Everything Begins and Ends at the Kentucky Club
The publisher describes these seven excellent stories as being about borders. That is certainly true as far as it goes, but it is equally true that these stories have even more to do with boundaries—the boundaries people set to protect themselves from physical or emotional harm, the ones that people cross in order to survive, or the ones they cross to intrude or intervene in someone else’s life. Sàenz’s tales are about the arbitrary boundaries that society sets and the ones children build against a world they don’t understand. In today’s political climate, one that is awash in ideology surrounding national borders, Sàenz’s all-too-human characters transcend political polarization despite living within it. A versatile writer who has won major fellowships and awards, especially for his young adult and children’s titles, Sàenz writes prose that is tender, occasionally fierce, and always engaging. Read every word of his stories lest you miss some clever twist, some subtle irony, some gentle nuance of poetic imagery that he has labored to create. --Donna Chavez