Hard Language

A stubborn drive to better their lot motivates the Mexican and Mexican-American protagonists of the eight stories in Padilla's strong debut collection. Zeroing in on unexpected, illuminating situations and relationships, Padilla examines issues of language, progress, assimilation and family, setting his narratives in Tijuana and communities in California. In ""Flora in Shadows,"" as in several of the tales, loyalty to friends and family competes with the desire to get ahead. Flora and Alicia, middle-aged former best friends, grow close again when Flora's husband dies and she moves in with Alicia. But Flora, who drinks too much and won't get a job, threatens to destroy the life Alicia has built for herself, and Alicia must decide just what their rocky friendship means to her. In ""The King of Snow,"" Jorge Morales is a freshman at Stanford, the one member of his family to make good. He is fiercely loyal to his brother, Mart n, a drug dealer who made sure Jorge wouldn't have to follow in his footsteps. When a beautiful girl with a coke habit asks Jorge to do her a favor, however, Jorge loses sight of his goals, only to be rescued one last time by Mart n. One of the most moving stories in the collection, ""Carrying Sergei,"" tells of the unusual friendship between tomboyish 14-year-old Margarita and Sergei, a scrawny Russian immigrant boy and gifted pianist. Margarita bullies Sergei at first, but after she is welcomed into his unorthodox home, she grows to love him and makes a supreme sacrifice for his sake. Love turns sour in the title story, when a young married immigrant cannot curb his jealousy. Antonio encourages his wife to learn English with him and help out in his new business, but in the end sabotages his own best-laid plans. Padilla's writing is straightforward and full of engaging images and metaphors. Fresh and free of clich , his stories shed a warm light on Latino lives in the U.S. (Sept.)