In New York City's Spanish Harlem, Julio and Maritza are each searching for a path that will give their lives meaning, even if it's shadowed by controversy. Julio is an arsonist for hire, pocketing thousands of dollars from investors eager to capitalize on more expensive real estate. But when he has reason to stop setting his neighborhood ablaze and vows to change his ways, Julio's employers threaten his life -- and the lives of those close to him. Maritza, meanwhile, has become the pastor of a progressive Pentecostal church -- the perfect cover for the scam she's running. For the right...
In New York City's Spanish Harlem, Julio and Maritza are each searching for a path that will give their lives meaning, even if it's shadowed by con...
Julio Santana quema edificios. Por una modesta suma, Julio le prende fuego a los edificios de Harlem que algunos poderosos inversionistas quieren hacer desaparecer para cobrar el dinero del seguro, y construir nuevos edificios, mas modernos, mas caros, mas comodos. Julio ha ganado miles de dolares quemando las casas del mismo barrio que lo vio crecer, y con todo el dinero que ha ganado, logro comprar un apartamento en el que vive con sus padres. Pero cuando se enamora de Helen, una blanquita que acaba de mudarse a su edificio, Julio decide dejar a un lado los incendios, para llevar una vida...
Julio Santana quema edificios. Por una modesta suma, Julio le prende fuego a los edificios de Harlem que algunos poderosos inversionistas quieren hace...
In a stunning narrative combining the gritty rhythms of Junot Diaz with the noir genius of Walter Mosley, Bodega Dreams pulls us into Spanish Harlem, where the word is out: Willie Bodega is king. Need college tuition for your daughter? Start-up funds for your fruit stand? Bodega can help. He gives everyone a leg up, in exchange only for loyalty--and a steady income from the drugs he pushes. Lyrical, inspired, and darkly funny, this powerful debut novel brilliantly evokes the trial of Chino, a smart, promising young man to whom Bodega turns for a favor. Chino is drawn to Bodega's...
In a stunning narrative combining the gritty rhythms of Junot Diaz with the noir genius of Walter Mosley, Bodega Dreams pulls us into Spanish H...