There Is a Rio Grande in Heaven: Stories BY Ruben Reyes Jr.

There Is a Rio Grande in Heaven is an electrifying debut story collection by Ruben Reyes Jr., which delves into Central American identity through imaginative and surreal narratives. The collection spans past, present, and future, exploring the disorienting moments when life becomes unrecognizable and the boundaries between reality and dreams blur.

In this striking anthology, Reyes conjures dreamlike worlds where ordinary individuals face extraordinary transformations. A man wakes up to find himself a renowned reggaetn star; an aging abuela begins to turn into a marionette puppet; a struggling academic uncovers the harrowing price of becoming a Self-Made Man. Each story is a window into bizarre realities where menacing technology and pervasive bureaucracy seep into daily existence, instilling an uncanny dread.

The characters—ranging from mango farmers to popstars, ex-guerrilla fighters to cyborgs—are confronted with choices that challenge their survival and agency in a world intent on silencing Central American voices. Reyes' stories blaze with heart, humor, and a unique stylistic flair, offering a fresh perspective on migration and its impact.

There Is a Rio Grande in Heaven subverts conventional views on migration, capturing the essence of what it means to embrace a new life, whether voluntarily or by force, with piercing clarity and insight. Reyes not only transports readers to otherworldly realms but also brings to light the profound heartache and injustice present in our own world, making this collection a powerful and thought-provoking read.