A review by readingwithhippos
Night at the Fiestas: Stories by Kirstin Valdez Quade

4.0

I feel like with short stories, you either immediately buy in to whatever weirdness the author presents, or you don't. I was able to find that entry point quickly with this collection by 5 Under 35 Honoree Kirstin Valdez Quade. The stories, most set in rural New Mexico and centered around themes of family ties and obligations, had me hooked within the first page.

My favorite story, “Canute Commands the Tides,” wasn't my favorite because it left me feeling warm and fuzzy. It actually made me pretty damn uncomfortable. I related to the central character so hard—this well-meaning, liberal white woman who, in romanticizing the life of her Hispanic cleaning woman, ends up abandoning all her cozy ideals when confronted with a hard dose of reality. I could see myself doing the same things she did, congratulating myself on my broadmindedness, then turning tail and running once I learned how things really are.

Yeah...not always comfortable when we recognize a piece of ourselves in a less than perfect character. Even though it's not always pleasant, I don't mind a book that humbles me every now and then.

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