Bodega dreams"A new and authentic voice of the urban Latino experience." --Esmeralda Santiago, author of When I Was Puerto Rican In a stunning narrative combining the gritty rhythms of Junot Diaz with the noir genius of Walter Mosley, Bodega Dreams announces the arrival of a writer who The Village Voice has already hailed as "a Writer on the Verge." The word is out in Spanish Harlem: Willy 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. Lyric, 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 street-smart idealism, but soon finds himself over his head, navigating an underworld of switchblade tempers, turncoat morality, and murder. |
From inside the book
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Page 29
They would say things like, you guys ain't Incas, you have no Machu Picchus in
San Juan; you guys aren't Aztecs, there ain't no pyramids in Mayaguez. You guys
are Tainos, dumb mothafuckas. There ain't no ancient ruins on that island of ...
They would say things like, you guys ain't Incas, you have no Machu Picchus in
San Juan; you guys aren't Aztecs, there ain't no pyramids in Mayaguez. You guys
are Tainos, dumb mothafuckas. There ain't no ancient ruins on that island of ...
Page 87
He speaks like a hundred languages, but he ain't worth jack." The class was
rolled. "Sapo, do you think the pope would be the pope if he didn't know his
hundred languages?" Tapia asked after the laughter died down. "Nah, if he didn't
speak a ...
He speaks like a hundred languages, but he ain't worth jack." The class was
rolled. "Sapo, do you think the pope would be the pope if he didn't know his
hundred languages?" Tapia asked after the laughter died down. "Nah, if he didn't
speak a ...
Page 151
Now, I've done a lot of things in my days but I ain't never kidnapped nobody. But I
will if I have to cuz that was Nazario on the phone." I had to go. So I told one of
Blanca's church friends, Wilfredo Reyes, that I had forgotten something important
...
Now, I've done a lot of things in my days but I ain't never kidnapped nobody. But I
will if I have to cuz that was Nazario on the phone." I had to go. So I told one of
Blanca's church friends, Wilfredo Reyes, that I had forgotten something important
...
What people are saying - Write a review
LibraryThing Review
User Review - BtB_Library - LibraryThingBodega Dreams features really well-written, sympathetic characters living in Spanish Harlem. With a gripping, detailed portrayal of the neighborhood and a fast moving plot that's very easy to get ... Read full review
LibraryThing Review
User Review - marciathing - LibraryThingThe books by Ernesto Quinonez were my first introduction to Spanish Harlem. Thanks to my Midwestern existence, and even to some years in S. Texas, I had never known this place existed. Both his novels are fantastic and engrossing. I'm looking forward to more. Read full review
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Common terms and phrases
ain't Alberto Salazar Alleluia asked aunt b'cause baby Barrio Blanca Blessington building called Chino church Claudia Colombia cops crazy DeJesus door East Harlem East River Enrique everything eyes face fire Fischman floor fuck fucken girl gonna hand happy hated head hear heard hope inside Iris Chacon Julia de Burgos Julio killed knew Latin laughed leave living looked married Mercado mother Nazario Negra neighborhood Nene never nigga night nodded okay Ortiz pana Pedro Pietri Pentecostal Puerto Rican Robert Frost Roberto Vega Salazar salsa Sapo Sapo's shit sister smiled someone Spanish Harlem stared street Taino talk Tapia tell Thass right things thought told took Vasquez Vera's Veronica Victor Vidal waited walked Whass whispered wife William Irizarry Willie Bodega Yeah yelled yo'r
Bibliographic information
| Title | Bodega dreams Vintage Contemporaries Original |
| Author | Ernesto Quiñonez |
| Edition | illustrated |
| Publisher | Vintage Contemporaries, 2000 |
| Original from | the University of Michigan |
| Digitized | 12 Mar 2008 |
| ISBN | 0375705899, 9780375705892 |
| Length | 213 pages |
| Subjects | › Bildungsromans Fiction / General Fiction / Urban Life New York New York (N.Y.) New York (State) Puerto Ricans Puerto Ricans - New York (State) - New York Puerto Ricans/ New York (State)/ New York/ Fiction |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |