{"title":"George Rabasa","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"floating-kingdom","title":"Floating Kingdom","description":"\u003ch3 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #9a6372;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA novel by George Rabasa\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ch5 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eSeptember 1, 1997 • 6.5 x 9.5 • 328 pages • 978-1-56689-063-2\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eA passionate border story involving drug smuggling, illegal immigrants, family, love, and honor.\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLucio Seguila lives on a tiny island in the middle of the Rio Grande, which he claims is independent from both the United States and Mexico—convenient for a coyote guiding illegal immigrants across the border. He rules this small kingdom, República Libre de Seguilandia, in a firm but generous patriarchal style, sitting on his La-Z-Boy and enjoying the devotion of his three daughters, the companionship of his grandson, and a reluctant partnership in the criminal forays of his amoral son-in-law. Yet, Seguila and his family cannot escape the rush of the Rio Grande and the unusual gift it brings them. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn the wake of an unexpected flash flood, Simon Tucker, an American teenager who nearly drowns while on a marijuana border run, washes up on the shores of Seguilandia. Severely battered during the violent storm, Simon awakes to find that he has not only lost his memory but must fulfill the various contradictory expectations of his newfound family. Considered an angel, a long-anticipated boyfriend, and a high-stakes kidnap victim, the confused youth steals their serenity, the love of the youngest daughter, and eventually the life of the family patriarch. But even as the family is destroyed, we discover the seeds of its rebirth in a future that combines the swirling cultures that have disastrously collided.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReviews\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"text\"\u003e“Introduce a cast of individuals, each of whom has a story, then create the context for their paths to merge. A novel concept? Or the idea behind a novel? George Rabasa’s \u003cem\u003eFloating Kingdom\u003c\/em\u003e details the unlikely coupling (no sex . . . yet) between a blonde-haired, blue-eyed Texas teen and a Mexican family living—literally—in the middle of the Rio Grande. . . . Each person has a different take—depending on his or her individual story. One thing is certain: family dynamics will never be the same. Rabasa strings a novel out of the disparate perspectives his characters hold. And the read is drawn into the story, curious about how it will end. Is there a better reason to read a book?” \u003cstrong\u003e—\u003cem\u003eBloomsburg Review\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“It is a fascinating story of lives and love shared, shattered, lost, and ultimately found again. Rabasa accurately portrays border culture that is neither Anglo nor Mexican, and in the process, explores major differences as well as universal similarities. Rabasa knows both sides of border issue very well. He is a fine writer and a great storyteller. This first novel is a winner.” \u003cstrong\u003e—\u003cem\u003eMulticultural Review\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"CHPbeta","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43707442510,"sku":"","price":21.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1475\/9808\/products\/Floating-Kingdom-RGB.jpg?v=1499210691"},{"product_id":"glass-houses","title":"Glass Houses","description":"\u003ch3 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #9a6372;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eStories by George Rabasa\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ch5 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eOctober 1, 1996 • 5.5 x 8.5 • 192 pages • 978-1-56689-051-9\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eIf you can laugh at—or with—Minnesotans, this is your book.\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn \u003cem\u003eGlass Houses,\u003c\/em\u003e George Rabasa offers nineteen stories, generously infused with irony, compassion, and an edgy wit. From the deceptively tranquil lull of a suburban street, to the incessant buzz of a Midwestern city, to the fragility of rural American, this book reveals people we know: our husbands, wives, and children, our neighbors and our co-workers. Here, at last illuminated, are our familiar modern fears: of jobs dissolving, neighborhoods being contaminated, relationships demanding too much or not giving enough, values collapsing, and illusions vanishing. Humorous and unsettling, \u003cem\u003eGlass Houses\u003c\/em\u003e is a rich collection of stories about the delicate balance of our not-so-private contemporary lives and our ardent attempts to keep the structure sound.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReviews\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"text\"\u003e“Imagine a stranger, the one you worry about after dark, the one who sneaks up on you and puts a knife in your ribs, the point right at your heart. Imagine looking at your street, and suddenly not recognizing anything—even the stranger wearing your face and clothes, his hand reaching for the knob of the front door you once thought familiar. Imagine, George Rabasa’s worlds—startling, painful, and full of gentle magic.” \u003cstrong\u003e—Jonis Agee\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Rabasa introduces a delightfully bizarre world and sheds light on it from 19 different angles. Each story is more entertaining than the last, and the overall effect is refreshing. . . . The greatest strength of this collection is its dialogue. Rabasa recreates the subtle misunderstandings of everyday banter, giving each character such a distinct voice that the dialogue could practically stand on its own. . . . These surreal \u003cem\u003eGlass Houses\u003c\/em\u003e are definitely worth prying into.” \u003cstrong\u003e—\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A fine collections of short stories. . . . What makes Rabasa’s writing so involving? It’s simple: he starts with a simple, common subject, then unfurls an uncommon (twisted?) imagination. . . . I thoroughly enjoyed Rabasa’s first book, and look forward to future publications.”\u003cstrong\u003e —\u003cem\u003eBloomsbury Review\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"CHPbeta","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43707449678,"sku":"","price":12.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1475\/9808\/products\/Glass-Houses-RGB.jpg?v=1499210720"}],"url":"https:\/\/coffeehousepress.org\/collections\/george-rabasa.oembed","provider":"Coffee House Press","version":"1.0","type":"link"}