Advance Praise for Bodega Stories
“Everyone is familiar with the neighborhood bodega, but not everyone gets to know the inner workings of such places. Bodega Storiestakes you behind the scenes, into the heart of one family’s business. Its draw is magnetic and only strengthened by the tenderness and charm Castillo infuses into so many of her vignettes.”—Annabelle Tometich, author of The Mango Tree: A Memoir of Fruit, Florida, and Felony
“A compelling story. Bodega Stories gives voice to the working-class immigrants from the Caribbean who often play such important roles in community building, those who create safe spaces for gathering like bodegas, barbershops, salones de belleza, and mom-and-pop restaurants. Castillo’s descriptions are rich and layered, giving a sense of place and situating the reader beautifully inside each nook and cranny of Orlando Latin Market.”—Erika Morillo, author of Mother Archive: A Dominican Family Memoir
“I love this book. Bodega Stories is a joyful portrait not only of Castillo’s family and their bodega but also of the larger community of immigrants hailing from the Caribbean and Latin America that come to Orlando Latin Market in search of home. Castillo gracefully weaves together the memories, interviews, and stories of her family and customers with loving detail and the precision of a poet.”—Claire Jiménez, author of What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez
“With care, insight and sensitivity, Castillo captures what makes bodegas so important and necessary. In depicting her parents’ experience operating Orlando Latin Market, Castillo introduces us to the community upon which the bodega depends—bringing to life a vibrant multicultural, multilingual, multigenerational community, shining a light on people who are often overlooked, and holding space for those who are often crowded out.”—Amina Gautier, author of The Best That You Can Do
