In Dolor y Alegria (Sorrow and Joy), fifteen mothers, grandmothers, and great grandmothers in the Mexican city of Cuernavaca speak about the dramatic effects that urbanization and rapid social change have had on their lives. Sarah LeVine deftly combines these autobiographical vignettes with ethnographic material, survey findings, and her own observations. The result is a vivid picture of contrast and continuity.
While many earlier publications have focused on the poor of Latin America who live at the margins of urban life, Dolor y Alegria explores the experiences of ordinary...