Te quedan lindas las trenzas
Patricia Severín


Te quedan lindas las trenzas is the latest novel by Argentine writer Patricia Severín, recently published by Pro Latina Press of New York. Set in the sixties, the novel innovates in the genre of childhood memories and recounts the experiences of a girl in three different houses: that of her parents, where she lives with her brothers, that of Luisa, her country grandmother, and that of Elbia, her city grandmother. Lina, the protagonist, observes with amazement situations that show how different the women who govern each household are and recreates a time of historical importance for the countryside and for her family. In a tapestry of wishes, Lina will learn from each house what will form her as an adult. Her adventures go from mischief to tragedy showing a family in permanent tension: the immigrant grandparents who work tirelessly, the grandmother overwhelmed by keeping up appearances and by a family secret that haunts her, the mother exhausted by taking care of the house while trapped in an unhappy marriage; all seen from the perspective of a girl who does not understand what is happening but observes. Without the drama of other books in the genre, the charm of Te quedan lindas las trenzas lies in the recognizable character and familiar landscapes that bring the reader closer not only to Lina but to childhood memories. 

Severín chose the girl's point of view, narrating in an immediate present with a voice that develops throughout the story, accompanied by an alternative narrative voice articulated in the second person. Another interesting aspect of the book is the inclusion of illustrations, uncommon in adult literature: children's drawings, in addition to being linearly related, add warmth to the story.
The question that seems to have guided Severín is what happens to a girl who receives mixed messages about family, good, and evil. Can a person carry in her or himself two worlds? The braids are the leitmotif of the story: the girl insists on styling her hair that way and the grandmothers want to cut them, but in her desire to keep them an unwavering will starts to emerge that will oppose not only the wishes of others but the entire world. That part in the middle that separates her hair in two speaks of the power that she exercises over her body and her destiny. Although Lina's life will take an unexpected course and she will move away from her homeland, she will probably never distance herself from those early years between the country and the city. Concluding that it may be as Rilke says in the epigraph of the novel: "La única patria que tiene el hombre es la infancia."
Patricia Severín was born in Rafaela and resides in the city of Santa Fé, Argentina. She is a poet, storyteller, and editor. Among her books of poems, Poemas con bichos and Eclipses familiares stand out. She is the author of the short story collections Las líneas de la mano, Solo de amor, Helada negra, and Mamá quiere ver las rosas and the novels Salir de cacería and La Tigra. Te quedan lindas las trenzas is her third novel. 

Te quedan lindas las trenzas (2021) was published by Pro Latina Press of New York. Click here to purchase. ​
Reviewed by
Susana Ibáñez
10/5/2021
Susana Ibáñez is a writer and literary critic. She has a PhD in Comparative Literature and Cultures from the Universidad Nacional of Córdoba. She lives in Argentina where she teaches English Language and Literature and teaches creative writing workshops.
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