergenerational tension on family ties.” —Booklist
“During a time in history when so much is said about women of color, working-class folks, immigrants, Latinas, poor people, and los depreciados but seldom from them, Hernández writes with honesty, intelligence, tenderness, and love. I bow deeply in admiration and gratitude.” —Sandra Cisneros, author of The House on Mango Street
“A striking and illuminating memoir of stark beauty that challenges our notions of identity and feminine power; absolutely riveting and unforgettable.” —Patricia Engel, author of It’s Not Love, It’s Just Paris
“Hernández writes with grace and clarity about the singular joys and unique pains of growing up in two worlds. . . . A marriage of power and poetry.” —Laila Lalami, author of Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits
“Hernández is a stone-cold truth teller, and her talent is eclipsed only by her fearlessness. If this debut is a sign of what’s to come, plan to have your heart and head broken wide open. Again and again.” —John Murillo, author of Up Jump the Boogie
About the Author
Daisy Hernández is the coeditor of Colonize This! Young Women of Color on Today’s Feminism and the former editor of ColorLines magazine. She speaks at colleges and conferences about feminism, race, and media representations, and her writing has appeared in the New York Times, Ms. magazine, CultureStrike, In These Times, Bellingham Review, Fourth Genre, and Hunger Mountain, and on NPR’s All Things Considered.
More About the Author
Daisy Hernández grew up in Fairview, New Jersey in a Cuban-Colombian family. She's worked at the New York Times, Jenny Craigs, McDonald's, and ColorLines magazine (though not in that order) and has made home in Virginia, Florida, California, England, and the Upper East Side (though again not in that order). She is the author of "A Cup of Water Under My Bed: A Memoir" (Beacon Press, 2014) and coeditor of the anthology "Colonize This! Young Women of Color on Today's Feminism" (Seal Press, 2002). Her writing has appeared in the New York Times, the National Catholic Reporter, bitch magazine, Ms. magazine, the Christian Science Monitor, Fourth Genre, and Bellingham Review. A former editor of ColorLines magazine, she has an MFA in fiction from the University of Miami and an MA in Latin American Studies and Journalism from New York University.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
By
Miss Barbara
VINE VOICE on September 18, 2014
Format: Hardcover
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A Cup of Water Under My Bed by Daisy Hernandez is a memoir by an author of Cuban/Colombian heritage. Her stories center around family, namely her father, mother and many tias who shared her New Jersey neighborhood. Daisy grew to become a talented contributor to many feminist magazines and this is the story of how she reached that goal.
Daisy's mother was from Columbia and worked in a garment factory. Like many women of this culture she abdicated all of her identity to her Cuban, alcoholic husband. Dad followed the Santería religion and as such kept the talismans of the cult hidden all over the house. Daily was eventually introduced to the rituals but her first encounter was after a horrific beating at the hands of her father when she was only 4 years old. After the thrashing her father's Santera, his spiritual leader, shows up and tells Daisy that she must be a good girl and learn to be quiet around her father thus deflecting the blame onto the victim.
Daisy's writings as a journalist often reflect the theme of the differences between her mother's stories and her own. She laments that "You betray your parents if you don't become like them and you betray them if you do". The story, unfortunately, is disjointed with leaps from childhood to adulthood and then in-between. Some authors do this well but with Ms. Hernandez it was awkward and uncoordinated. I also found the insertions of Spanish words and phrases unnecessary and distracting - a little bit of that goes a long way.
This memoir is actual very endearing when Daisy is reminiscing about her family and culture but gets clumsy when she's talking about herself. Her sexual preferences that caused many problems with her family seem to be due mostly to the times and the culture.Read more ›
Daisy's mother was from Columbia and worked in a garment factory. Like many women of this culture she abdicated all of her identity to her Cuban, alcoholic husband. Dad followed the Santería religion and as such kept the talismans of the cult hidden all over the house. Daily was eventually introduced to the rituals but her first encounter was after a horrific beating at the hands of her father when she was only 4 years old. After the thrashing her father's Santera, his spiritual leader, shows up and tells Daisy that she must be a good girl and learn to be quiet around her father thus deflecting the blame onto the victim.
Daisy's writings as a journalist often reflect the theme of the differences between her mother's stories and her own. She laments that "You betray your parents if you don't become like them and you betray them if you do". The story, unfortunately, is disjointed with leaps from childhood to adulthood and then in-between. Some authors do this well but with Ms. Hernandez it was awkward and uncoordinated. I also found the insertions of Spanish words and phrases unnecessary and distracting - a little bit of that goes a long way.
This memoir is actual very endearing when Daisy is reminiscing about her family and culture but gets clumsy when she's talking about herself. Her sexual preferences that caused many problems with her family seem to be due mostly to the times and the culture.Read more ›
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By
Agatha Christie
TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE VOICE on August 27, 2014
Format: Hardcover
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A shorter than I expected memoir, considering this was written by a twenty something Cuban-Colombian woman I'm not certain what I was expecting. Something that might War and Peace in girth, perhaps?
This book is a coming of age story about life in America from the perspective of a Hispanic woman that centers on issues of race, faith, tradition, money, class, sex, and discovering and defining who you are and following your on path.The author along the way gets strong doses of well intentioned warnings and advice by way of her mother and aunts (tias) while she navigates her way through traditions and a world very different from the environment and family she was born into.
