El Puente/The Bridge

by Ito Romo

This tenderly wrought novel by a gifted new writer about a town on the Rio Grande resonates with pure border voices. Thirteen women—all ages and backgrounds—react in unexpected, humorous, and mysterious ways when one day the river suddenly turns crimson red. The bridge, which the women cross and re-cross in the course of this cycle of stories, becomes a site where the women acquire knowledge about their lives and their landscape as the mystery of the color of the river unravels. Romo illuminates a cross-section of border life in classic, lyrical prose, rich with elements of fable, ancient morality tales, and magic, all the while capturing the extraordinary textures of contemporary border life.

El Puente/The Bridge captivates and entertains with its mix of closely observed reality imbued with deep spirituality.

150 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 2000

About the author

Ito Romo was born and raised on the border in Laredo, Texas. His work, dubbed “Chicano Gothic” and “Chicano Noir,” shows the dark and gritty life along Interstate 35 through South Texas, where his family has lived for 11 generations. A former Professor of English Language and Literature, Romo was inducted into the Texas Institute of Letters in 2019. His books includeThe Border is Burning and El Puente / The Bridge, both published by University of New Mexico Press.He lives in San Antonio.

Reviews

[Noah Gagliardi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this for school, and it was the first book I’ve finished in a long time. Its depictions of grief are so abstract and confusing but feel very truthful. This book was full of genuinely baffling characters, and I hardly understood a single sentence. However, I don’t really think that was the point. El Puente is more about painting a picture of a single point in time - and it does that remarkably well. Much like how Tomasita breaks down after burning a pot of beans, I started sobbing after spilling all of my coffee in class last week. Ito Romo understands that the smallest troubles and little moments are the most important.

[Lauren Spinabelli]

Read this in college and decided to re-read it since I remember liking it, but definitely didn’t do it for me this time.

[Salsabrarian]

As the Rio Grande River flows red and attracts a growing hubbub of onlookers and media, the stories of 13 different Latina women unfold, their moments at this point in time connecting in back to the river. A woman gives birth on the bridge, another dies, one claims to the media that drinking the water grew her tooth back, others accidentally lose personal items in the river.

[Sarah Contreras · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was written by my creative writing professor in college. I thoroughly enjoyed his writing. And as a teacher he inspired me to strive for better each day. A very good read.

[Keli · Rating 4 out of 5]

short stories about different women that come upon the same event at the Rio Grande.