To Selena, With Love

I remember my mother trying to keep me from watching coverage of Selena's murder when I was a kid, just as “I Could Fall in Love” was released. I've always had a bit of a fascination with her music and her story, and I'm really glad to have read a memoir focused primarily on her early years, not just her murder.

“Not many people on this Earth get to feel what we did. Our love for each other went even more deeply than the bonds of marriage.” (132)

Summary
Chris Perez pours his heart out in this incredible collection of stories that wind together to tell the bigger picture of who Selena was. She was more than an entertainer that everyone loved, she was an everyday person who enjoyed fast cars, walking barefoot on the sidewalk to feel the heat warming her feet, and who dreamed of having five kids with a man she loved; growing old with him on a 10-acre land that housed their horses and other animals. This book is a love letter to Selena, diving into who Selena was and all the things about her that made her the person that everyone loved, especially Chris.

Final Thoughts
I read “To Selena, With Love” on my Kindle, but I plan to buy it on hardcover because I loved it so much. If you're looking for a story that details Selena's rise to fame, you'll be better off reading a biography. This book is dedicated to Selena, and while it touches on her as a rising star — it's the love story that makes this book unique. I loved reading about the love that blossomed between Chris and Selena, my heart aches for their love ending so soon. May Selena forever rest in peace.

“Selena represented the idea that it is possible to go places that most of us only dream about. Selena, I'm still dreaming of you.” (290)