In A Dream Called Home, Reyna Grande continues the story of her immigration to the U.S. from Mexico, which began in her first memoir, The Distance Between Us. Having been in the States for many years, she becomes the first person in her family to attend college and fulfills her desire to become a writer. In this memoir, she shares stories of her family--particularly of her father and her Abuelita Chinta, who lived in the small town of Iguala, Mexico, her entire life--that encapsulate the isolation and longing Grande felt for a real home. She describes how she slowly found a community of fellow Hispanics in Santa Cruz, where she attended school, as well as instructors who valued her writing. She also joined a folklórico dance troupe that helped build her sense of pride in Latina heritage.
Being an immigrant was still difficult though, and she never felt completely at home. Moreover, returning to Mexico on visits, she discovered she was no longer considered a true Mexican, either. Family and friends looked at her differently, for being one of those who made it to "the other side." Grande's narrative gives readers an excellent first-person view of the struggles many immigrants face when they move to the U.S.--the difficulty of assimilating into a culture that does not readily embrace anyone who is not white. Grande's prose is poetic and expressive, and her story is timely and relevant. --Lee E. Cart, freelance writer and book reviewer