Sirena selena vestida de pena
Santos-Febres won the 1996 Juan Rulfo prize for her short story  "Oso blanco" ("White Bear"), found in her collection, El cuerpo  correcto (The Correct Body, R & R Editoras). This is the  talented Puerto Rican writer's hilarious first novel about  drag-queen life in the Caribbean. The novel's charismatic  protagonist, Martha Divine, once made her living performing at  fabulous international gay clubs with girlfriends who dressed up  as Bianca Jagger and Margot Hemingway, among others. When she  discovers a young, effeminate boy with  the voice of an angel singing in the streets of San Juan, she  immediately becomes  his agent. Taking him to the Dominican Republic to perform at  its most elegant hotel and giving him his first waxing from head  to toe, she transforms him into the breathtaking and naughty  Sirena Selena, capable of seducing the straightest of men. The  novel, narrated by both Sirena and Martha, is written in the  sassy and charming voice of a Caribbean diva, peppered with  occasional Spanglish. It explores the nuanced layers of  sexuality and the notion of how makeup and costumes can bring  out one's hidden personalities. Recommended for a wide range of  bookstores and all public and academic libraries. [The English  translation, Sirena Selena, is available from  Picador. Ed.] Adriana Lopez, "Criticas.- Adriana Lopez, "Criticas"Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.