In the grim reality of Southern California's grape fields, even
the sun is a dark spot. For the migrant grape pickers in "Crossing
Vines," Rigoberto Gonzalez's novel that spans a single workday, the
sun is a constant, malevolent force. The characters endure
back-breaking, monotonous work as they succumb to the whims of
their corrupt bosses. Each minute the sun rises higher in the sky
is an eternity.
The textures, smells, sights, and emotions of their daily
existences engulf the lives of the Mexican laborers. Scarce
drinking water, sweltering heat, splintered fingers, contempt for
the job, and violence toward one another compose their
unflinchingly dark world. In Gonzalez's brutally honest story, the
characters are compelled forward mercilessly by the rising crisis
that envelops their interconnected stories. This uncompromisingly
thought-provoking tale gives names and faces to the anonymous
agricultural laborers, whose lives are like the tangled vines of
the fruits of their labor.
Not since Tomas Rivera's ." . . And the Earth Did Not Devour
Him" has a novel converged on the lives of migrant workers so
profoundly. Like Rivera, Gonzalez employs nostalgia for Mexican
tradition as he looks at the family feuds, economic injustices, and
racism prevalent in the migrant worker experience.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!