Evelio's Garden is a lyrical meditation on cultural values, friendship, aging, loss, and, ultimately, the healing power of the natural world. "The conversational prose is rich in detail about the wide variety of trees, flowers, fruits, and vegetables that blanket the area, and there are some wonderful stories about various wildlife that Homer has encountered. . . .A remembrance that effectively captures one woman's connection with nature in Central America" -- Kirkus Reviews In the enchanting world of the of Costa Rican highlands, the author begins a memoir, tracing the seasons and closely observing the natural riches around her. But Evelio, who helped build their house, interrupts with an idea to plant an organic garden on their property. Over the course of a challenging year full of unpredictable weather, wild animals and toxic chemicals, their friendship grows as Evelio teaches her about the rural sustainability of Costa Rica in decades past. Pulling her into the daily ups and downs of his project, he creates an often funny, always frustrating, and ultimately rewarding counterpoint to her own work, such that the two intertwine on the page...and lead her to confront a difficult past and open up to profound personal change. Sandra Shaw Homer has lived in Costa Rica for 29 years, where she has taught languages and worked as an interpreter/translator and environmental activist. In addition to a column in the local press, her creative nonfiction, fiction and poetry have appeared in a variety of print and online literary and travel journals, as well as on her own blog, writingfromtheheart.net. Her travel memoir, Letters from the Pacific: 49 Days on a Cargo Ship, received excellent Kirkus and Publishers Weekly reviews. Go to https: //www.facebook.com/writingfromtheheart.net/ ?ref=bookmarks for more information.

"The Armies by Evelio Rosero, a story of love, violence, and war, is a modern classic." "Ismail, the profesor, is a retired teacher in the small, fictional Colombian town of San Jose. He passes the days pretending to pick oranges while spying on his neighbor Geraldina as she lies naked in the shade of a ceiba tree. The garden burns with sunlight; the macaws laugh sweetly. Otilia, Ismail's wife, is ashamed of him and suggests that he pay a visit to Father Albornoz, who was once his student. Instead the profesor wanders the town visiting old friends, plagued by a tangle of secret memories: Where have I existed these years? I answer myself: up on the wall, peering over." "When guerrillas and paramilitaries suddenly invade the town, Ismail's reveries gradually give way to a living hell. His wife disappears and he must find her. We learn that not only gentle, grassy hillsides surround San Jose, but also land mines and coca. The profesor's voyeuristic ramblings are engulfed by the hallucinatory violence of Rosero's narrative, which is suffused not only with a deep sadness but also with an extraordinary tenderness." --Book Jacket.

Arte Público Presss landmark series "Recovering the U.S. Hispanic Literary Heritage" has traditionally been devoted to long-lost and historic works by Hispanics of decades and even centuries past. The publications of Black Cuban, Black American mark the first original work by a living author to become part of this notable series. The reason for this unprecedented honor can be seen in Evilio Grillos path-breaking life. Ybor City was once a thriving factory town populated by cigar-makers, mostly emigrants from Cuba. Growing up in Ybor City (now part of Tampa) in the early twentieth century, the young Evilio experienced the complexities and sometimes the difficulties of life in a horse-and-buggy society demarcated by both racial and linguistic lines. Life was different depending on whether you were Spanish- or English-speaking, a white or black Cuban, a Cuban American or a native-born U.S. citizen, well off or poor. (Even U.S.-born blacks did not always get along with their Hispanic counterparts.) Grillo captures the joys and sorrows of this unique world that slowly faded away as he grew to adulthood and was absorbed into the African-American community during the Depression. He then tells of his eye-opening experiences as a soldier in an all-black unit serving in the China-Burma-India theatre of operations during World War II. Booklovers may have read of Ybor City in the novels of Jose Yglesias, but never before has the colorful locale been portrayed from this perspective. The book also contains a fascinating eight-page photo insert.

A beautifully poetic and vivid satire of the hypocrisies of the Catholic Church. Tancredo, a young hunchback, observes and participates in the rites at the Catholic church where he lives under the care of Father Almida. Also in residence are the sexton Celeste Machado, his goddaughter Sabina Cruz, and three widows known collectively as the Lilias, who do the cooking and cleaning and provide charity meals for the local poor and needy. One Thursday, Father Almida and the sexton must rush off to meet the parish’s principal benefactor, Don Justiniano. It will be the first time in forty years Father Almida has not said mass. Eventually they find a replacement: Father Matamoros, a drunkard with a beautiful voice whose sung mass is spellbinding to all. The Lilias prepare a sumptuous meal for Father Matamoros, who persuades them to drink with him. Over the course of the long night the women and Tancredo lose their inhibitions and confess their sins and stories to this strange priest, and in the process re- veal lives crippled by hypocrisy.

"Tom is not prepared for what is about to happen when he hears the grandfather clock strike thirteen. Outside the back door is a garden, which everyone tells him does not exist."--Page 4 de la couverture.

Moon Travel Guides: Make Your Move! From visas, to job-hunting, to cultural assimilation, get a head start on your life-changing move with Moon Living Abroad Costa Rica. Inside you'll find: Practical information on setting up the essentials, including visas, finances, employment, education, and healthcare Firsthand insight on navigating Costa Ricas language and culture from experienced expat-turned-local Erin Van Rheenen Tips on finding housing that suits your needs and budget, whether you're renting or buying A thorough survey of the regions, provinces, and individual cultures that Costa Rica encompasses, to help you find the right new home for you Interviews with other expats who share their personal experiences building successful lives abroad How to plan a fact-finding trip before making the move to familiarize yourself with aspects of daily life in Costa Rica: internet and phone access, schooling, banking, insurance, travel, transportation, and more Special tips for those making the move with children or pets Moon Living Abroad Costa Rica takes the hassle out of planning your move, giving you the insider tips, practical resources, and local know-how to start your new life abroad!

A beautifully poetic and vivid satire of the hypocrisies of the Catholic Church. Tancredo, a young hunchback, observes and participates in the rites at the Catholic church where he lives under the care of Father Almida. Also in residence are the sexton Celeste Machado, his goddaughter Sabina Cruz, and three widows known collectively as the Lilias, who do the cooking and cleaning and provide charity meals for the local poor and needy. One Thursday, Father Almida and the sexton must rush off to meet the parish’s principal benefactor, Don Justiniano. It will be the first time in forty years Father Almida has not said mass. Eventually they find a replacement: Father Matamoros, a drunkard with a beautiful voice whose sung mass is spellbinding to all. The Lilias prepare a sumptuous meal for Father Matamoros, who persuades them to drink with him. Over the course of the long night the women and Tancredo lose their inhibitions and confess their sins and stories to this strange priest, and in the process re- veal lives crippled by hypocrisy.