Short story collection illustrating life in migrant worker communities in California in the 70's. Harsh, funny, sweet, but never bleak. A-
Ramadan is the offspring of Alicia and her Syrian lover Mustafah. When Mustafah is tricked into returning to Syria without knowing he is to be a father and Alicia dies when Ramadan is a baby, he is raised by his grandmother. But at 12 he is inspired by family events to search for the father he has only recently learned exists. Some of the scenes in Turkey had my eyes glazing over, but the ending is honorable. A-
Set in Michigan's UP, a story of single mother, Laurel, trying to hang on to her life on the financial precipice of abject poverty. Hard work, devotion to personal values and honest friendship fuel this tale of persistence and community. A-