... well-written and well-documented landmark study... " -Choice

This book raises important ideological and esthetic questions about the interpretation of artistic and cultural manifestations in a given society."-Hispanic American Historical Review

The present volume is provocative in direction and a refreshing addition to the extant literature on the Mexican corrido genre." -American Ethnologist

[Herrera-Sobek's] refreshing approach to analyzing masculine attitudes toward the feminine as expressed in the Mexican corrido is not only insightful but courageous." -Inez Cardozo-Freeman, Southern Folklore

... well-researched, insightful, clearly written, and well-illustrated study of a genre familiar in Hispanic culture." -Journal of the American Studies Association

... provides tantalizing insights into the inner workings and meanings of Mexico's favorite folk ballads..." -Journal of Third World Studies

Challenging the stereotypical view of the passive Mexican/Chicana woman of the archetype, the author examines the portrayal of female figures in over three thousand corridos or Mexican ballads and shows that in spite of long-dominant patriarchal ideology, the corridos reveal the presence of self-confident women throughout Mexican history. Included are a discography, a detailed bibliography of corrido collections, and several photographs of soldaderas from the internationally famous Augustin Casasola collection.