The Border Is Burning

by Ito Romo

Loners, families, fathers, wives—anyone who lives on the border between Mexico and the United States also lives on a border of violence and complexity. Here a master of Chicano noir explores that world in lean and haunting stories that you will never forget.

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories

105 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 16, 2013

About the author

Ito Romo was born and raised on the border in Laredo, Texas. His work, dubbed “Chicano Gothic” and “Chicano Noir,” shows the dark and gritty life along Interstate 35 through South Texas, where his family has lived for 11 generations. A former Professor of English Language and Literature, Romo was inducted into the Texas Institute of Letters in 2019. His books includeThe Border is Burning and El Puente / The Bridge, both published by University of New Mexico Press.He lives in San Antonio.

Reviews

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gritty and sad and very real. If you like Mariana Enriquez you might enjoy this collection.

[Elizabeth☮ · Rating 4 out of 5]

A look at people that live on the border between Texas and Mexico. But the border that Romo paints is one that is more than physical; it is cultural, spiritual, psychological and metaphysical.

These are gritty vignettes of people that are marginalized by society. Romo gives a glimpse into their lives (some stories are just a scene, not an entire story arc) and then we are back into our own world.

Once you have seen the portraits Romo paints, you are then intertwined with the world he creates. It is one that is difficult to forget.

[Erishia Woods]

overall a cool little read. There were multiple short stories pertaining to different people that live near on the border. Some more interesting than others. Some were left on a sort of cliff hanger where you wanted to know more.

[Rudy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set against the backdrop of South Texas, this collection of short stories offers a fascinating glimpse into a shadowy world we all hope doesn't exist - a world dominated by addiction, pain, loneliness and suffering. Reading these stories make me thankful for the life I have and yet I'm challenged to consider those who live their lives in the margins. This is a dark distraction from the saccharine books that dominate the typical summer beach read. Bien hecho!

[Mills College Library]

Fiction R766b 2013

[Wayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

short stories, sometimes with endings that leave you hanging, sorta like you can imagine the ending that works best for you.

[Cheryce Clayton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brutal

Like memories, each vignette is a glimpse at life in the no-man's land between the cash economy and the mainstream.

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brutal read, but I could not put it down once I started. Series of short stories of people living amongst the border.