Bodega DreamsIn this "thriller with literary merit" (Time Out New York), a stunning narrative combines 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 street-smart idealism, but soon finds himself over his head, navigating an underworld of switchblade tempers, turncoat morality, and murder. "Bodega is a fascinating character. . . . The story [Quiñonez] tells has energy and verve." —The New York Times Book Review |
From inside the book
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Page 4
So what if you fought a guy bigger than you who would kick your ass? So what if you got stabbed with a 007 in the back and never walked again? So what if someone broke your nose in a fight? You were ugly anyway.
So what if you fought a guy bigger than you who would kick your ass? So what if you got stabbed with a 007 in the back and never walked again? So what if someone broke your nose in a fight? You were ugly anyway.
Page 5
Someone close to the deceased, usually a woman, would knockon your door. “Mira, my cousin Freddy just passed away. Canyou do him a R.I.P.”You would bemoan Freddy's death whether you knew him or not, say you were sorry and ask what had ...
Someone close to the deceased, usually a woman, would knockon your door. “Mira, my cousin Freddy just passed away. Canyou do him a R.I.P.”You would bemoan Freddy's death whether you knew him or not, say you were sorry and ask what had ...
Page 6
It was guys like these who on any given day were looking to beat someone up, so it was up to me to either become like them or get the shitkicked out of me. Junior High School 99 (aka Jailhouse 99), on 100th Street and First Avenue, ...
It was guys like these who on any given day were looking to beat someone up, so it was up to me to either become like them or get the shitkicked out of me. Junior High School 99 (aka Jailhouse 99), on 100th Street and First Avenue, ...
Page 7
Any boat. So we hated ourselves and fought every day. And finally, after a while, when I lost the fear of hitting someone else (not the fear of get. ting hit but of hitting someone else), I looked for fights. With Sapo watching my back, ...
Any boat. So we hated ourselves and fought every day. And finally, after a while, when I lost the fear of hitting someone else (not the fear of get. ting hit but of hitting someone else), I looked for fights. With Sapo watching my back, ...
Page 8
Like a guy I knew named Junior, of 109th and Madison. Junior not only carried a knife, a jiga, in his backpocket, he had used it to cut someone's face. It was no big deal to carry a knife in your back pocket.
Like a guy I knew named Junior, of 109th and Madison. Junior not only carried a knife, a jiga, in his backpocket, he had used it to cut someone's face. It was no big deal to carry a knife in your back pocket.
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Common terms and phrases
ain't Alberto Salazar Alleluia asked aunt b'cause baby Barrio bitch 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 Chacón Izzy Julia de Burgos Julio killed knew Latin laughed leave living looked married Mercado mother Nazario Negra neighborhood Nene never nigga night nodded okay opened Ortiz pana 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 Thass right things thought told took Vasquez Vera's Veronica Victor Vidal waiting walked Whassup whispered wife William Irizarry Willie Bodega Yeah yelled
Bibliographic information
| Title | Bodega Dreams Vintage Contemporaries |
| Author | Ernesto Quiñonez |
| Publisher | Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 2015 |
| ISBN | 0804154058, 9780804154055 |
| Length | 224 pages |
| Subjects | › Fiction / Coming of Age Fiction / Hispanic & Latino Fiction / Urban & Street Lit |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |