What is Writing as Catharsis

This is the life story of the firstborn child of a young Puerto Rican couple who began their married life in Brooklyn, New York during the post-WWII years of the late 1940s. The child grew up in a home where two languages and cultures peacefully coexisted and provided the stage for successful bilingual development in Spanish and English. Over the years, her growing knowledge of these languages, their cultures, and far-reaching effects on the path to self-discovery and identity inculcated a deeply rooted love for both. The narrator shares many language and culturally enriching moments that took place at home, in church, in school, and in her social environment. In addition to narrating life story snapshots, the author includes poems she wrote that not only expand on the lived experiences, but also demonstrate the power of words during a quest for self-discovery.