Brownsville: Stories

Written by Oscar Casares

Narrated by Luis Moreno

Oscar Casares' debut collection of short stories was selected as an ALA Notable book and received tremendous praise from publications ranging from the New York Times and the Washington Post to Entertainment Weekly. These nine stories follow a collection of unforgettable characters trying to get by while living in the South Texas border town of Brownsville.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Dec 11, 2009
• ISBN: 9781440775345

Reviews for Brownsville

[grheault_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Young men trying to be good fathers, irate neighbors who recant and repent by the end of the story, and moms dispensing sound advice in tense situations. Easy to read at a single sitting, the simplicity reminds me of Stephen King's no pretenses, fill it up with details style. I did not like the monkey story at all -- seemed way too 'psychological' and contrived. The rest of the stories were full of characters, family and neighbors, in a dusty place along the Mexican border.

[debnance_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book has sat, sadly I believe, on my shelf since 2007. Worse I not only have this one but Casares’ subsequent first novel. Brazos Bookstore is hosting Casares Tuesday night and I might go. If nothing else, this prompted me to pull this from my bookshelf yesterday and read it.Brownsville is a book of stories that all take place in…no surprise here…Brownsville, a city in the most distant reaches of Texas, right next to the border with Mexico. In every way, a satisfying book. If the stories have the feel of coming through the Creative Writing School Factory, so be it. Every story is well crafted and Brownsville is everywhere in these stories. Words in Spanish like salt in my stew, just enough to slow down my reading and reread now and then.

[elenaestrada_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is a Chicano Literature book with Mexican-American main characters. The setting takes place in Brownsville, Texas and it captures important aspects of the Mexican-American community. This book’s format is a compilation of short stories; each chapter tells a different disturbing story of someone in the barrio. For example the first story is about Diego, a young boy who begins to learn how the world of business works and in the process learns how ignorant his father is when it comes to exploitation. This vignette captures the painful reality of the moment the young boy discovers his immigrant father cannot tell him how the world works. The most psychologically disturbing vignette is about Bony; after the death of his best friend he begins to talk to the decapitated head of a monkey. I would never recommend this book to a middle school student, it is an adult book. However, a high school student may be able to appreciate the story’s psychological significance and symbolism. An AP English teacher may be able to use this book to go beyond happy ending and even realism. These stories can be used to explore the struggles and mentality of present day Mexican Americans.