Mary Helen Ponce (née Merrihelen) is at the forefront of Chicano literature as one of its most prolific narrative writers. In addition to three books, she has published numerous articles and short stories in English and Spanish. Born and raised in the San Fernando Valley, she grew up among first-and second-generation Mexicans who in the 1940s adopted Southern California as their home. It is this era she has decided particularly to document in the course of her writing. Ponce tends to present everyday experiences and rituals in a simple manner, and likewise allows her characters to reveal themselves without excessive detail. As she develops her stories, she explores such issues as bilingualism, biculturalism, and acculturation. Ponce shares her perception of life in the San Fernando Valley in the following excerpt taken from an unpublished story:

We feared few things in the barrio. We knew everyone; everyone...