The Smell of Old Lady Perfume

by Claudia Guadalupe Martinez

Claudia Guadalupe Martinez’s debut novel for young adults is a bittersweet story about death, family, and the resilient emotional strength of the human heart. Chela Gonzalez, the book’s narrator, is a nerd and a soccer player who can barely contain her excitement about starting the sixth grade. But nothing is as she imagined—her best friend turns on her to join the popular girls and they all act like Chela doesn’t exist. She buries herself in schoolwork and in the warm comfort of her family. To Chela, her family is like a solar system, with her father the sun and her mother, brothers, and sister like planets rotating all around him. It’s a small world, but it’s the only one she fits in. But that universe is threatened when her strong father has a stroke. Chela’s grandmother moves in to help the family. The smell of her old lady perfume invades the house. That smell is worse than Sundays. Sundays were sad, but they went just as sure as they came. Death was a whole other thing, and Chela doesn’t understand that’s what everyone is waiting for. In her grief and worry, Chela begins to discover herself and find her own strength. Claudia Guadalupe Martinez was born in El Paso, Texas. She learned that letters form words from reading the subtitles of old Westerns for her father. She went on to graduate from college and moved to Chicago to become one of the city’s youngest nonprofit executives.

Genres: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction, Fiction, Middle Grade, Childrens, Latinx, Contemporary

256 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 2008

About the author

Claudia is the award winning author of The Smell of Old Lady Perfume, Pig Park, Not A Bean, Spirit Untamed: Movie Novel, Still Dreaming, and several books for the educational market. She grew up in sunny El Paso (TX), but now lives and writes in Chicago.

Reviews

[Karla · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I could give this book ten stars, I would! This story resonated on so many levels for me personally. Chela Gonzalez is looking forward to 6th grade; but on the first day of school, her beloved Apá (father) has a stroke. Chela struggles to cope with the changes in their lives brought about by her father's illness, the changes in her relationships at school when she is ostracized by girls in her class, and the changes in her body as she begins puberty. Sprinkled throughout with references to the latin culture, this story of an immigrant family trying to make a life for themselves and a girl trying to grow up in the face of personal tragedy. Love, love, love this book!

[Suzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a straight-foward book about growing up that reads like a poem. The story shows the challeges you go through and how one kid overcomes them. I enjoyed it... I loved it! I definitely recomend people of all ages read it. It will make you cry. It wil make you laugh. Great read over all.

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I need to get into a book in the first few pages and this book caught my interest right away. It's emotional, and it makes you think about your childhood. It took me back and made me think about how simple and complicated things were all at once. Me encanto. I haven't liked a book that much since I was that age.

[Sarita · Rating 3 out of 5]

A simple, nice YA book. I read it to be able to see if it will work for my middle school dual language class. The language and themes are accessible and relatable.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. It is the story of Chela Gonzalez, 6th grader who endures the isolation of loosing her best friend to a clique. She remains on the outside of the group for most of that school year. All the while dealing with the sudden illness of her Apa` and trying to win the All-School Girl Trophy. The isolation makes studying hard an easy task, since none of the girls will speak to her at school.
There were a few editorial errors, which always bothers me, but the writing is nice and almost lyrical...
"We lounged around the house all day as we pleased, and with each passing hour, the ceiling dropped closer and closer. Eventually it was a house with a ceiling only two feet high so that even if we were free to do anything, there was no room or desire to move."
"So the days passed an nothing much changed, except that the air became thick with the smell of old lady perfume, of dying flowers and alcohol. It was the same smell from when my mom was sick with my little brother. It was the smell of bad things."
This is a book of hope in spite of circumstances. I really liked it!!!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has heart and honesty that you don't often find. The author, like the main character, lost her father at a young age, and I think it's brave of her to share that personal experience with young girls who might be going through the same thing and are feeling very alone.
Two things I really enjoyed about the book were that it explores Mexican culture, and not in a condescending way. And it talks about dealing with death. The books I read in junior high were very shallow by comparison and I would've enjoyed reading something a little more thought-provoking.

[Loraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chela faces the angst of sixth-grade as well as the loss of friends and a family member. This story would be a great pre-teen read especially for girls as they would easily identify with the trials and tribulations of growing up, loss, and being a survivor.

