Kathleen Cross, Schooling Carmen

Schooling Carmen

Kathleen Cross

Avon, Oct 2004, $12.95, 341 pp.

ISBN: 0060936452

Drop dead gorgeous Carmen DuPre cannot understand why someone as beautiful and connected as she is has to work in the abominable Eastside of Los Angeles rather than the Westside where she feels she belongs. If daddy still lived, that "mistake" would never have occurred. Carmen struggles to breathe in a sea of Spanish-speaking Mexican-American students as a guidance counselor at Overton High School. Spelman never prepared her for these lowlifes.

Carmen is stunned when she learns that she has breast cancer that will require deforming her perfect figure. Since her looks are everything to Carmen, she leans towards doing nothing as she figures death is preferable to deformity. Mexican-American automobile mechanic Pedro Camacho works on Carmen's Lexus while trying to get through to this material girl that there is more to living than looks; he knows firsthand having lost his beloved son to cancer. Dedicated math teacher Eugene Timms also keeps her off balance, but he is a geek and she only goes with hunks for Carmen sees the world as SKIN DEEP, but if she does not obtain an epiphany soon she will see the world from underground.

In some ways, the tale wraps up too easily, yet fans will appreciate this powerful, vigorous look at what matters, which street corner philosopher Pedro knows is obvious yet so many fail to see it. Readers will appreciate the powerful cast, even the snobbery of Carmen as she struggles between disfigured living and being perfect until death. Well-written and fun to follow, the simplicity of SCHOOLING CARMEN makes for a deep read, reminding the audience to remember what really counts.

Harriet Klausner