****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
Although I probably will never travel to Rio de Janero, Garcia-Roza makes me feel as if I have been there. His sensual descriptions of the city and its people bring the city to life. The plight of the inner life of a street boy is poignantly realized, recalling the tragedy that unfolded in this year's fine documentary, Bus 174, which was more about the desperation of what it means to be a product of the streets, a sadly common phenomenon of Rio. Espinosa, Garcia-Roza's protagonist, is reminiscent of Inspector Montalbano in Andrea Camilleri's Sicillian series. Both have the same time worn quality, both love their food -- there are very sensuous descriptions of their meals, sometimes hilarious (as in Espinosa's consumption of a Big Mac on the Copacabana), but they both end up with answers to their puzzles and will hopefully expand on their experiences to us, their USA-bound fans.