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book. Not everyone has as good a life as you might think it is. I will write more later.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautifully written coming-of-age story about a sixth grade girl dealing with the everyday trials and travails of tweendom and coping with the lost of her father. Honest, real, and poignant.

[Stargirlll · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book. Definitely warmed my heart and made me shed a tear or two ✨

[O. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The stories of our childhood are the ones that stick around for the majority of life and this book is no different. Chela’s story begins with the summer ending and the beginning of the 6th grade. She’s excited because she’s going to be in a different class with her best friend Nora and there nemesis Camila will be attending another school. The night before her Apa (father) guarantees to wake her and take her to school. The next day, Chela’s life is turned upside down. She must now navigate a new reality in a new grade, growing up and accepting that things ultimately change. This story is set in my home town of El Paso in one of the poorest neighborhoods in the country but the story is full of rich characters and all the things that come with being Mexican: puberty, church, relatives and working hard to make ends meet. A great read for anyone who loves coming of age stories.

[Alejandra RL · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tengo entendido que la autora incluyó elementos autobiográficos en la narración y esto ayudó a que Chela fuera creíble.

No considero que el libro sea malo, pues los niños odiosos, los señores que no le tienen mucha fe a la medicina moderna y que además son testarudos a más no poder siguen existiendo, también las mamás que fueron amas de casa por mucho tiempo y de repente tienen que incorporarse al mercado laboral.

Mi problema fue que este libro ya tiene unos trece años y ahora se cuestionan cosas como el acoso escolar y la masculinidad tóxica, que en esta historia son solo asuntos más.

En fin, que a pesar de todo agradezco que esté en español, para todos aquellos que quieran buscar historias de mexicanos viviendo en Estados Unidos y no tengan que sufrir porque el inglés no es lo suyo.

[Liliana Soltero · Rating 3 out of 5]

The central idea of the book is anything is possible with hard work. There are various examples of the central idea throughout the book. An aspect of the book that I liked was that I could relate to the book. I think many people will be able to relate to it because many people have experienced the death of a family member and struggles at school. An aspect of the book that I disliked was that it wasn't the most intriguing in the middle of the book so I would not rate it a 5. The only interesting part of the middle of the book was the death of the main characters father. Overall the book was okay so I would rate it a 3.

[Vicky Goad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book for young people. Very moving and interesting.

[Logan Alley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good young adult read.

[✧~grey~✧ · Rating 4 out of 5]

book itself was pretty good but i feel like the title could have been reinforced more throughout it...overall i think family relationships and friend trouble were written nicely

[Espie]

crying my heart out 😭

[David Gallin-Parisi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book taught me a lot about Texas, and the Mexican culture of Mexican Americans. The star of the show is Chela Gonzalez, who is just starting sixth grade when family tragedy occurs. Her father has a stroke. Chela's first days of school are delayed while he recovers. Later he suffers another stroke and suddenly dies.
This is a great book for tweens because it shows a life in transition, specifically life with a positive male father figure who passes away. Chela's dad is a source of strength for Chela. When Chela's Dad dies, people learns how to remember what he's taught, what he's worked all his life for, and how to cope with loss. One of the most painful and poignant descriptions suggests Chela's mom is having a terrible time with her husband's loss. "She didn't give into her heartache. Her silence was truly a desparate song of love."
Other transitions that occur include Chela's and other characters' bodies changing. She has her first period and uses humor to help articulate what is happening to her. Chela learns about bras from her older sister.
Mexican American culture is mixed into the book, and tells about foods, sayings, and traditions. For families in Texas - especially where I'm living in San Antonio, this may seem very familiar. For those who want a quick and insightful explanation about Mexican American culture, this is an excellent source. Spanish words are mixed with English. This book can easily teach readers to look up words they don't understand because the Spanish words aren't used too often. And Chela explains what most of them mean through descriptive observation. For example, Chela describes going to a church block party, where they eat elote, "White corn was exactly what I wanted - drowned in Valentina sauce, lime juice, and grated cheese." There are many ways to savor this book.

