4.3 stars

I really enjoyed this collection of heartwarming short stories set in 1970s California, where a young Chicano boy named Gordo navigates life in a migrant workers' camp. I laughed, reflected, and explored the true meaning of resilience. These stories explore the theme of otherness and its various forms within the community. Gordo's experiences reflect the struggles of migrant families, those who are documented and those who are not. The characters' cultural and racial identities intersect with their personal journeys, creating a tapestry of perspectives that offers insight into the challenges of life as an outsider.

You would like this book. If you're drawn to stories that vividly capture the essence of a specific time and place, "Gordo" by Jaime Cortez is a must-read. Set in the 1970s in migrant worker camps near Watsonville, California, this collection of interconnected short stories offers a poignant and humorous glimpse into the lives of characters who grapple with identity, family dynamics, cultural expectations, and the complexities of growing up.

Here are 10 reasons to Read 'Gordo':

- Unique Perspective: Experience life through the eyes of Gordo, a ten-year-old boy facing challenges and discoveries.
- Heartfelt Humor: Explore the ups and downs of Gordo's journey with a touch of humor that'll make you smile.
- Nostalgic Setting: Transport yourself to the 1970s farmworker camps of California, beautifully described and rich in detail.
- Diversity Matters: Delve into the intersection of culture, identity, and queerness as Gordo comes to terms with who he is.
- Artistic Flair: Meet characters like Fat Cookie, the talented muralist, and experience the power of creativity and self-expression.
- Thought-Provoking Themes: Reflect on issues of family, poverty, masculinity, and the pursuit of the American dream.
- Narrative Cohesion: Enjoy a collection of interconnected stories that weave together seamlessly, creating a captivating whole.
- Empathy and Connection: Gain a deeper understanding of the struggles faced by migrant families while building emotional connections.
- Resilience and Growth: Follow Gordo's journey as he learns to embrace his individuality and rise above adversity.
- Perfect Fall Read: Curl up with 'Gordo' on a crisp autumn day, and let the warmth of the stories envelop you.

It's important to note that "Gordo" does not shy away from difficult subjects. The stories delve into themes such as domestic violence, cultural clashes, and the challenges faced by LGBTQ+ individuals in a time when acceptance was limited. Some readers may find these topics uncomfortable or triggering. Additionally, while the narrative maintains a thread of humor, there are instances of violence and gore that might be unsettling for some readers.

In "Gordo," Jaime Cortez skillfully weaves together a collection of short stories that are at once charming, heartwarming, and thought-provoking. The book offers a unique blend of historical fiction, cultural exploration, and coming-of-age narrative. The author's ability to capture the essence of 1970s California farm towns, the struggles of migrant families, and the complexity of identity creates a rich and memorable reading experience.

The stories within "Gordo" are a testament to the power of literature to illuminate the lives of characters who are often marginalized and overlooked. Through Gordo's eyes, readers are invited to explore a world where humor and darkness coexist, where vulnerability is both a source of pain and strength. This collection is an affirmation of the human experience in all its complexities, making it a captivating and resonant addition to contemporary literature. Whether you're interested in exploring the intricacies of identity, cultural dynamics or simply immersing yourself in well-crafted storytelling, "Gordo" promises an engaging and rewarding reading journey.

Absolutely loved this collection of short stories by Jaime Cortez. Exquisitely written, with a lot of laugh-out-loud moments (I mean, I was dying right from the beginning with "The Jesus Donut," made even more hilarious by audiobook narration) and quietly heartbreaking ones as well. Overall, the collection leaves you with a very specific sense of place, which is something I always feel grateful for. I would recommend this book to anyone who reads literary fiction or short fiction - it's one of my very favorite reads from 2021 and on my shortlist of favorite short story collections.

Gordo is a collection of short stories set in and around Watsonville, California in the 1970s, largely featuring working-class Mexican Americans (including at a migrant workers' camp). While the stories stand alone, many star Gordo, an overweight young boy who's routinely picked on and has to deal with others' expectations of masculinity.

I read the first half of this collection in bits and pieces, and the second half in one fell swoop. I'm not sure if Cortez hit a stride at the halfway point or if I got used to the author's voice; either way, the latter half flowed better for me.

I thought the standout story was Alex, though several of these stories had vivid scenes and characters. I'm not sure if anyone uses the words "slice of life" with regard to texts (or if that's just for photography), but that's what came to mind when reading this collection.

