The Boy Without a Flag: Tales of the South Bronx [Paperback]

Abraham Rodriguez (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1992

The violent world of the underclass and the daily battle with hopeless poverty, drug addiction, and other urban horrors come vividly to life in a collection of stories about being young and desperate in the South Bronx. A first collection. Original.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Rodriguez chronicles the lives of Hispanic residents of the South Bronx in this harshly realistic and powerful debut collection. A 12-year-old girl crosses over into precocious womanhood while playing "war games" with the boys amid the broken brick of abandoned buildings. A 13-year-old boy celebrates his birthday with a "brand new police record" after committing his first burglary. A teenaged drug addict with dreams of having a baby gets an abortion instead after a series of events result in a negative epiphany. The first two stories are weakened by rhetoric about "oppression," but Rodriguez's sympathetic descriptions of his characters illuminate their fleeting joys. The author has a flair for street slang and the telling detail ("For free! Whea else but in America?" sasses the drug addict about a roach-ridden bureau she salvages from the street) and for portraying several different points of view; these enhance the narrative tension throughout and impress his vision on our memories. Author tour.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

YA-- In an era of multicultural awareness, this collection of seven Hispanic short stories will make an impact. The teenagers in Rodriguez's world are not attractive; raised in poverty, they exhibit the problems of the inner city--teenage pregnancy, drug addiction, and petty crime. But more universal traits shine through. In the title story, the narrator , who refuses to salute the American flag because his father has taught him to resent U. S. imperialism in Puerto Rico, learns that adults don't have all the answers and that the world is run on compromises. Nilsa, in "No More War Games," is torn between childhood and sexual awareness as much as any middle-class 12-year-old. Gritty street language, phonetic spelling, and graphic descriptions enliven this as a "real-life" picture of the Bronx and provide the basis for lots of discussion.
- Diana C. Hirsch, Prince George's County Memorial Library System, MD
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 115 pages
• Publisher: Milkweed Editions (September 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0915943743
• ISBN-13: 978-0915943746
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,781,776 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Casualties of urban life, October 31, 2002

By 

Juan Valdez "J. Valdez" (LA, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Boy Without a Flag (Paperback)

The sordid lives of children growing up too fast in a wasteland
There is no regeneration or hope of escape available to these kids, hardened by the necessity of learning to defend themselves in the ghetto. No parents guide and comfort these children as they introduce each other to sex without love, violence and drugs. In these short stories of growing up in the South Bronx, Rodriguez elucidates the young casualties of most neglected communities. And he does it with a style and voice that transport the reader into these children's lives. After this sojourn, the reader will emerge shocked, angry and with a new sympathy for the so-called "at-risk" youth of urban life.

5.0 out of 5 stars Still remember, October 23, 2006

By 

Mary C. Stein (New YorK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Boy Without a Flag (Paperback)

I read this book when I was in highschool and I can still remember the descriptive, insane, sad and interesting stories. I really loved his writing because I was able to visualize everything he was saying. I even read his other book called "Spider Town" which was just one story and it was awesome, I definitley reccommend it to other readers.

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Tales of the South BX, August 7, 2000

By 

"bronx_mariposa2003" (San Pedro, CA/ BX, NYC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Boy Without a Flag (Paperback)

I was kind of disappointed after reading this book...First of all I dont know why this book was connected with the South Bronx...the stuff in the book could've happened an any urban community/ghetto...and his writing style made it hard for me to get into a reading groove. it was a pretty quick read, 1 or 2 sittings, but I found myself getting bored so many times. Sometimes Rodriguez spent so much time describing the area that you never really get a chance to connect with the character. The best stories, I think, were Shortstop and the Lotto...Overall its a good read if you aren't easily distracted