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
If anyone called you by your real name you were un mamao, a useless, meaningless thing. It meant that you hadn't proved yourself, it was open season for anybody who wanted to kick your ass. It was Sapo who taught me that it didn't ...
If anyone called you by your real name you were un mamao, a useless, meaningless thing. It meant that you hadn't proved yourself, it was open season for anybody who wanted to kick your ass. It was Sapo who taught me that it didn't ...
Page 5
Fires, junkies dying, shootouts, holdups, babies falling out of windows were things you took as part of life. If you were a graffiti artistand people knew you were a good one, death meant an opportunity to make a few bucks.
Fires, junkies dying, shootouts, holdups, babies falling out of windows were things you took as part of life. If you were a graffiti artistand people knew you were a good one, death meant an opportunity to make a few bucks.
Page 7
But the Hispanic teachers had very little say in how things were run in that school. Most of them had just graduated from a city university and couldn't rock the boat. Any boat. So we hated ourselves and fought every day.
But the Hispanic teachers had very little say in how things were run in that school. Most of them had just graduated from a city university and couldn't rock the boat. Any boat. So we hated ourselves and fought every day.
Page 11
“You know, Sapo," I said to him one day as we were preparing to fly kites on the roofof a project, “if we could ride on top of these things, we could get out of here. You know?" “Why would you wanna fucken leave this place?
“You know, Sapo," I said to him one day as we were preparing to fly kites on the roofof a project, “if we could ride on top of these things, we could get out of here. You know?" “Why would you wanna fucken leave this place?
Page 12
When I was accepted a lot of things seemed possible. I now left East Harlem every day and without my quite knowing it, the world became new. Little by little the neighborhood's petty street politics became less important.
When I was accepted a lot of things seemed possible. I now left East Harlem every day and without my quite knowing it, the world became new. Little by little the neighborhood's petty street politics became less important.
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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 |