Check It. The Madonnas of Echo Park.

Books about L.A. are always interesting to read, because you know the landscape. In the case of The Madonnas of Echo Park, a time and a section of Los Angeles is being discussed that is a lot less familiar than the oft-documented Sunset Strip or Beverly Hills. As an Eastside resident for coming up on a year now, I picked up the novel to glimpse into a world I live very close to, but still don't know a whole lot about.

This is the life of illegal immigrants, people we rely on but overlook as actual members of the Los Angeles community. I've only just started the book, and from what I can tell it won't be as gritty and sad/depressing as El Norte, but powerful nonetheless. Set in the prime of Madonna's (yes, that Madonna) heyday, a group of young Latinas idolize her just as the rest of the young girls in the world did. MTV and pop culture is very important to the kids in this book, which creates a common ground for any reader who's been a schoolgirl or boy.

Author Brando Skyhorse will be signing the book at Vroman's in Pasadena on Tuesday June 15 at 7:00 p.m.

Vroman's Bookstore is located at 695 E. Colorado Blvd. in Pasadena.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: books.simonandschuster.com