First published 1997
Esteban arrives in Brooklyn as part of a fifteen-man crew hired to work aboard the Urus. The nineteen-year-old fought in Nicaragua's war before crossing into America seeking opportunity. Instead, he finds himself stranded on a rotting vessel docked at an isolated pier. The ship cannot sail, and the crew lacks money to return home. Esteban carries memories of a woman he loved and lost during the conflict. His fourteen shipmates face the same trap, each wrestling with their own reasons for leaving Nicaragua and their growing desperation in this foreign place. As days pass on the deteriorating Urus, Esteban must choose between the safety of familiar captivity and the terrifying possibility of venturing alone into New York City. His decision will determine whether he remains a prisoner of circumstance or fights to build something new from the ruins of his past.
Genres: fiction, american-fiction, 20th-century, adventure, contemporary
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Brooklyn, Nicaragua, New York City
Period: 20th-century
398 pages · Paperback · Grove Press
Content warnings: war