Title: Beware the Bantam Fighter: Stories
Author: David I. Santiago
Publisher: Arte Publico Press
ISBN: 979-8893750003
Pages: 176
Genre: Short Stories
Reviewed by: Lily Amanda
Pacific Book Review
With a befitting title, Beware the Bantam Fighter: Stories is the newest offering from a startlingly intuitive author David I. Santiago. Exploring multiculturalism in the nation of America and especially in Chicago, the book takes a deeper dive into the culture, folklore, traditions, history, and familial bonds of the island of Puerto Rico. Through a cast of sparkling characters and diverse voices, the stories perform an intricate dance between these two countries, capturing the imagination until the end of the last piece. Celebrating what it means to be Puerto Rican, the stories are rich in feeling and emotion, with a clear-sighted selection of words that brilliantly examine the follies of human nature.
A striking entry, The Bantam Fighter sets in motion the fourteen stories, and introduces readers to Josephina Burgos, a purpose-driven woman and a member of a local parish, who draws a curious crowd as she struts down the road to confront a group of street insurgents, breathing fire and fury like a mother hen over roughing up her son. In “The Scale of The Ocean,” which takes place in Guaynabo, Ignacia, a Puerto Rican grandmother, teaches her grandson, who was born in Chicago, how to prepare a traditional dish while teaching him about his heritage.
Elsewhere, a frustrated and agitated mother abandons her cajoling tactics in favor of sweet-talking her unwilling young son into getting out of bed and going to school in “My Little Luchador.” In yet another story, a man develops a life-altering infection that causes him to be bedridden, leaving him reflecting on broken dreams and missed opportunities, ultimately placing his hope on the possibility of a new love. In “Juan Bobo, A Guardian Angel” the story takes on a nested story literary technique as a father tries to explain to his eight-year-old son the presence of a guardian angel in his life by telling him a moving Puerto Rican folklore story, which has a positive outcome. Across, the stories are interwoven in their intimacy and in guiding the characters towards the best solutions for their challenges.
Often, the stories add the symbols of the rooster and bantam, as an embodiment of diverse themes that the author seeks to put forth, and in doing so, the pieces’ interconnectedness shines. The book’s major asset lies in its exposition, which is brilliantly done and forms a major part of storytelling and moving the plots forward. Indeed, Bantam Fighter: Stories by David I. Santiago is a solid compilation that is sure to enthrall short story lovers. This collection would resonate with fans of contemporary literature and anyone drawn to stories of human endurance.
