First published 1994
A collection of Americans arrives in a small Mexican town seeking something different from their former lives. They rent and buy adobe homes with thick walls and courtyards, settling into a rhythm shaped by the desert landscape and local customs. The townspeople watch these newcomers with curiosity but allow them space to adapt. Each expatriate carries personal reasons for leaving the United States behind. Some flee failed marriages, others chase dreams of artistic fulfillment or simpler living. The Mexican setting offers them refuge, but it also presents challenges they never anticipated. Cultural differences create moments of confusion and connection. The Americans must learn when to assert themselves and when to yield to local ways. Their relationships with each other grow complicated as they depend on this small community of outsiders. The town becomes a testing ground where they discover what they truly want from life and whether they can build meaningful connections across cultural boundaries.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, contemporary
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Mexico, United States
Period: 20th-century
242 pages · Paperback · Chivers North Amer