Such an incredible selection of short stories that tell an all encompassing narrative about life in the city for a person of color. It is a really stunning work of writing. I cannot wait to read what is next.

Cortez's Gordo is a collection of snapshots giving us Gordo and a view into what being fat, gay, son of Mexican migrants, living in California in the 70's means.

Excellent narration. Each story is solid on it's own. If viewed as part of the whole we get to see parts including the underbelly of what being this kind of American means. The poverty, the homesickness, the cultivation of the value of money and other American values such as the veneration of the donut, family, being yourself, being American or not.

An ARC gently given by author/publisher via Netgalley.

Am I surprised that Gordo by Jaime Cortez, a collection of shorrt stories, is one of my favorite books of 2021? A little bit, and that made me like it even more -- five stars worth. The stories in this debut collection connect and dovetail, creating gorgeous literary art. Title character Gordo, a middle-school-aged kid growing up in a Mexican American family in 1970's Central California farm towns, where, "It's not a good idea to be different." Gordo is different, and he's only just arriving at that awareness, though he can't yet define it. Cortez's voice is pitch-perfect, the stories' language firmly rooted in time and place: "Before we cross la linea, Ma stops driving and Pa takes the wheel because the driving in Mexicali is cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs." I loved all the stories and how they built upon one another, but my favorite is the finale, "Ofelia's Last Ride," wherein Gordo and his family return to Mexicali for a visit that coincides with a funeral. Narrator Gordo describes both the formal rituals and the everyday rituals of his family in such rich, vibrant, fully fleshed detail. In his difference, in this time pre-coming out, pre-call to lgbt activism, Gordo doesn't know himself yet, but he's starting to see parts of himself in others: "I know for a fact that El Puma, a champion wrestler, would never let her or nobody look at his face under the mask, so if she never saw his face, she must have fallen in love with the way he looks in those little black underwears and boots, which I don't blame her for cuz, he gots all kinds of muscles on his arms and chest and even his caboose looks hard, like two turtles taking a nap." I repeat: five stars.

[Thanks to Black Cat, an imprint of Grove Atlantic, and NetGalley for an opportunity to read an e-ARC of this book in exchange for my opinion.]

OH-EM-GEE!

What a fascinatingly brilliant debut collection of short stories! Jaime Cortez’, Gordo is representative of everything I look for in a good read. It is witty, exploratory, emotionally charged, diverse, and thoughtfully executed. Each of the stories were interwoven and connected, following “Gordo”, a young boy who is coming of age in 1970s northern California in a migrant workers camp. The author breathes life into Gordo’s story using beautiful imagery and characters who all in some way become highlights in his journey to becoming. Gordo struggles with identity issues and living up to his father and the larger societal standards for manhood. Knowing that he is unique but still desiring to be accepted and truly seen.

“Becoming invisible would be the best superpower. I think that a lot of people don’t like what they see when they look at me. I’m doing something wrong all the time, but I don’t understand what it is. That’s why I sometimes stay with the men on Saturday nights. They’re normal. With them, maybe I can learn how to be a normal boy, a real boy, instead of me. But do you know what else?”

The author touches on so many themes while finding a way to keep things light. I applaud this. Bullying, physical and verbal abuse, religion, immigration, homophobia, colorism, and body shaming are just some of those explored. I can appreciate the space given to highlight the LGBT community, especially.

Although these connected stories were exceptionally strong, some of my favorites are: ”The Jesus Donut”, “The Nasty Book Wars”, “Raymundo The Fag”, and “Cookie”. I enjoyed the flow of this collection and found it hard to put down.

Cortez, a native of California roots absolutely got it right and evoked an astounding amount of nostalgia surrounding my own upbringing a decade or two later in SoCal. The food, the music, the cultural influences…all good memories!

Thank you to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. It far exceeded my expectations BRAVO!!

"The dogs are melting. Lobo is lying on the porch with his pink tongue hanging out. Chiquita is hiding under the car with her ears down. Everybody is hiding from the sun except for me. I'm riding my bicycle, so I can feel some wind when I pedal. It's not working too good. Past the tomato fields, I can see this family walking along San Juan Highway. Right away I know they ain't doing so good..."

I found myself thinking how much reading these stories felt like reading Sholem Aleichem. However farfetched that idea--one author writes about life in a Mexican-American agricultural family, and the other about life in Eastern European shtetls--both authors center their stories on family and community, and both authors use a complicated humor to drive their stories forward. There's a clarity in this storytelling that's so refreshing, so vivid. Each story feels simple in the beginning, almost trivial, and then evolves into something very deeply felt. Really a remarkable collection.

