The Eternal Feminine

Recommended by Alejandra Vela Martínez, Assistant Professor of Romance languages and literatures (Spanish)

Technically, it’s a play — the subtitle even calls it a farce — but in reality, it’s somewhat unstageable, requiring a production of at least four hours.

I love the book because it journeys through different moments in Mexican history and highlights female figures, showing how they’ve been subjugated and the discussions that can arise from that. Plus, it’s the last book Rosario Castellanos wrote before her sudden death in 1974 while she was serving as ambassador to Israel. The book is fun, and you can start rereading it from any point since each part is fairly independent.