PILSEN — A Pilsen book club that started with a Facebook post has quickly grown into a community where women feel supported, empowered and safe, its founders said.
Las Chicas de Pilsen meets monthly for participants to discuss Latina-authored books. Meetings are free — and they’re growing increasingly popular.
“What I love about this book club is it’s like our unofficial therapy session where people have laughed and cried,” said co-founder Sylvia Sanchez. “In every book, there have been things that really tug at our heart and our cultural beliefs and cultural stigmas we want to break.”
The book club, now nearing its eight-month anniversary, started after Sanchez, 48, posted in a Facebook neighborhood group. Sanchez asked if other Pilsen women would want to meet and discuss a book her therapist suggested reading — which Sanchez had no interest in, she said.
“I figured I’d try it, but I also knew I needed to be held accountable,” she said.
Lily Valdez, 34, and Jess Schutz, 39, joined one of the first meetups at Mi Corazon Cafe in Pilsen, before the book club had an official name. When they met Sanchez, the three immediately started having deep conversations about the book “I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter” by Chicago author Erika Sánchez.
“We were all very emotional talking about this book because we could all relate to it. Even as adults now, a lot of things hit so close to home,” Valdez said.
Since then, the three women have co-organized monthly meetings, which now attract about 35 people per event, Valdez said. The book club is free and open to women and anyone who identifies as a woman.
Together, they have chosen books by Latina authors that touch on important topics and are relevant across generations and backgrounds.
“These are book about Latinas and breaking barriers and things that are very important to us or things we weren’t taught about when we were younger,” Valdez said.
Sylvia Sanchez, Jess Schutz and Lily Valdez, co-founders of Las Chicas de Pilsen book club pose on the day they met at Mi Corazon Cafe, 1636 W. 18th St. Credit: Provided
While Schutz is second-generation Salvadoran, she could relate to gender dynamics, machismo and marianismo explored in “I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter,” she said.
“When I read that book, I saw my mother and her life,” she said. “It really opened my eyes.”
Schutz, an avid reader, has already read many of the books the club has discussed, and she’s suggested them to promote positive and thoughtful discussions, she said. “The Pain We Carry” by Natalie Y. Gutierrez was selected for October to coincide with National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Valdez said.
Together, the founders have found spaces where they can host the meetings as attendance has increased, including 18th Street Casa de Cultura. In the next months, they plan to host more book clubs at the neighborhood library, highlighting all it has to offer, Schutz said.
Participants pose at a monthly book club organized by Las Chicas de Pilsen, a local book club. Credit: Provided
The group has also partnered with local businesses and added a community engagement component.
Last month, Pilates instructor Alyssa Perez and chef Manny Mendoza collaborated on an event featuring Pilates, a healthy snacks demo and a discussion of “The Latina Anti-Diet” by author Dalina Soto.
For the September meetup, Las Chicas de Pilsen is collecting school supplies that will be donated to a local teacher.
As the trio of Pilsen women has grown the book club, they have formed an unexpected, multigenerational friendship.
Sanchez has found a community who supports her mental health and sobriety journey and a new group of friends after her divorce, she said. Schutz, who moved to Pilsen last year hoping to connect with her Latino heritage, has found “a beautiful community of honesty, integrity and power,” she said.
Meanwhile, Valdez found a group of friends with whom she can have conversations about “hard topics” and get honest advice, something that feels “like a warm hug,” she said.
Some of the book club meetups have taken place after important personal events, reminding each participant they are not alone and providing a space to talk and reflect, Valdez said.
Ultimately, Sanchez, Valdez and Schutz take pride in creating a community where women feel safe, are willing to share their perspectives and are open and respectful of other views, they said.
The book club is “free flowing,” and participants are welcome to read or listen to the book, read half of the book, show up with friends or by themselves — or even come in their pajamas if they need to, Sanchez said.
“No judgment,” she said. “All that matters, sometimes, is you showing up for yourself.”
For more information, visit Las Chicas de Pilsen’s Instagram and Facebook.
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