This is a wonderful collection of short stories about the various people living in a worker's camp in Watsonville, California. Set in the 1970s, it has all the atmospherics of the time. Are these marginalized people? Yes, in many ways, but they are also vivid and real and people you would actually like to know more about. Gordo, of the title story, struggles with self and the expectations of others. Cortez has a way of making his characters come alive with a few words. Some of it is funny, some of it is tragic, some of it details things many of us would turn away from. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I'm very much looking forward to more from Cortez. Highly recommend.

Jaime Cortez's Gordo is one of those titles that keeps providing more rewards as readers work their way through it. The individual stories are varied, engaging, distressing, hopeful. But these stories add up to something larger. In a sense, these stories are a novel—one that takes readers through many shifts of perspective and that requires readers' assistance in pulling it into a whole. And I mean this in a good way.

Imagine a photo of a place. Cut that photo into pieces, discarding a few, but keeping most. Then use those pieces to create a mobile. Watch the pieces as they move in relation to one another, as different bits come into proximity. Ask yourself questions about the handful of pieces that are missing. That's what reading Gordo is like. And I mean that in a very good way.

The characters in Gordo are residents of the agricultural lands that make up California's Central Coast: agricultural workers and their children; documented and undocumented; kind and unkind; gay, straight, and questioning. Each story offers exactly the sort of detail and precision that readers need. Cortez creates complex characters and situations without every writing with unnecessary complexity. And, as I said above, the rewards keep coming as the stories inform one another. The further I got in Gordo, the harder it was to put the book down and the more I had to fight to keep myself from racing through stories to see what was still to come.

I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher; the opinions are my own.

Gordo is a short story collection, about a Mexican-American family in 1970s California. I really liked how this book showed the family’s experiences – without the need for excessive explanation or clarification, or trying to dictate the reader’s opinion. That’s always a turn-off for me, I feel like it’s talking down to the reader, so it was something I enjoyed about this book – living the experiences with Gordo and seeing things through his eyes.

As I said, it’s a short story collection, but most of the stories are told in the first person by Gordo so we have the same cast of characters and we get to know a little more about him and his family and life. This is nice as you get a feeling of the story continuing rather than stopping and starting, which is sometimes off-putting with stories. However, there were three stories around the middle which were not told by Gordo and were about other characters. A couple of minor names we’d seen before came up but otherwise, these seemed unconnected, so it was a little jarring to be taken away from Gordo (we were taken back to him for the finish). I must say though, that the two stories about Raymundo were my favourites, and although quite sad my favourite Gordo story was the longest of the book: Alex.

I really enjoyed these stories, they’re quite understated and on the surface can seem quite light-hearted but also deal with some heavier issues. I definitely think the stories got stronger the more I read and the second half was much better than the first. Jaime Cortez is definitely a name I’ll keep an eye out for – in fact, I would love to read a book just about Raymundo!

Thank you NetGalley and all for the ARC!

I’m always excited to be introduced to a Bay Area author. I’m not only jazzed with fulfillment having read these ‘debut’ connected-short stories:
….The Jesus Donut, El Gordo, Chorizo, Cookie, The Nasty Wars, Fandango, Alex, The Pardos, The Problem of Style, Raymundo the Flag, and Ofelia’s Last Ride….
THE TYPE OF STORIES WE NEED MORE OF….
…..But I’m excited to learn more about Jamie Cortez and his other work — his contributions as an inspiring role model as an LGBT activist, and HIV/AIDS prevention work.
The collection of these short stories, may be a ‘debut’, collection, but Jaime didn’t just suddenly popped out of the woodwork. He’s been a graphic artist, visual artist, teacher, and performer, as well as a writer.
Based out of Northern California (lucky us), his fiction, essays, drawings, have appeared in diverse publications including the. ‘Kindegarde: Experimental Writing for Children”.
From comics to Fantagraphics…. Street Art in San Francisco…he wrote and illustrated the graphic novel “Sexile”….for AIDS Project Los Angeles.

“Cortez often combines humor and tragedy to tell stories of resilient survivors on the margins of the economy, the law, and social acceptability”….
AMEN!!!!!

And…..Rebecca Solnit said it best when she wrote:
“What if David Sedaris and Richard Rodriguez were the same person? What if it was possible to tell stories about farmworkers and Latinx rural people with hilarity, queerness, tenderness, poetic precision? What if Jamie Cortez existed and had a book coming out and you were lucky enough to read it in a few months’ time?”
…..
Again….. I say, AMEN!

