The Magic of Blood

In this collection of short stories, Dagoberto Gilb made a compelling case for why i felt the need to add some American literature to my reading list.  His characters, mainly working-class Hispanic men, were incredibly real and compelling. 

Reviewing a collection of short stories is more challenging for me than reviewing a novel - because each story is unique, but too short to merit its own time.  So here I will discuss some of the stories I found stayed with me long after I put the book down.  The first story that made me sit back and sigh with enjoyment was Al, in Phoenix, in which an impatient and suspicious younger traveler encounters Al, a diligent and thorough auto mechanic.  With Al, the reader slowly comes to a place of deep respect for Al, and his attention to detail, quality, and perfection.  Al is the kind of person we would all like to meet, and his type seems to be endangered in the fast-paced modern world .

In The Prize, a man discusses fate and winning with his barber Chino - who has a lucky streak.  The narrator strikes a bargain with Chino that if Chino wishes or prays for good luck to come to the narrator, he the narrator will share some of his fortune with Chino.  As soon as the deal is struck, the narrator begins to back out of his deal in his head - defining which types of winning he would credit to Chino - and which he would still believe he had "earned" himself.  When he ultimately does not receive a prize he has been anticipating, is it because he was contemplating screwing Chino out of his reward?  The complex internal workings of our narrator in this story were so real - who hasn't struck bargains with luck or fate in their own mind?

Several of the stories are about life's little disappointments, that seem bigger at the time.  In Parking Places, a Hispanic family moves into a nicer neighborhood, and attempts to bond with their new neighbors.  But a slow boiling dispute over street parking spaces taints a new friendship, and when the family moves due to changed economic circumstances, it seems natural and partially because of that relationship.  In another story, a couple are disappointed when their babysitter, the mother of a friend of their son's, does not show up for date night.  Gilb's characters are poor, working class men and families.  They are construction workers who take pride in their trade, families in various stages of brokenness.  The stories feel like true snapshots of Americana, told through a particular view that was new, different, and wonderful for me.  This series of stories earns an unexpected high recommendation from me.