To Selena, With Love Review

By Celeste Daniels

Hello, audacious readers!

The flowers are in full bloom so it seems right that we give a few away. Last month, we discovered the legacy of Bella da Costa Green, one of the most prestigious black librarians, in The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray. This month, we’re celebrating the life and love of Selena Quintanilla Perez in the biography To Selena, With Love by Chris Perez.

In the world of Tejano music, Selena was a phenom. Lead singer of the band Selena y Los Dinos, she would have unprecedented success, including multiple awards and one of the best-selling Latin albums of all time, before her untimely death at 23 years old. And while she was undoubtably a musical icon, in her personal life, she wanted much more.

When Chris Perez met Selena at 18, Chris is more focused on the music than the singer but the two quickly became friends. Eventually, it led to a kiss on their tour bus and a confession of their feelings. Knowing her father would not approve of the relationship, they would date in secret for over a year before Selena’s father, Abraham, finds out and kicks Chris out of the band. He threatened Selena with disbandment should she continue to see Chris, and this pushes the two to elope at 20 years old. They would stay married until her death in 1995.

For Selena and Chris, love was far from easy. They juggled parental disapproval, the rising success of their musical careers as well as trying to balance other business ventures and growing pains of being married young. But this heartfelt biography shows that it was love worth fighting for.

Like the title implies, this story is a love letter from Chris to Selena, focusing on Selena the person over Selena the artist. We also finally got to know more about Chris and his background. Often, it feels like Chris is relegated as the mysterious guitarist that becomes a good person through Selena, but this gives us a better understanding of not only who he is but why she fell in love with him.

Chris is steady and consistent, a source of calm in the chaos that often comes with the life of a musician. He's a perfect juxtaposition to Selena, who is confident, goofy, and much more willing to be vulnerable. She pushed Chris to be more open about his feelings with his loved ones and have a little more fun in life.

Of course, things weren’t always picturesque. They struggled to find balance between touring, recording, and being a couple. They also faced a challenge of separating themselves from her family, who could be overbearing with their presence in their marriage. He didn’t always love her impulsiveness, and she didn’t like him wanting to distance himself career-wise.  

Yet, at the end of the day, there was always love. They always made each other a priority, ready to hold onto each other than pull away. Were it not for her murder, I could see them having a marriage we gushed about standing the test of time.

It has been 30 years since Selena died but she’s still in the hearts of many—and for good reason. She was talented, beautiful, and authentic in a way most struggle with. Even Chris says the person she was in public was the same person she was in private. She fought for what she wanted, and Chris loved her just as fiercely. They parted for nothing less than death and still love each other beyond it (read the first chapter and this will make sense). So, their story may not have a perfect ending but it was real, and that can make it just as worthy of remembrance.

I hope you enjoyed To Selena, With Love! Feel free to comment your thoughts below and make sure to check out April’s read, coming tomorrow. Also make sure to check an upcoming project from me and Audacity’s founder, Jessica Wise, The Bridge Club. It’s a one-act play coming to Atlanta in May! Until next time, don’t forget to read audaciously!