Background
She was born in Santiago, Chile.
She was born in Santiago, Chile.
She first wrote Louisiana Brecha (“Breakthrough”) in 1961, which is considered to be a landmark feminist Latin-American novel. “Breakthrough” is a novel that ends with the heroine"s awareness that she didn’t really need to depend upon a man in order to lead a fulfilling life. The book enjoyed an unexpected publishing success and went through five consecutive editions.
Mercedes Valdivieso had the extreme audacity to become an innovator.
She bridged the gap between romantic and domestic fiction in a society where women have been viewed as a sexless gender, icons of virtue, and depending on men to meet the necessities of life. She taught literature at the University of Peking, at the University of Houston, at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches,at University of Saint Thomas in Houston and she was a Professor Emeritus at Rice University.
This novel caused dismay from the reactionary segment of society and loud applause from the critics and is considered a revolutionary departure from the traditional treatment of the feminine role in marriage.