Friday, November 20, 2009

Friday Find: How to Leave Hialeah by Jennine Capó Crucet

How to Leave Hialeah by Jennine Capó Crucet

From Publishers Weekly

In this engrossing collection—sometimes intense, at other times darkly humorous—debut author Crucet portrays the daily challenges, heartbreak and family ties that penetrate Hialeah, a working-class Cuban-American neighborhood in Miami. In El Destino Hauling, a young girl pays witness to a night-long family funeral for a father who was run over by his son, perhaps by intent. The Next Move follows a grandfather left to struggle through the day without his wife while she's visiting family in Cuba. In Men Who Punched Me in the Face, a woman repeatedly drawn to abusive men convinces herself she enjoys being hit. A story set in the Cuban countryside finds a young woman struggling to make ends meet with just three prized possessions: a rooster, a bar of soap and Kotex maxi pads. Crucet details vividly the daily struggle that leads Cubans to prize their heritage above much else, but also illuminates a powerful need to escape the past.


7 comments:

rhapsodyinbooks said...

This would be very interesting to me. I find the Cuban community in Miami really fascinating. I love the way they speak, the food, everything! Thanks for the review!

Bryan R. Terry said...

I'll have to keep an eye out for that one.

My Finds are HERE

Veens said...

Sounds interesting!

Lisa (Southern Girl Reads) said...

This certainly does sound interesting. Gook pick!

Mary (Bookfan) said...

This sounds very good and I think one of my book blog friends actually lives in Hialeah!

Stephanie said...

This sounds excellent!

The romantic query letter and the happy-ever-after said...

It's on my to read pile your blog is great.
Have a great weekend.