Sirena Selena vestida de pena

_Sirena Selena vestida de pena_ (2000) by Mayra Santos-Febres (b. 1966) is a powerful and original novel that navigates the complexities of identity, gender, and postcolonial performance in the Caribbean. Edited by Debra A. Castillo, the novel narrates the adventures of the title’s hero/heroine, Sirena Selena, and their mentor, Miss Martha Divine. Together, they bring Puerto Rican glamour to the Dominican Republic with their transformative drag performances.

At its heart, Sirena Selena explores the enigma of seduction, which is both beautiful and monstrous, blurring the lines between truth and reality. The protagonist is a former child drug addict from Puerto Rico, endowed with an extraordinary voice, who is “recreated” by Miss Martha Divine into **Sirena Selena**, a Caribbean drag diva specializing in bolero songs. The novel delves into the tragic awareness of **Sirena Selena** that her allure stems from the perfection of her performance, yet she simultaneously grapples with the understanding that this gender identity is both essentially hers and a meticulously constructed act.

Santos-Febres enriches the narrative with intertextual references to classical myths (like Homeric sirens) and Caribbean musical traditions (the bolero), alongside a sharp critique of modern societal expectations. The work is a multi-layered exploration of the body, race, and gender as sites of political and personal struggle. This edition, enhanced by Professor Castillo’s prologue and notes, illuminates the mechanisms through which Santos-Febres crafts a compelling and thought-provoking narrative, making Sirena Selena a vital text in contemporary Latin American literature.