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Jul 25, 2018DylanMcGonigle rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
An exquisitely crafted little novella, Villalobos writes the world of Tochtli, his father Yolcaut and his teacher Mazatzin with such care. We are never told Tochtli's age, just that he is a "little boy." We know next to nothing about his mother. There are many omissions like this that set the tone. This is not straight realism, or as Villalobos says, "While I was writing I wasn’t thinking about creating the plausible voice of a child of a certain age or condition. I was more interested in doing something with language, finding a voice that captivated me. " I find it particularly interesting how Villalobos frames the story—where he chooses to begin, and to end. The choices highlight how this is Tochtli's story, centered around what matters most to him at that moment in time, and not elaborating and answering all of our questions as readers. There is the sense that this is one of only many chapters in Tochtli's life, and at the end a sort of cyclicism seems to creep in. Read carefully and enjoy the use of language.