Member Review

Aida- This was a strong and emotional start to the collection. A missing twin starts to unravel the family. There is no resolution, but the writing was impactful.

Fausto- I actually enjoyed this story because what began as young adults who get talked into drug running because there is not much to do in their town ends up a whole other way.

The Book of Saints - This story has two narrative voices. One is a woman who signs up to get married to a stranger just to move abroad, and the man has his own agenda. Both agendas are simple and uncomplicated in their own way. Although it is not a completely happy tale, it is different.

Campoamor - This was a standard story of a man-boy with time on his hands who is two-timing. It was not fun to read, mostly because of the way the characters came across-maybe which means the author did a good job.

Guapa - Woman keeps having work done on herself to attract a younger man until the very thing she is working towards lands her in a very sad situation. This story almost felt like the older ones with a moral to close things up.

La Ruta - A taxi driver dissatisfied with his life is attracted to a woman who is doing a tour of all the churches, praying for a chance to move to the US. Nothing actually happens by the time the story wraps up, but does a lot to show the situation in the country and people's lives.

Ramiro - Two young adults are under the care of the church to curtail their errant behaviour. One is more likeable than the other, but a positive spin on troubled lives (in some ways).

The Bones of Cristóbal Colón - A sister thinks about her life as she has to find a final resting place for her brother's bones. She has to take a long, lingering look at the life she leads and the chances she did not take.

Libélula- A woman is employed in a richer household. Although they are both from the same country, their current lives diverge a lot.

Aguacero- Two Columbians meet sporadically as they bond over the things they feel equally strongly about. It is only towards the end a fuller picture emerges of the truth in their conversations.

This entire collection is about taking a sharp look at different lifestyles and what people do with what they have. It is not a cheerful or positive book but is a well-written one. Although I had almost a similar reaction to the other book, I have read by the author. I would recommend it to fans of such books since they will better appreciate the author's writing skills.

I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.