| Title | : | Paraíso Portátil / Portable Paradise (Spanish Edition) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1611928079 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781611928075 |
| Language | : | Spanish; Castilian |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 227 |
| Publication | : | Published December 16, 2014 |
Salvadoran writer Mario Bencastro presents moving images fueled by the horrible realities of war and the painful need to leave behind all that is dear in his riveting new bilingual collection comprised of stories, poetry, and one novella, PARAÍSO PORTÁTIL / PORTABLE PARADISE.
The watchman feels very fortunate to have a job in El Salvador after the civil war, when so many people are unemployed. It’s boring but easy work, taking care of a new house that belongs to a Salvadoran couple living in Los Angeles. When he thinks about his previous jobs—day laborer, coffee harvester, highway construction worker—he’s even more grateful. And once a month, he reassures the owners that their beautiful home in their beloved homeland remains in good condition until their next visit. Then one day, everything changes.
In “Dragon Boy,” a group of children orphaned by El Salvador’s civil war band together to survive, even as they are exploited by predators. In “The Plan,” a successful Swiss millionaire returns to his native El Salvador—which he left as a defenseless orphan—and executes his ruthless plan to take revenge on those responsible for the brutal killings of his family. And in “From Australia with Love,” a Salvadoran émigré plans to marry a countryman she met on the Internet, until they realize that they have met before.
Bencastro examines themes of political strife, dislocation, and longing in a unique collection that readers will not soon forget.
The watchman feels very fortunate to have a job in El Salvador after the civil war, when so many people are unemployed. It’s boring but easy work, taking care of a new house that belongs to a Salvadoran couple living in Los Angeles. When he thinks about his previous jobs—day laborer, coffee harvester, highway construction worker—he’s even more grateful. And once a month, he reassures the owners that their beautiful home in their beloved homeland remains in good condition until their next visit. Then one day, everything changes.
In “Dragon Boy,” a group of children orphaned by El Salvador’s civil war band together to survive, even as they are exploited by predators. In “The Plan,” a successful Swiss millionaire returns to his native El Salvador—which he left as a defenseless orphan—and executes his ruthless plan to take revenge on those responsible for the brutal killings of his family. And in “From Australia with Love,” a Salvadoran émigré plans to marry a countryman she met on the Internet, until they realize that they have met before.
Bencastro examines themes of political strife, dislocation, and longing in a unique collection that readers will not soon forget.