[Belle · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Smell of Old Lady Perfume is a own-voice narrative for middle grade children about young 11 year old Chela and the year her life changes. Chela’s family is very close and they happily reside in El Paso, TX. The four children are very loved by their parents who are very involved in their lives and are always encouraging their education because they were unable to have one. This is a wonderful story about first generation Mexican-Americans and Martinez throws in some really excellent lines about the feel a child has when they see themselves as Americans but also Mexicans.

Chela’s father has a stroke and her world changes, girls at school are very mean to her and Chela’s loneliness is palpable. I really loved this story, I loved the family dynamic, I loved how insightful Chela is about the adult themes happening around her. This is written in a way that is perfect for younger teens, it explores subjects such as menstruation, bullying and being different but above all, about accepting one self and accepting grief.

One of my favorite themes in this book is how close Chela is to her Apa, her father. She considers him her best friend and their scenes are heart-warming in their simplicity. I also enjoyed how her relationship with her older sister changes as they blossom into teenage-hood. A really lovely read, one can almost read it in one sitting because it’s not particularly long or overly complex. Note – if you do not enjoy child-narrators this would definitely not be for you.

[Kristin]

This was really a great book. It managed to be enjoyable to me as an adult (well written and atmospheric-- some phrases in the book are truly profound, worthy of great poetry), while still being concerned with all of the things that are important to 5th-6th grade girls. In fact, I had kind of forgotten what those things were, but reading this made me remember it all. That said, it was slightly outdated. I could tell that the milieu described predated even my adolescence in the late 90s-early 2000s. "Popular girls" really don't call themselves "popular" anymore, nor do they agree on what to wear together, and these characters' girl meannesses are bygone and by today's standards miniscule-- girl meanness has long since been replaced my something far more cruel and insidious, and much less straightforward and obvious. I would guess the author was thinking of adolescent dynamics somewhere between the 70s and early 90s. Even when I was in 5th grade around 1997, girl meanness was still based purely in jealousy as is timeless, but had a lot more seriously deranged stuff attached to it. I'm guessing girls today who have something that mean girls want (boobs, thinness, friends who are boys-- those will never change) have to deal with still worse, creepier forms of bullying. It seems only to snowball over time.
In any case, the story wasn't at all entirely about mean girls-- in fact it was MOSTLY about family, tradition, and surviving grief together.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wonder if this story is somewhat autobiographical. It felt very personal - in a good way. Highly recommended. Sorry if the review is a bit random in places. Trying hard not to spoil.

The story is told in the voice of Chela, the daughter of Mexican immigrants who is about to start 6th grade. She is excited about 6th grade, hoping to be popular. On the first day of school, everything changes. Her world becomes a little bit less safe, and she has to grow up more than her peers. Throughout the year, she struggles with friendships, being excluded and bullied (I so related to this part of the story) and learns to cope with the help of her father. She is a real Daddy's girl, which I also related to. Finally, she must learn to stand on her own and look ahead to the future with hope, remembering all she has been taught.

One of my favorite things about this story is Chela's family. They were a normal family, but very close. The family really was central to the story which added to the personal feel.

Quote:

That night the universe was dark, even with a sliver of moon and my small beam. I read until my heavy eyelids pulled me somewhere else. I was halfway finished when I carried it into the bathroom in the morning to brush my teeth. I walked with it in one hand and my toothbrush in the other. "Reading is good. That book can be your new best friend," Apa said.

[Flaky Genius · Rating 5 out of 5]

I fully expected that I would see Claudia Guadalupe Martinez again. A student of mine in El Paso, Claudia was scheduled to publish her full length work, My Aztec Princess, in our school's literary magazine, The Quetzal. That play was evidence of a rare poetic voice that displayed the personal significance of both her culture and her gender. It was my fault this early work was never published, but I knew that she would have many more opportunities. I always fancied that I would be perusing the shelves of a bookstore, looking as I usually do for anyone who isn't a white guy, and I would see her name on the cover--Claudia G. Martinez, just like she signed it in the student newspaper--but I'll take deciding to randomly google her name and getting the link to amazon. I am so incredibly happy. She's now the third genius student whose success I've been able to celebrate in the past two months. It's even better when you're celebrating the success of your favorites. I can't wait to read her.

