Drown

"Crying all the time had made her more beautiful. Grief will do that sometimes." (Boyfriend)

"Rafa was right. It wasn't the first time. Two years after he left, Papi wrote her saying he was coming for us and like an innocent Mami believed him. After being alone for two years she was ready to believe anything. She showed everybody his letter and even spoke to him on the phone. He wasn't an easy man to reach but on this occasion she got through and he reassured her that yes, he was coming. His word was his bond. He even spoke to us, something that Rafa vaguely remembers, a lot of crap about how much he loved us and that we should take care of Mami.

"She prepared a party, even lined up to have a goat there for the slaughering. She bought me and Rafa new clothes and when he didn't show she sent everybody home, sold the goat back to its owner and then almost lost her mind. I remember the heaviness of that month, thicker than almost anything. When Abuelo tried to reach our father at the phone numbers he'd left none of the men who'd lived with him knew anything about where he had gone." (Aguantando)

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One of the books that I chanced upon, bought, read and loved it. Diaz makes his characters - immigrants from the Dominican Republic - come alive with a raw energy. His words are sparse, his writing taut and razor-sharp. The stories pack a quiet punch and lead you on a poignant trail. This is an excellent collection of 10 short stories that will move and dazzle you.