In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

A B o r d e r L i f e b y t h e B o o k R a m ó n S a l d í v a r O n e d ay in t h e lat e sp r in g o f 1958, So n ia a n d I cam e h o m e fr o m sc h o o l t o fin d t h at o u r m o t h e r h a d d o n e so m e t h in g co m p le t e ly o u t o f ch ar acter . In t h e m id d le o f t h e tin y fr o n t r o o m t h a t w e u se d as a c o m b in a t io n T V r o o m , d en , liv in g r o o m , d in in g r o o m , an d so m e t im e s, w h e n m y fat h e r h a d d o n e so m e t h in g p ar t icu lar ly b ad , a b e d r o o m , t h er e in t h e m id d le o f t h e r o o m , in p ar t ially u n w r ap p ed sp len d or , lik e a M e x ic a n C h r ist m a s in Ju ly, w as a sp le n d id st ac k o f m agn ifice n t ly gle am in g, w h it e fau x-leath er , gilt - ed ged , W o r ld Bo o k E n cy clo p e d ia v o lu m e s. I am n o t su re t h at I c a n easily co m m u n icat e to you t h at w e w ere n o t a n en cy clop ed ia so rt o f fam ily. It still h ap p en s t o m e, an d I’m su re to So n ia an d Jo sé, t h at som etim es w h en so m eon e figu res ou t t h at w e are n o t th r ee r an d o m Sald iv ar s bu t t h at w e h ap p e n to b e related, t h at so m eon e im agin es t h at w e are fr om an acad em ic fam ily. Su rely , h e o r sh e w ill say, yo u r fat h e r w as a p r o fesso r o f r o m an ce p h ilo lo gy , o r m ay b e an E n glish teach er . N o ; I’m afraid n o t . O u r fa t h e r h a d a fo u r t h - gr ad e e d u c at io n an d w as a lab o r e r all o f h is w o r k in g life. U p t o t h a t m o m e n t in 1958, I d o n o t r e m e m b e r an y t h in g r e ad ab le ar o u n d t h e h o u se , o t h e r t h a n m ay b e o n e o f o u r sc h o o l t e x t b o o k s, o r p e r h ap s a r an d o m...

pdf

Share