The Tortilla Curtain
 

The Tortilla Curtain

by T.C. Boyle

While leading their lives in their gated hilltop community in Los Angeles, Delaney and Kyra Mossbacher accidently meet Mexican illegal aliens Ca+a7ndido and Ame+a7rica Rinco+a7n, and their encounter brings them together in a relationship of error and misunderstanding. Reprint. (read review)

Top tags: fictioncontemporary fictioncaliforniamexicoimmigrants (all tags)

 

Member Reviews

  • sthurner
    1 of 1 members found this review helpful.
    • Rated 4 stars

    I have tried and tried to get my friends to read The Tortilla Curtain. Too dark, is their lame excuse. I find this novel to be wonderfully funny, terrible, ironic, and gut wrenching. We have two couples, one Mexican, one middle class Californian, who come together when the white husband accidentally hits the Latino on the road. We learn that each couple has its troubles, and each just wants to be happy. Candido and America (love the names) want to find jobs and settle enough to raise their expected child. The Mossbachers just want to keep their little gated community safe from coyotes and illegal immigrants. The real problems start with a frozen Thanksgiving turkey and a fire. You just have to read it.

    sthurner wrote this review Tuesday, October 16 2007. ( reply | view 1 replies | permalink )
  • She
    • Rated 4 stars

    A well-told story of two extremes: destitute, illegal immigrants and entitled upper-middle class whites both vying for survival in the same Southern California space. The scales are tipped back and forth as the chapters reveal each protagonist's story.

    She wrote this review Monday, September 1 2008. ( reply | permalink )
  • Tim O
    • Rated 5 stars

    T C Boyle is my new favorite author. This story touches upon every opinion there is on the subject of illegal aliens. A must read

    Tim O wrote this review Sunday, August 10 2008. ( reply | permalink )
  • Mariya K
    • Rated 5 stars

    This book gives you atmost valuable perspective on what's important, what's essential in life.

    I think everyone in pursute of Happiness and in search of meaning of life should read it.

    Mariya K wrote this review Monday, July 28 2008. ( reply | permalink )
  • Dan S
    • Rated 3 stars

    It felt a little overtly preachy to me...

    Dan S wrote this review Saturday, July 5 2008. ( reply | permalink )
  • Suzanne C
    • Rated 0 stars

    Very engrossing and well written but ending was a let down, I think. Waiting to meet with my book club to see if they have a better take on the ending, which I found to be like House of Sand And Fog.

    Suzanne C wrote this review Thursday, July 3 2008. ( reply | permalink )
  • odd duck
    • Rated 5 stars

    I borrowed this book from my friend Joanne. I was really reluctant to read it at first. I thought , "Wow, this sounds boring". I was so wrong. This is one of those books that really makes you think. Not only am I a white girl from California, but, where I work I meet a lot of people that only speak Spanish. This story hit very close to home. My friend Joanne said, "You will be a better person for reading this book".

    odd duck wrote this review Wednesday, June 25 2008. ( reply | permalink )
  • shravan b
    • Rated 4 stars

    its a good one

    shravan b wrote this review Monday, June 9 2008. ( reply | permalink )
  • Elke
    • Rated 4 stars

    As with just about everything by Boyle, I loved this book. His facility with language is inspiring to me. I love it when it takes me a long time to read a book because I keep going back to reread lines just because they are so beautifully written. I really enjoyed the characters in this book and how the stories were woven together. A couple of things seemed like they weren't completely thought through, though. I'm thinking specifically about the scene in which the young Mexican wife is cleaning at the rich pig's house. She forgot to wear gloves until she got basically poisoned from the cleaning solution? Come now. I've been a housecleaner. This doesn't happen. Aside from that, the last scene in which all lives are brought together: brilliantly conceived, brilliantly written. I tumbled along with the characters (I won't give spoilers, but it was great) and felt very satisfied with the ending. (Oh yeah, and a couple of years later IT HAPPENED! Right here in a California suburb similiar to the one in the book. I can only imagine the rueful "I told you so" on Boyle's lips when he read about that in the paper.)

    Elke wrote this review Wednesday, May 28 2008. ( reply | permalink )
  • Jupe82
    • Rated 5 stars

    This is the first T.C Boyle I ever read and I was hooked. I fall easily and willingly into Boyle's worlds.

    Jupe82 wrote this review Wednesday, May 21 2008. ( reply | permalink )
Displaying 1-10 of 43 reviews
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