Teresa Lamas Carísimo de Rodríguez Alcalá (1887 – 1976) was a Paraguayan author, writing primarily in the genre of costumbrismo. ^[1] Her book Tradiciones del hogar was the first novel written by a woman in Paraguay. ^{[2] [3]}

Biography

Lamas Carísimo was born in Asunción, Paraguay, in 1887, ^[4] although her birth year is sometimes reported as being 1889. ^[5] Her parents were Vicente Lamas and Clementina Carísimo, ^[5] members of the local colonial elite. ^[6] She received a public education ^[5] and began writing at a young age; in 1919, she won first prize in a national story-writing contest. ^[4]

She published Tradiciones del hogar, a collection of vignettes on family life and nationalist themes in the style known as costumbrista or tradición, in 1921. ^{[7] [8]} It was well received by the literary community ^[9] and was important to the country's national mythmaking after the Paraguayan War. ^[10] Tradiciones de hogar was followed with a second volume in 1928. She published two later works in the 1940s and '50s: Huerto de Odios and La casa y tu sombra. ^[4] She also contributed to various newspapers. ^[11]

Lamas Carísimo was also known for her philanthropic work; she co-founded the National Association of Charitable Dames, an anti- tuberculosis organization, in 1918 and was a member of the local Red Cross. ^{[5] [11]}

Selected works

• Tradiciones del hogar, Volume I (1921)
• Tradiciones del hogar, Volume II (1928)
• Huerto de Odios (1944)
• La casa y su sombra (1955)

References