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Assumption and Other Stories

Published
Jul 2003
Main Genre
General Fiction General Fiction
Pages
157

About This Book

Assumption is a collection of 18 short stories that revolve around Latinos in Southern California. The characters are so varied, that they defy easy stereotypes: converted Jews, lesbians, lawyers, newscasters, Catholic schoolchildren — just to name a few.

In the suspenseful "Summertime," the parents of nine-year-old Jonathan Cohen-Ramírez are confronted with their greatest fears when a deranged white supremacist opens fire on people at the Jewish children's day camp that Jonathan attends.

"Weatherman" tells the amusing tale of Castro Ramírez, a Los Angeles media personality who builds his fame by using the correct Spanish pronunciation of California city names during weather broadcasts. When a ruthless competitor attempts to beat Ramírez at his own game, the results are startling—and hilarious.

Shifting effortlessly between pathos and wry comedy, Olivas is able through his character-driven stories to explore how a married couple deals with infertility, how a lawyer reconciles her lesbian sexuality with the expectations of her traditional-minded parents, and how the students of a Catholic grammar school come to terms with the suicide of a popular young priest amid swirling rumors of his sexual improprieties.

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Paperback

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Trade Paperback
Jul 2003 Bilingual Review Press (AZ) ISBN 1931010196
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