Ángeles Mastretta facts for kids

Ángeles Mastretta (born October 9, 1949, in Puebla, Mexico) is a famous Mexican writer, journalist, actress, and film producer. She is known for writing exciting stories with strong female characters. Her books often show the social and political life of Mexico. She has won important awards like the Rómulo Gallegos Prize and the Mazatlán Prize for Literature. Her popular book, Arráncame la vida (Tear This Heart Out), was even made into a movie that won an Ariel Award in Mexico.

Becoming a Writer

Ángeles Mastretta started her writing journey as a journalist. She wrote for a Mexican magazine called Siete and a newspaper called Ovaciones. She says her father, who was also a journalist, inspired her to become a writer. Even though her father passed away when she was young, she followed in his footsteps. Later, she married another writer, Héctor Aguilar Camín.

Her Amazing Career

In 1974, Ángeles Mastretta received a special scholarship. This allowed her to attend the Mexican Writers' Center. There, she worked on her writing skills with other famous authors. In 1978, her first collection of poems, La pájara pinta (The Colorful Bird), was published.

Mastretta really wanted to write a novel. An editor offered to support her for six months so she could focus only on writing. She took this chance and worked on her novel, Arráncame la vida (Tear This Heart Out). When it came out in 1985, it was a huge hit! It even won the Mazatlán Prize for Literature for Best Book of the Year.

Arráncame la vida became very popular in Mexico and other countries. This success allowed Mastretta to write more fiction. A movie based on the novel, called Tear This Heart Out, was released in 2008.

In 1996, Mastretta won the prestigious Rómulo Gallegos Prize for her novel, Mal de Amores (Lovesick). She was the first woman in Latin America to receive this award!

When her baby daughter became ill, Mastretta stayed by her side in the hospital. She started telling stories about the interesting women in her family. These women "decided their own destinies." These stories became her book, Mujeres de ojos grandes (Women with Big Eyes), published in 1990. She wanted to save these important family stories for the future.

Mastretta has also worked in movies. She was an actress and a producer for the short film Tabacotla in 2008. That same year, she worked on the film based on her novel, Tear This Heart Out. This movie won six awards! In 2009, she won an Ariel Award in Mexico for Best Screenplay Adapted from Another Source.

Even though journalism is not her main job anymore, Mastretta still writes. She contributes to the newspaper El País and the magazine NEXOS. Her husband, Héctor Aguilar Camín, founded NEXOS.

Tear This Heart Out

Tear This Heart Out was the first of Mastretta's books to be translated into English. The story follows a character named Catalina Guzman. It takes place in Puebla, Mexico, the city where Mastretta was born. Mastretta used her own childhood memories of Puebla to create the setting.

The book is set during and after the Mexican Revolution. It shows Catalina's challenging life married to a political leader. This leader is involved in many political conflicts. Mastretta highlights the political struggles of that time. She also shows how women often faced unfair rules in Mexican society. Catalina's character becomes a strong woman who stands up against these challenges. This book set the stage for Mastretta's future stories with powerful female main characters.

Lovesick

Published in 1996, Lovesick is another important novel by Mastretta. Like Tear This Heart Out, it is set in Puebla, Mexico. It also takes place during the Mexican Revolution. The main character, Emilia Suari, is a strong and independent woman. She is the kind of character Mastretta is famous for creating. In this book, Mastretta again explores the social and political issues of Mexico during that time. Emilia helps the rebels as a healer and later becomes a doctor.

Works

Novels

• Arráncame la vida (Tear This Heart) (1985)
• Mal de Amores (Lovesick) (1996)
• Ninguna eternidad como la mía (No Eternity Like Mine) (1999)

Short stories

• Mujeres de ojos grandes (Women with Big Eyes) (1985)
• Maridos (Husbands) (2007)
• “El viento de las horas” (2015)

Memoirs

• Puerto libre (Free port) (1993)
• El mundo iluminado (The Illuminated World) (1998)
• El cielo de los leones (2003)
• La emoción de las cosas (2012)

Filmography

• Tabacotla (2008), played the role of Véronica
• Tear This Heart Out (2009), executive producer
• Hecho en México (2012), appeared as herself

See also

In Spanish: Ángeles Mastretta para niños