First published 2000
In these interconnected stories, characters move through Houston's working-class Latino communities, each carrying their own burdens and dreams. A construction worker deals with job site tensions while his marriage strains under financial pressure. A woman raises children alone, piecing together income from multiple sources. Neighbors argue over property lines that represent more than geography. Young people test boundaries while their parents hold tight to traditions that feel increasingly distant. Gilb places his characters in moments where small decisions carry large consequences. A missed phone call changes everything. A conversation at a bus stop reveals hidden pain. The stories capture people caught between cultures, between what they hoped for and what they have. These are lives shaped by work schedules and family obligations, by the weight of expectations and the pull of desire. The emotional core lies in how ordinary moments become turning points, how his characters find dignity in struggle and connection despite isolation.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, family-life, contemporary
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, small-town
Setting: Houston
Period: 21st-century
167 pages · Hardcover · Grove Pr