Sandra Cisneros's House on Mango Street was one of the first texts to provoke a conscious response in me as a young writer of seventeen. I could relate to Esperanza's themes of confinement and liberation as she and other characters tried on the roles of womanhood while living in a house with windows "so small you'd think they were holding their breath." Navigating the longings and betrayals of a young life, I tried to emulate the lyrical prose and deceptive simplicity of a girl's poetic ruminations on discovering herself.Perhaps the most influential memoir I've read is Julia Scheeres's Jesus Land, a tribute to her close relationship with her adopted brother as they dealt with racism, reform school and a religiously fanatical family. Her scenes are cinematic, rich in character and dialog. I've rarely grieved a character so. Her book is a testament to resiliency, and breaking from the shadows of silence by telling true stories.
