I read this collection of linked short stories because a dear friend loved it, and said it told his story. That friend is a Mexican American man in his early 30s who grew up in California and Texas with parents who were undocumented for a time, but later became permanent residents. This friend, like the author, went to an elite university and then moved to NYC where he found himself, but also felt himself separated from his family and his early life. Antonio has told me many times he often feels stuck between worlds, and feels guilty that he prefers what he categorizes as the "white life." I am an old white woman raised in the Midwest though I have spent my adult life mostly in large cities east of the Mississippi, and I have a lot to learn about the lives of young Latin American immigrants. This is particularly the case for those who become 1st gen students because some of them are my students and I cannot serve them if I do not understand them. And so when friends like Antonio recommend I read something that reflects their experiences and feelings I get right on that.

I share all of this because I celebrate that this book made my friend, and presumably other Latinx people feel seen and heard. When books do that for me it is just the best. There were things here that did resonate with me, but overall I have to say that I was not a huge fan of this one. It was clearly honest and from the heart, but the writing was mostly, as Tim Gunn would say, "student work." It is clunky and obvious and overwritten. The final three stories were actually painful to read (due to the writing not the pathos), especially "Library Island." The first two stories were the best, though both had really contrived setups. All in all a 2.5 rounded up for Goodreads because the intentions here are so pure (and sadly so obvious) I know it resonated with others. I think perhaps for younger readers this might work. ( )