October 17, 2022
Colombians and Colombian Americans experience the bittersweet vagaries of class, lies, and love in this engrossing collection from Engel (Infinite Country). In the suspenseful “Aida,” Aida’s 16-year-old twin sister, Salma, disappears from their quiet N.Y.C. suburb, which the detective on the case describes reassuringly as the opposite of “some third world country.” In the gritty “Fausto,” a security guard entices his naive lover, Paz, into being a drug mule. The enthralling “The Book of Saints” alternates perspectives to tell the story of a loveless marriage between a Colombian woman and a man from Manhattan who meets her online and who pays for her breast implants. In “Campoamor,” set in Cuba, a bleak romantic triangle complicates the narrator’s effort to leave the country. In “Libelula,” a Colombian immigrant takes a cleaning job with a wealthy Colombian family and moves into a studio share in Manhattan with another Colombian woman who works as a nanny; by the end, the story blooms into a seductive portrayal of infidelity. Engel’s alluring story lines and empathy for her characters make this a winner.
Starred review from June 1, 2023
Engel's (Infinite Country) short story collection features 10 minidramas about Latino women, narrated by a cast of 11 performers. Each story is full of emotion and compassion, and all are compelling listens owing to stellar performances. Highlights include "Aida," with In�s del Castillo giving voice to a teenager full of angst and pain when her twin sister doesn't come home after school. Alejandra Reynoso pours on the suspense as she narrates "Fausto," a story of two immigrant lovers who resort to trafficking drugs for their future. Engel and narrator George Newbern shine as wife and husband in "Book of Saints," an account of a mail-order bride and her groom whose loveless marriage brings him the child he so desperately wants. Aida Reluzco's performance is tear-jerking in "Guapa," the tragic tale of an overweight girl who undergoes multiple surgeries to lose weight for her beloved. Each narrative features characters that either live in or are immigrants from Central or South America. The stories demand that all narrators deliver content with authentic accents--which they do splendidly. VERDICT A satisfying, exquisitely narrated mix of sweet and bittersweet tales of love.--Stephanie Bange
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