Customer Reviews

Assumption and Other Stories

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Assumption And Other Stories is an anthology of short stories by the demonstrably talented Chicano author Daniel A. Olivas (Deputy Attorney General, California Department of Justice). His diverse stories intermesh themes of human sexuality, tragedy, challenge, loss, gender, and ethnicity , ranging from a young lawyer who tells her parents about her lesbianism, to the dark sexual rumors of surrounding the suicide of a popular young priest at a Catholic school, to the terror that strikes families when a white supremacist starts shooting at a Jewish children's day camp. Highly recommended reading, these original and memorable stories clearly document Daniel A. Olivas as one of the best and most original Hispanic American authors working today.

This books contains a series of shorts stories that are freshly written and enticing to read - at times funny and always fascinating. Although fiction, the author's references to actual locations in Los Angeles (including Pico-Union) sometimes transported me back to the "old neighborhood". Enjoyed this books many short stories involving themes of racism, Latin culture and sexuality. Highly recommend.

I was first introduced to the work of Daniel A. Olivas when I was the editor of OutsiderInk.com, and it was a treat to return to his fiction. The story he published with me is the lead story, "Los Angeles, 1970," a piece that deftly navigates the challenges faced by immigrants and their children and a boy's confusion regarding a sexually manipulative priest. The story showcases Olivas' talent for capturing a unique and often unheard perspective. There is a spectrum of characters in his stories: protective to overly proud fathers, determined daughters, lesbian lawyers, cocky weathermen, strong older women, as well as a hot and not always welcoming Los Angeles, which is a character appearing it each piece. The author serves up a slice of life with dexterity and dash of humor. Layered into his stories is a current of music: jazz, pop, rock, and Mexican standards. The book is solid throughout, but there are some standouts: The chilling reality-based "Summertime" about a white supremacist opening fire on a Jewish community center and "19" a humorous take on the Y2K debacle, but for me it is the "cautionary" tales that I enjoyed most, reminding us that life is short and we should be true to ourselves: "Res Judicata", "Weatherman" and my personal favorite, "Voir Dire," in which a man discovers his ability to write fiction and his parents still dismiss him as an idiot; a mixture of hope and humor!

What a wonderful read! Complex and intriguiging, covering a wide range of complex moral, physical, and emotional predicaments of the Latino community of Southern California, making them accessible to the reader in the most inclusive and spell-binding way. No simplistic situations here; Mr. Olivas is advancing American writing from the Latino perspective to the level of the great South American authors.