Fiction. Latino/Latina Studies. CHOLA is a captivating novel where everyday life, drama, and tragedy blend in a masterful narrative. Angelica, the protagonist, typifies a chola, a name designated for a young resident of the Mexican-American quarters, el barrio. She is trapped in a cultural triangle of old-world Mexican customs, barrio street codes, and the rules and regulations of mainstream America. Impelled by perverse circumstances, Angelica is forced to make serious decisions that no 18-year-old girl should face. She tells her harrowing story from a jail cell where she is waiting to stand trial for the murder of her mother's ex-boyfriend.