Bodega Dreams [Paperback]

In a stunning narrative combining the gritty rhythms of Junot Diaz with the noir genius of Walter Mosley,Bodega Dreams pulls us into Spanish Harlem, where the word is out: Willie Bodega is king.  Need college tuition for your daughter?  Start-up funds for your fruit stand?  Bodega can help.  He gives everyone a leg up, in exchange only for loyalty—and a steady income from the drugs he pushes.

Lyrical, inspired, and darkly funny, this powerful debut novel brilliantly evokes the trial of Chino, a smart, promising young man to whom Bodega turns for a favor.  Chino is drawn to Bodega's street-smart idealism, but soon finds himself over his head, navigating an underworld of switchblade tempers, turncoat morality, and murder. Bodega is a fascinating character. . . . The story [Quiñonez] tells has energy and verve.  —The New York Times Book Review

Rich with eye-opening detail, [this is] a lively and entertaining work by a young writer whose talents are deserving of a wide readership.  —Oscar Hijuelos, author ofThe Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love

A new and authentic voice of the urban Latino experience. —Esmeralda Santiago, author ofWhen I Was Puerto Rican

[Quiñonez's] ideas for using fiction to galvanize the city into confronting poverty are invigorating. . . . Blend[s] street-smart dialogue, culturally relevant prose, and progressive politics into a noir thriller with literary merit. —Time Out New York Ernesto Quiñonez is the author of two novels,Chango’s FireandBodega Dreams. He is on the faculty at Cornell University.ROUND 1

Spanish for “Toad”
 
Sapo was different.
 
Sapo was always Sapo, and no one messed with him because he had a reputation for biting. When I'm in a fight, Sapo would spit, lÖ