A review by sarireadsthis
Retablos: Stories from a Life Lived Along the Border by Octavio Solis

4.0

I discovered Octavio Solis when Retablos was staged by Word for Word at a LitQuake event at the Elbo Room. The stories immerse you with their engaging prose, the universality of their familial characters, and small glimpses into Mexicanidad on the border. The author manages to infuse affection toward his bicultural identity and home, even when the reality was that he was growing up bicultural.ly on the border in a pretty racist environment given its proximity to Mexico and the continuous presence of the border patrol. It's comical, loving, and brutally honest. The dialogue is fast-paced (the author is a playwright). It was truly a pleasure to see it staged at this one time event and I look forward to seeing some of his actual plays someday.