BODEGA DREAMS

A salsa beat simmers in the brilliant prose and in the exceptional reading of this first novel by Ernesto Quiñonez. The listener is transported to East Harlem, to the projects, to the streets, and into the lives of the residents. The lyrical voices are those of the Latino inhabitants--from the kingpin, Willy Bodega, to Chino, the confused and endangered hero, and lovely Pentacostal Nancy Saldivia. Each suggests a distinct melody that weaves together to create this novel of love, betrayal, and the barrio. Robert Ramirez is an authentic voice of Spanish Harlem, splendid in both languages, with all the nuances of the ghetto. The reading adds to the novel with its perfect timing, inflection, and understanding of the material. B.H.B. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine [Published: JUN/JUL 01]