Amigoland
by Cecilia Gonzalez, posted on 2010-03-31 00:38:43As I began to read Amigoland by Oscar Casares, I was a little hesitant. I realized I had never read a book whose main characters were, well, how could I say this delicately? Old.
I didn’t know if I could relate to the book, but as all my boys were still sleeping and I didn’t have anything else to read, I continued. I found myself pleasantly captivated by the life of Don Celestino. I was right, I couldn’t relate to him as he is an older man living in a retirement home, but since both of my grandfathers are alive, I felt as if I had a chance to dive into their world for a while.
Don Celestino’s view of his world was humorous at times, but it gave me a great insight into the lives of people that are dumped into retirement homes and forgotten. They still have dreams and of course, their memories of their younger days.
I realized that most of our abuelitos are very lucky in the sense that we, Latinos, don’t believe in retirement homes for our older relatives. We take care of them until they pass on.
The book had many wonderfully touching moments between Don Celestino and his estranged brother Don Fidencio. They reunite after Don Fidencio’s new lover, Socorro, who is also his housekeeper, insists on meeting his only living brother. She would love to develop their weekly physical relationship into something more and realizes it might help if she got to know his family better.
Don Fidencio, Don Celestino and Socorro go on an exploratory trip into Mexico where they learn that they are not as different as they thought.
I enjoyed this book so much that I actually finished reading it in one day. I couldn’t put it down. This is a book I will definitely recommend to anybody that has had a relationship, of any magnitude, with his or her grandparent. I wanted to go hug my abuelitos as soon as I finished reading this book.
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