(Claudia,
I actually finished your book a couple days after it arrived in the mail. It was beautiful. I savored your word choice. I am eagerly anticipating another.)

[Rita · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is told in the voice of a 6th grade girl, Chela, living a transborder experience in El Paso/Juarez. She is about to enter middle school and the unknown world of a new group of friends, new possibilities.
Chela is smart enough to qualify for an advanced course of classes. She is friends with one of the cutest boys in her grade. She speaks Spanish and English and flows from one to the other without thinking. Her family revolves around her father, a strong anchor for Chela. She shares the loneliness of a child shunned by the beautiful and popular girls, the betrayal of her childhood girlfriend, and the grief of losing her beloved father.
The voice of Chela is authentic. The chapters are brief but lure the reader to continue on to the next and the next and the next. I recommend this book for young adults, particularly to latino youth looking for themselves, their family, their identity in contemporary teen literature.

[Jestin (inbeTWEEN Books Blog) · Rating 4 out of 5]

To start off I think this book was fantastical! 'The Smell Of Old Lady Perfume' was a sad book as well as happy. Most of it was sad but the author Claudia Guadalupe Martinez used her special writing powers and put something happy in a few chapters. This book has some Spanish words and songs throughout the book, but repeats the same thing in English over again so any non Spanish speakers will understand the story. The author gave great details that you can actually picture in your mind and see without any confusion. Chela has a kind heart and is very strong when it comes to tragic things. Chela's friend Nora had left her to be in the popular group and ended up in the end coming to help Chela out. Chela wasn't lonely forever she finally was known for who she is and without trying to be different to fit in the popular group. In the end Chela is care free and happy at school.

[Sunday · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chela is going into sixth grade. Her father has a stroke. Chela's voice sounds like that of a young teen - facing the daily issues with peers, her feelings, her thoughts seem genuine for a character of this age. The author reveals beautiful details about the culture of this particular Latino family (El Paso, TX) that I was unfamiliar with - homemade cafe con leche, "Mary Service" - Catholic tradition of girls attending church after school and wearing a dress with a veil and putting daisies on the Virgencita's alter, Telenovelas - Cinderella stories like La Fiera, kermes - church block parties, coloring eggs and filling with confetti for Easter

[Ofilia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Many issues are tackled in this book: death of a parent, bullying, not fitting in culturally, loneliness and sibling rivalry. I had a hard time buying the relationship between the dad and the kids. It was all too perfect—he never got upset with them and they were never angry with him. Especially for the older twins who were 14, that seemed really unbelievable—almost too innocent and sweet. The plot is very predictable, which doesn’t make this book bad it just doesn't make it particularly enticing either. I think girls that like sad stories will like it.

[Medeia Sharif · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chela Gonzalez's father falls ill, the mean girls at school turn her into a pariah, and she experiences puberty. The title is derived from the smell she associates with the arrival of bad things—the scent of old lady perfume—and Chela does go through many bad things, but she overcomes them. Although Chela is an eleven-year-old in the sixth grade, this novel has the feel of a coming-of-age story. I found so much meaning in this book as I related to Chela’s struggles and triumphs regarding family, friendship, and Mexican-American culture.

[Brianna K · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Smell of Old Lady Perfume was a good book abou a girl who is very close to her dad, but then he whole life turns upside-down! Chela's dad has a stroke, but doesn't die. Chela has no idea what to do though. If you read this book you'll see what it's like to go through hard times. I recommend this book to anybody because it's not just for girls or about girls, but it's about a family who's world changes!

[Barbara Lovejoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did not remember that I had already read this book until I saw my previous review from almost 10 years ago!!! It was once again a delightful book, and I especially loved reading it in Spanish.

May 14, 2011: This is a delightful book. It is one we'll definitely want to put in our Esperanza school library as it is about a Hispanic family that many of our future students will be able to relate to.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Martinez totally nails being 11. This book brought me back in a way that spending 7 hours a day with 11-year-olds never has. I thought I remembered what it was like until I read this book and realized....I blocked out so much! The writing is poetic and it's...an emotional heavy-hitter. I'm so excited to read this in book clubs with students.