The curious book title relates to keeping a cup or glass of water under one'sbbed and dispersing the energy collected in it into the early morning's light. As I came to learn from this book, customs and superstitions are just the tip of the iceberg as Daisy comes learn as she forges on.
I liked this book because it was so very different from what I am used to. It gave me some perspective into what being a Hispanic woman in America means and the issues that face women of color and race in the marketplace and in society. Some of the synthesized language that merges the cultures were unfamiliar to me, but also reiterated the blending of cultures, opinions, and ideas.
This book is a coming of age story about life in America from the perspective of a Hispanic woman that centers on issues of race, faith, tradition, money, class, sex, and discovering and defining who you are and following your on path.The author along the way gets strong doses of well intentioned warnings and advice by way of her mother and aunts (tias) while she navigates her way through traditions and a world very different from the environment and family she was born into.
The curious book title relates to keeping a cup or glass of water under one'sbbed and dispersing the energy collected in it into the early morning's light. As I came to learn from this book, customs and superstitions are just the tip of the iceberg as Daisy comes learn as she forges on.
I liked this book because it was so very different from what I am used to. It gave me some perspective into what being a Hispanic woman in America means and the issues that face women of color and race in the marketplace and in society. Some of the synthesized language that merges the cultures were unfamiliar to me, but also reiterated the blending of cultures, opinions, and ideas.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By
E.B. Bristol
VINE VOICE on October 6, 2014
Format: Hardcover
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Daisy Hernandez's memoir "A Cup of Water Under My Bed" takes its title from the object used by her community (her parents are from Columbia and Cuba) to tell fortunes. Her culture and community was full of women who told stories, both their own and others, and Daisy would eventually major in creative writing and become a journalist for publications as diverse as "The New York Times" and "Ms." Her memoir is a candid and poignant (and non-linear) exploration of topics like feminism, queer culture, religion and racism.
The first section of the memoir is mostly about Hernandez's early life. Hernandez grew up in the eighties and attended Catholic schools as a youth. Her father was a factory worker, whose hours were often shifted around, and her mother worked as a seamstress in a factory, as well. As a child, Daisy was often called upon to translate for them to the bigger (and whiter) world. Both her parents believed in the value of education and encouraged Daisy in that direction, although there was also tension from the family's poverty and her father's physical abuse. Like many kids of that era, Daisy took some of her cues from sitcom characters, including Bill Cosby, and that shaped her future expectations of a desirable adulthood. While aspects of the "white" world attracted her, she also experienced conflicting emotions. As a young adult, she realized she was bisexual, and dealt with her family's reactions, which is written about in the second section. The last is about Hernandez's development as a writer and her internship at "The New York Times," post 9-11. Readers, like me, who believe the Times is a stronghold of political correctness, may be surprised at some of the encounters Hernandez relates in her book.Read more ›
The first section of the memoir is mostly about Hernandez's early life. Hernandez grew up in the eighties and attended Catholic schools as a youth. Her father was a factory worker, whose hours were often shifted around, and her mother worked as a seamstress in a factory, as well. As a child, Daisy was often called upon to translate for them to the bigger (and whiter) world. Both her parents believed in the value of education and encouraged Daisy in that direction, although there was also tension from the family's poverty and her father's physical abuse. Like many kids of that era, Daisy took some of her cues from sitcom characters, including Bill Cosby, and that shaped her future expectations of a desirable adulthood. While aspects of the "white" world attracted her, she also experienced conflicting emotions. As a young adult, she realized she was bisexual, and dealt with her family's reactions, which is written about in the second section. The last is about Hernandez's development as a writer and her internship at "The New York Times," post 9-11. Readers, like me, who believe the Times is a stronghold of political correctness, may be surprised at some of the encounters Hernandez relates in her book.Read more ›
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By
Wilhelmina Zeitgeist
VINE VOICE on September 1, 2014
Format: Hardcover
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"A Cup of Water Under My Bed: A Memoir" by Daisy Hernandez is a well written, candid memoir of her life and struggles with identity, fitting in while staying an individual, and so on whether immigrating to a new country and not speaking the language or discovering your sexuality but among those you love and care for, it's like you've crossed into a strange land where the inhabitants don't speak the language.
This is a book about reaching out, sharing, and it's about the love and importance of family.
I found this book to have excellent flow. The words were written from the author's heart and told a beautiful story of her life; the happy times, the confusing time, the frightening times, the times of joy and celebration. Everyone finds themselves in a place when they are young searching for their identity. It may or may not be their sexual identity, it may be what they are driven to do in their life vs what their family wants them to do. It may be moving to a new town where the people behave, dress, or speak a little differently and not knowing if you fit in there. Identity encompasses so many things we experience in life and we all struggle to be understood.
A heartfelt book that I truly enjoyed and embraced.
This is a book about reaching out, sharing, and it's about the love and importance of family.
I found this book to have excellent flow. The words were written from the author's heart and told a beautiful story of her life; the happy times, the confusing time, the frightening times, the times of joy and celebration. Everyone finds themselves in a place when they are young searching for their identity. It may or may not be their sexual identity, it may be what they are driven to do in their life vs what their family wants them to do. It may be moving to a new town where the people behave, dress, or speak a little differently and not knowing if you fit in there. Identity encompasses so many things we experience in life and we all struggle to be understood.
A heartfelt book that I truly enjoyed and embraced.
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