Writer and activist Eden Torres lays the groundwork for a new understanding of Chicana feminist thought in this rich and intelligent work. By approaching Chicana issues from the frames of feminism, social activism and cultural studies, and by considering both lived experiences and social research, she offers a more comprehensive understanding of current Chicana life. Through compelling prose and highly personal recollections, she candidly details her own life as a first-generation Mexican American -- the first person in her family to go to college, much less earn a doctorate degree and become a professor. In doing so, she brilliantly merges the two worlds of academic feminism and thebarrio, finding that in the fight for social justice each has something vital to offer the other. Torres offers an important new voice to Chicana studies and literature. For anyone wishing to understand the challenges American society poses for women of complex cultural heritages, this is a must read.