I can’t imagine anyone not being a little in ‘awe’ with these stories.
Readers will be introduced to a colorful cast in these very entertaining stories — Gordo, his older sister, Sylvie, cousins: Cesar, Olga and Tiny….
a few bullies….a few grownups—-Grandma, Ma, Pa, …etc. (drunk adults, abusive adults….a few kind moments too).
LOTS of HUMOR…(laugh out loud humor)—-all in the context of moral vicissitudes, sadness, and down right failures.
Hardship and humiliation - bad luck and hard knocks are floating right below the surface — (poverty, discrimination, and the grueling work for migrant workers (documented and undocumented), at Gyrich Farms Worker Camp: near Watsonville California in the 1970’s)…..
Its the children’s voices that completely steal our hearts.

“The Jesus Donut”:
“We never had no van full of donuts arrive here at the Gyrich Farms Worker Camp before”. …… chocolate donuts… some with rainbow sprinkles… some with coconut….and huge cookies…. (oatmeal, chocolate chip, and yellow have-a-nice-day smiley face cookie). It was a miracle!….
But….
The donuts were not free… “You gotta pay”….
THIS STORY WAS PRICELESS and hilarious. The title ‘fits’.

All the stories connect - flow perfectly together…
I felt the loneliness for Gordo when he was home alone, lying on his bunk, eating Fritos and reading…” Encyclopedia Brown Saves the Day”…etc.
Gordo’s Pa wants to make a strong fit man out of Gordo. Pa brings home training equipment… boot-camp-workout-expectations.
When Gordo was jump roping …rather exhausting over a period of time - boring too…he started to sing his favorite song that he learned from his sister, Sylvie.
“I’m a little princess
Dressed in blue
Here are the things
I like to do:
Salute to the captain
Bow to the queen,
Turn my back
On the submarine.
I can do the tap dance,
I can do the splits—“…..
“DON’T”…..says Pa. NO SINGING…..
Again…..this story will have you totally hooked….we’re dying to know how it comes together….

We meet Lobo…(Gordo’s dog)…get an experience of working in the tomato fields, family, friendships, visitors, yummy foods of frying pan onions, dried masa for tortillas, eggs, chorizo,
or pancakes, carne asada, pozole, chicken soup….etc.

We will be introduced to the terms Chicana and beaner.
Being a beaner means you don’t have papers to be in the United States of America. “It means you’re a mojado, just another wetback.
“No sir. I’m not no wetback. I was born over in Hollister, at Linda Hawkins Hospital. We’ve lived here in San Juan Bautista since I was a baby”.
We meet Fat Cookie….a terrific artist.
Gordo says:
“Wow. This drawing is boss. I always thought Fat Cookie only knew how to be mean. But she’s not only mean, she’s an artist”.

Tons of heart…harrowing, powerful, and highly imaginative stories.

Thank you, Grove Atlantic, Netgalley, and Jaime Cortez (I hope to meet him around and about in the Bay Area….maybe at a book reading?)

Normally I'm not a fan of short stories, but because these were connected, this read smoothly, like a novel. I enjoyed the location these stories took place, because I live nearby. The characters were well-developed, and the stories flowed smoothly from one to the next. My favorites were "Alex" and "Raymundo the Fag. "Thank-you to NetGalley, Grove Atlantic, and Jaime Cortez for the ARC of this title.

Grove Press always has stunning authors and this book is another amazing glowing testament to that. This collection of short stories really takes you places, the richness of the children's voice, the tone of the stories was the best part of it. This book was not only entertaining, but very raw at some points, what a hell of a way to present Latino narratives without leaving out the gritty but also presenting a childlike quality to other stories.

I enjoyed it a lot.

***FIRST FIVE-STAR BOOK FOR 2021***

Thank you to NetGalley and Grove Press for the ARC.

My man Jaime Cortez BODIED this collection of short stories like a luchador coming down off the top rope for a body slam. This collection has everything you could want from a short story collection: the ineffable balance between text and subtext, the surprising yet inevitable ending, and characters of flesh and bone and blood and marrow and the fine baby hairs curling at their temples, or so it seemed to me, so vivid and corporeal. The interconnectedness of these stories elevated the entire collection as well, allowing us to weave in and out of character arcs as they triumph or reach piques of mercy trying.

