In Cuba I Was a German Shepherd

(, New edition)

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Description

Maximo, a Cuban immigrant, passes his days in Miami's Domino Park refining his elaborate jokes - like the one about a mongrel who comes to the States looking for love and luck. His sleepless nights he spends struggling to recall the precise shade of his dead wife's eyes, and reliving the hardships he and she faced together on their arrival in America. In these interlinked tales, Ana Menendez introduces us to a cast of characters young and old, and to the island with its fragrant streets, passionate music and fields of cane that compels their imaginations. Richly sensual, full of observations that catch at the heart, this is writing of rare distinction and storytelling power, and marks the arrival of a major international voice.

Reviews

'Superb collection of stories... A mixture of Latin American magic realism and Raymond Carver's ascetic economy of language... A distinguished debut' -- The Times 20020112 'A broad but beautifully crafted picture of Cuba... A lush, generous storyteller, Menendez effortlessly conjures up grand themes... A lovely book' -- Big Issue in the North 20020112 '... superb collection of short stories... traps and develops the curious heavy, beauty of Latin melancholy... a distinguished debut' -- The Times 20010211

Author Bio

Ana Menendez was born in Los Angeles, the daughter of Cuban parents who had emigrated as teenagers. A former staff reporter for the Miami Herald, she has had stories published in Zoetrope; All Story and The Best New American Voices 2000.