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“When Amalia Gomez woke up, a half hour later than on other Saturdays because last night she had had three beers instead of her usual weekend two, she looked out, startled by God knows what, past the screenless iron-barred window of her stucco bungalow unit in one of the many decaying neighborhoods that sprout off the shabbiest part of Hollywood Boulevard, and she saw a large silver cross in the otherwise clear sky.” Opening line to The Miraculous Day of Amalia Gomez by JOHN RECHY

Note: What a great opening line! It’s all there — who, what, when, where. Read the novel to find out more of the what and the why. I’ve read this beautiful novel twice and will probably read it again. The prose is amazing, the story engrossing, the main character compelling. It’s magic realism set in Hollywood, circa 1990. Highly recommended.

Blurb from book jacket: Known for his exploration of worlds seldom seen by others, best-selling author John Rechy brings us intimately into the life of a Chicano family in Los Angeles today, and without glancing away from the harshness of their lives, tells their story with humor and poignancy. Blending tough realism with religious and cultural fables, Rechy celebrates the enduring human spirit in what may be his best novel.