What truly impressed me (as if I haven't hyped this enough) is the way that the author captures the perspective of a child. So many modern books fail at this book, writing children seen from the adult view, or trying to rewrite their own childhood in curdled nostalgia or vapid naiveté. The dialogue between the children is sharp, accompanied by the inconsistent strands of logic that consume a child's mind before fleeing to make room for a new thought. Our titular character, Gordo, is a delight, large yet tender, gay yet feeling the urge to appease the masculine demands around him, a thoughtful boy who is still in awe of the sharp-tongued children around him. The rest of the ragtag band of children are fantastic, as is the worker's camp setting, a land and time unknown to me that still asserts itself as deeply familiar.

Listen to full reviews at https://bookclubbed.buzzsprout.com/.

Gordo is a really thought-provoking and well crafted collection of short stories speaking to Latinx experiences. I loved reading through the stories, I thought the characters and tales were wonderfully presented.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’ll start off by saying that this collection of essays was extremely entertaining. I think it’s so relatable in so many ways; growing up Latino in the hood, growing up chubby and having body issues and also growing up queer and trying to understand and navigate that.
I felt like these stories were well written and even tho the character development wasn’t much we got such a good sense of who these people were; cookie, negro,Gordo; these are such popular nicknames that we’ve all been bound to know someone simply by this nickname which again I found relatable and hysterical.
Where I think there may be a bit of work is in the tone and voice carried throughout the collection. If the book is titled gordo I think there are some stories that could be re-worked to be refocused on Gordo or scrapped (even tho they are stand alone GREAT stories). It also felt like when it was from a child’s perspective for the most part and in Spanglish it was so on the nose; where in other parts; specifically I think in the beginning of “the nasty book wars” and “the pardos” the writing is a little more elevated and though it shows range, for continuity purposes I think this could be reworked in Gordo’s voice. It almost reads like two separate people writing this where one is Gordo and his recounting of childhood memories and this other narrator who wouldn’t sound like him as an adult.

definitely reads like a fun beach read though I don’t think that’s maybe it’s intention but I absolutely loved it, read it in one sitting and aside from the note on continuity in voice and writing style I would say it’s a strong collection.

My absolute favorite was Chorizo and the character Vampi; had be laughing and I could see numerous kids I interacted in my youth that could be her and I kick myself for not being clever enough for not coming up with that nickname then.

Thank you for the early access! This made the start of my Sunday incredibly entertaining

Loved this collection of short stories about life as immigrants. Immigrant life is indeed hardest for children who are neither here nor there. Through the free flow of words, it almost felt like reading a memoir

Public discourse regarding immigration over the past several years has been increasingly focused on keeping people out, turning “caravans” away at the border, hunting “illegals”, and, most hauntingly, separating children from their parents.

These moral crimes and horrors have served to drown out the reality and struggles of those who have succeeded in making it to the US - working diligently to carve out a new life under harsh conditions of poverty, discrimination, and deprivation. It is primarily these predominantly LatinX families that are Jaime Cortez’ focus in his wonderful debut collection, “Gordo”.

The stories are loosely connected, short, poignant, and provocative. A common thread is The Fight or The Struggle, competition that is both physical and psychological. Adults contend to get a leg up on the endless ladder to the American Dream while simultaneously putting pennies away or dodging “La Migra”. It is the life of the agri-migrant, itinerant working family- sometimes with papers, often without, occasionally with enough money left over at the end of the week to waste on beer, more often with a debt to the landowner. Children are first-generation Dreamers or natural born citizens, needing to battle to make their mark as adolescents burdened with the challenges of race, color, ethnicity, and class.

One thing holding several stories together is Gordo. He is a pre-teen with rare wisdom and empathy, encountering a challenging world that he doesn’t fully understand. Gordo is used to being mocked for his body, his naivete, his curiosity and grace. He does not have many real role models with time to help him navigate, especially ones that could help him grapple with gender identity questions.
Cortez’ stories are impactful in subtle ways. Many have abrupt endings that force the reader to think deeply before moving on. It is a style that should lend itself to an equally powerful debut novel that I look forward to reading in the near future.

Thank you to Grove Press, Black Cat and NetGalley for the dARC.

I'm not normally a fan of short stories, but these stories each connected to each other in a way that felt more like reading a memoir or a description. The stories are of the children of migrant families and their everyday lives and community traditions. It is set mostly in the 1970's and describes a more innocent time, in some ways. If Everybody is Kung Fu Fighting resonates with you, you'll enjoy this book. I thought it was a lovely read and I only wish there are more stories to come.