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Type of bind: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.6
EAN num: 9780316146807
ISBN number: 0316146803
Label: Back Bay Books
Manufacturer: Back Bay Books
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 176
Printing Date: March 06, 2003
Publishing house: Back Bay Books
Sale Popularity Level: 51500
Studio: Back Bay Books
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Product Description:
At the country's edge, on the Mexican border, Brownsville, Texas, is a town much like many others. It is a place where men and women work hard to create better lives for their children, where people sometimes bear grudges against their neighbors, where love blossoms only to fade, and where the only real certainty is that life holds surprises.
An entire galaxy of fascinating characters inhabit these stories. Meet Diego, an 11-year-old whose job at a fireworks stand teaches him a lesson in defiance. Meet Bony, a slacker whose discovery of a monkey's head on his lawn drives a wedge between him and his exasperated parents. Meet Lola, whose stolen bowling ball offers an unlikely chance for change.
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Rated by buyers 
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I've never been to Brownsville. You don't have to know the town to get something out of this.
This was one of those books that didn't exactly hit me over the head when I read it, but that stayed in the back of my mind afterward. The stories start out small and plain and then turn into unexpected things.
Rated by buyers -
I love this book. I read it back in 2003, when it very first came out. I had the pleasure of going to one of Oscar's readings in 2003 and I thought he made the story come alive even more. I see that someone wrote a really nasty review of the book and it discouraged 24 people from reading the book, that's awful. She based her review on the fact that Oscar is handsome, therefore, not worth reading as if he got a book published because he was handsome or charming. It's just plain stupid to think like that. Everyone I know that has read this book found it to be one of the best books they ever read. I just lent it to a friend that just moved to Brownsville because the stories are so colorful, truthful, and typical of Brownsville that I thought she should read it. Don't be discouraged in reading this book just because someone thought the author was full of himself, that's totally independent of the book.
Rated by buyers -
I was a guero living in the Valley for several years and pretty much any evocation of that place gets me misty-eyed. (The line "Everybody has their Harlingen" from the film Selena gets me every time) This book is spot-on. Ni una false note. But the best thing is that these stories are great even if you've never been there. As another reviewer said, these sad funny stories are full of grace. I'll never forget these characters. This kind of artless, unpretentious narration has got to be the hardest kind to pull off. Really great writing.
Rated by buyers -
I'm from the Rio Grande Valley, and I totally related to all of these wonderful and colorful stories.... I'm so glad that the Valley is producing writers of quality like Oscar Casares. I have always been proud of the fact that I am Mexican-American and from The Valley, but I feel even prouder of that fact, when I read a book like this. Felicidades Oscar!
Rated by buyers -
As a Mexicana who grew up on International Blvd in Brownsville Texas, this book truly touched my soul. The stories and characters captured the essence of Brownsville - comfort, familiarity, and warmth....
Thanks Oscar for staying true to Brownsville.
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