Happy That It's Not True

A Cuban rafter is telling a story to seven other men as they drift out at sea.  Only what seems like a story is actually his glimpse into a parallel existence.  Many years unfold in the storytelling as the balseros cling to life in the rough seas.  Cara, the young artist, grows up to become a troubled teenager, and her brother, Alex, develops into a genius with a weight problem.  Their, uncle, Diego, agrees to let them move in for the summer after a family crisis.  As Diego inspires and motivates Cara and Alex, he falls in love with an emotionally unavailable coworker.

The storyteller does not reveal all that he knows about lives of Diego, Cara and Alex.  But in his telling of the story, he tries to make sense of his own life and the erotic writings of the most mysterious person of all, his wife.

Meanwhile, in the parallel existence, the opposite of everything is true.

"This is an instant classic that immediately makes artist turned author Carlos Aleman the next big thing in literature. He has a natural ability that few authors with decades of experience can match."  --Jonathan Marcantoni (The Feast of San Sebastian)

"...a surprising, heartfelt, emotional literary debut." --Chris Campanioni (Going Down)

"Readers will fall in love with the poetic narrative, the memorable characters and the twists and turns of a most tantalizing story." --The Latina Book Club