Piel de Armadillo = Armadillo Skin

Though many of the characters in this literary debut carry the burden of minimalism, Punti's own distinctive virtues as a writer his plainspoken prose, his feel for contemporary alienation, and his ability to make the reader experience empathy define him as a young Spanish author bound to make an impact. In this short story collection, which won the Critica Serra d'Or and Fundacio Enciclop dia Catalana awards, children are everywhere, and so is the television. Women are bridges that go nowhere, and humor performs the task of guardian angel. In one story, a man misses his sister and their adolescence, a time when fortune cookies were treasures that granted them both the possibility of being someone else. In another, an ostrasized boy finds his true genius in teaching a friend to throw a stone. The most significant characteristic of Punti's stories is their nearly obsessive concern with chance, coincidence, and the gift of luck. Reminiscent of Jean Baudrillard and of Paul Auster's The Music of Chance (Penguin, 1993) perhaps due to Punti's work as a translator of the likes of Auster, Amelie Nothomb, and Daniel Pennac.] This is recommended for academic and public libraries with specialized collections of Latin American and Spanish literature and large bookstores. Irene Vilar Mendes, Syracuse, NY