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Liborio has to leave Mexico, a land that has taught him little more than a keen instinct for survival. He crosses the Rio Bravo, like so many others, to reach "the promised land." And in a barrio like any other, in some gringo city, this illegal immigrant tells his story.
As Liborio narrates his memories we discover a childhood scarred by malnutrition and abandonment, an adolescence lived with a sense of having nothing to lose. In his new home, he finds a job at a bookstore. He falls in love with a woman so intensely that his fantasies of her verge on obsession. And, finally, he finds himself on a path that just might save him: he becomes a boxer.
Liborio's story is constructed in a dazzling language that reflects the particular culture of border towns and expresses both resistance and fascination.
This is a migrants' story of deracination, loneliness, fear, and finally, love told in a sparkling, innovative prose. It's Million Dollar Baby meets The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, and a story of migration and hope that is as topical as it is timeless.
From the Trade Paperback edition.
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
January 17, 2017 -
Formats
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OverDrive Read
- ISBN: 9781609453671
- File size: 1142 KB
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EPUB ebook
- ISBN: 9781609453671
- File size: 1142 KB
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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Starred review from January 1, 2017
From the very first page of this fantastic, even spectacular debut, Xilonen flings the reader into the maelstrom of her protagonist's relentless stream of consciousness. Although Liborio's story, a crazy mash-up of a latter-day Oliver Twist and the movie Nacho Libre, is outstanding, the real star here is the language. What a ride! Hats off to translator Rosenberg, who brought this challenging narrative to an English-reading public. Liborio has been beaten down by a life of relentless abuse, violence, and suffering. His salvation comes in the form of books, love, and boxing. Xilonen's novel races along parallel story lines: Liborio's fate after he is left bereft in the U.S. when the bookstore where he works is destroyed, and the prequel tale of his life in and flight from Mexico. From a tragic and angry teen, Liborio blossoms, or erupts, into a focused, sympathetic hero. Intrepid readers will find this novel to be a gnarly and satisfying read as it pushes the boundaries of fiction, code-switching to the max, and Liborio is irresistible, with his tenacious spirit, uncensored thought process, unrequited love story, endurance, and triumph against all odds.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)
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