Helpful Score: 9
I lived in Topanga Canyon during the period described in this novel. Boyle hits all the right notes, describing the canyon and its denizens. A touching tale of moral ambiguities. Don't miss it.
Helpful Score: 8
Very well written and balanced story about illegal immigrants in Los Angeles, how they live and how they affect the lives of the Americans in the community. Very timely, excellent book.
Helpful Score: 7
This book is a must read - it brought understanding to much of the culture you don't see in a big city... eye-opening and real.
Helpful Score: 7
This book offers a fascinating glimpse at two completely different worlds that eventually collide. It is the story of two couples, one Mexican immigrant and the other Southern California yuppies. It was a riveting read, very difficult to put down.
Helpful Score: 6
Engaging & thought-provoking look at the contrasting and intersecting lives of two couples in California: one enjoying the privileges of life in the upper middle class, the other struggle to survive after crossing the border from Mexico without papers. Worth reading alongside the final section from Schlosser's (nonfiction) *Reefer Madness: Sex, Drugs and Cheap Labor in the American Black Market."
