Love War Stories
Puerto Rican girls are brought up to want one thing: true love. Yet they are raised by women whose lives are marked by broken promises, grief, and betrayal. While some believe that they'll be the ones to finally make it work, others swear not to repeat cycles of violence. This collection documents how these "love wars" break out across generations as individuals find themselves caught in the crosshairs of romance, expectations, and community.
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Born in Arecibo, Puerto Rico, Ivelisse Rodriguez earned a PhD in English creative writing from the University of Illinois at Chicago and an MFA from Emerson College. She has published fiction in All about Skin: Short Fiction by Women of Color, the Boston Review, the Bilingual Review, and others. She is a senior fiction editor at Kweli, a Kimbilio fellow, and a VONA/Voices alum.
"[An] exceptional collection of short stories. . . . Filled with memorable characters and sharp writing, this book will leave you breathless." --Bustle
"Throughout the collection, Rodriguez's prose pulls you in, and her characters will stay with you even when the stories are only a few pages long." --BUST
"Both heartbreaking and insightful." --Publishers Weekly
"Stunning." --MyDomaine
"[A] perceptive exploration of love, heartbreak, and womanhood." --The Seattle Review of Books
"A bold collection that marks the shortfall between romantic illusions and reality." --Foreword Reviews
"Rodriguez writes brilliantly of love, life, and loss."--Brooklyn Rail
"Love War Stories serves up love every which way: thwarted, obsessive, suffered over, delirious, consummated, unexpected. It rejects cultural traditions yet remains beholden to them. It fights with itself and others. It worships Julia de Burgos (as do I). And at its best, it is sublime. Brava to Ivelisse Rodriguez for a stunning debut!" --Cristina García, author of Dreaming in Cuban
"This is the short story collection I've been waiting for. Love War Stories arrests the heart with its stunning exploration of women who are put through a kind of hell in their determination to find true love. Hilarious at times even in the midst of the tragic and heartbreaking, Love War Stories is extraordinary. Punto y final." --Angie Cruz, author of Let It Rain Coffee
"Wise, ferocious, and beautifully executed, these tales trace the tangled roots of trauma and desire. Rodriguez is a writer to watch and Love War Stories is a thrilling debut." --Patricia Engel, author of The Veins of the Ocean
"A tough smart dazzling debut by a tough smart dazzling writer. Ivelisse Rodriguez is a revelation." --Junot Díaz, author of This Is How You Lose Her
"An insightful look into girlhood, race, and the wounds of growing up, Love War Stories is a searing collection. Rodriguez has a rare gift for describing the minutiae of contemporary life, the heartaches as well as the dangers, without flinching." --Mark Haber, Brazos Bookstore
