Shaky Town: A Novel

Mathew’s vibrant if uneven novel in stories (after L.A. Breakdown) tours a 1980s East Los Angeles neighborhood through the varied perspectives of its residents. Emiliano Gomez, the self-proclaimed “mayor” of Shaky Town who claims to have lived there since 1922, once worked as a carpenter for MGM, but was fired for drinking. In “Crazy Life,” Emiliano’s niece Dulcie convinces her boyfriend, Jesús “Chuey” Medina, to get out of a drive-by shooting rap by testifying against his friend “Sleepy” Chavez. Chuey ends up a junkie and is later murdered by Sleepy’s little brother. In “Dona Anita,” Emiliano’s neighbor Mrs. Espinosa recounts Emiliano’s many family tragedies. Later, Emiliano overcomes a decadeslong rift between Mrs. Espinosa and himself and gives a speech at her 75th birthday party. Less successful are sections focused on white high school boys causing trouble and a lengthy account of a priest who loses his faith. Emiliano reappears in a brilliant personal history of Chavez Ravine involving a curse his Aunt Lupe put on Dodger Stadium that comes to fruition when Shaky Town lives up to its name with an earthquake. It’s a mixed bag, but the best pieces linger. (Aug.)