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
Results 6-10 of 58
Page 10
... someone there to watch your back. It was important to have a pana, a broqui. But my mother didn't get it. And like my mother, that's what Blanca could never understand. Sapo was important to me. 1 o E R N E S T oo U No N E Z.
... someone there to watch your back. It was important to have a pana, a broqui. But my mother didn't get it. And like my mother, that's what Blanca could never understand. Sapo was important to me. 1 o E R N E S T oo U No N E Z.
Page 11
... someone there, next to me, so I could feel valuable. My childhood and adolescent life had been made up of times with him, as I later wanted my adult life to be made up of times with Blanca. It was hard to split the two. “You know, Sapo ...
... someone there, next to me, so I could feel valuable. My childhood and adolescent life had been made up of times with him, as I later wanted my adult life to be made up of times with Blanca. It was hard to split the two. “You know, Sapo ...
Page 13
... someone help you as you grew and changed. that's what it was always about. Shedding your past. Creating yourself from nothing. Now I realize that that's what attracted me to Willie Bodega. Willie Bodega didn't just change me and ...
... someone help you as you grew and changed. that's what it was always about. Shedding your past. Creating yourself from nothing. Now I realize that that's what attracted me to Willie Bodega. Willie Bodega didn't just change me and ...
Page 14
... someone who still believed in dreams. And for a small while, those dreams seemed as palpable as that dagger Macbeth tried to grab. From his younger days as a Young Lord to his later days as Bodega, his life had been triggered by a ...
... someone who still believed in dreams. And for a small while, those dreams seemed as palpable as that dagger Macbeth tried to grab. From his younger days as a Young Lord to his later days as Bodega, his life had been triggered by a ...
Page 16
... someone else's mouth. From you. So I can decide if I'm going to stay with you or not. I want to know. At least give me that. One hundred percent of that. If you are up to something illegal, you tell me. Let me decide for myself if I ...
... someone else's mouth. From you. So I can decide if I'm going to stay with you or not. I want to know. At least give me that. One hundred percent of that. If you are up to something illegal, you tell me. Let me decide for myself if I ...
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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