《芒果街上的小屋》 一本優美純凈的小書，一本“詩小說”。由幾十個短篇組成，語言清澈如流水，點綴著零落的韻腳和新奇的譬喻，如一首首長歌短調，各自成韻，又彼此鉤連，匯聚出一個清晰世界，各樣雜沓人生。所有的講述都歸于一個敘述中心：居住在芝加哥拉美移民社區芒果街上的女孩埃斯佩朗莎。生就對弱的同情心和對美的感覺力，她用清澈的眼打量周圍的世界，用美麗稚嫩的語言講述成長、滄桑、生命的美好與不易和年輕的熱望與夢想，夢想有一所自己的房子，夢想在寫作中追尋自我，獲得自由和幫助別人的能力。

A Smart Cookie
　　I could`ve been somebody,you know？ My mother says and sighs. She has lived in this city her whole life. She can speak two languages. She can sing an opera. She knows how to fix a T.V. But she doesn`t know which subway train to take to get downtown. I hold her hand very tight while we wait for the right train to arrive.

　　She used to draw when she had time. Now she draws with a needle and thread, little knotted rosebuds,tulips made of silk thread. Someday she would like to go to the ballet. Someday she would like to see a play. She borrows opera reconds from the public library and sings with velvety lungs powerful as morning glories.
　　　　　　　　
　　一個聰明人

　　我本來可以出人頭地的，你知道么？媽媽說著嘆了口氣。她一輩子都住在這個城市里。她會說兩種語言。她會唱歌劇。她知道怎么修理電視機。可她不知道坐哪條地鐵線去市中心。在等對的那趟車來的時候，我緊緊攥著她的手。

　　她過去有時間就常畫畫。現在她用針和線畫畫，編織的玫瑰花苞，絲繡的郁金香。有一天她想去看芭蕾。又一天她想去看戲。她從公共圖書館里借來了歌劇唱片，用醇厚的嗓音唱起來，歌聲像朝陽一樣蓬勃。