American Dreams

No one knows how Porfirio entered the United States. Some say he traveled on the winds of a sandstorm, others say he walked over the hills, and still others say he flew. In the first story of this masterful collection, Porfirio, the donkey, follows the very real, human flight north. Whimsical and magical, Porfirio's journey becomes mythologized as part of the lore of the trail of people moving north.

From Doña Asunción, who by sheer force of will helps her terminally ill son outwit science . . . to a very exhausted Lady Death who has lost all interest in her vocation . . . to a bottle-blond phone sex girl who’s looking for love . . . González Viaña pens bold and powerful depictions of immigrant life. Infused with the hearty folk traditions of Latin America, these stories follow immigrants as they face fierce challenges in adapting to life on the other side of the border.