Esperanza Street
Esperanza Street by Niyati Keni, published by And Other Stories in 2015, is a literary work that spans 309 pages. The narrative follows Joseph, a houseboy to the once-wealthy Mary Morelos, as he navigates life in a port town in the Philippines. Through Joseph’s perspective, the story explores themes of community destruction and the complexities of progress, revealing the underlying criminality that often accompanies it.
Readers will find an evocative portrayal of coming-of-age experiences intertwined with political and social commentary. The novel delves into the choices that define identity and the impact of societal changes on individuals and their relationships. With its rich setting and character-driven narrative, Esperanza Street offers insights into life in Southeast Asia, making it a significant addition to contemporary fiction.
Official synopsis Publisher
I was eight when my father brought me to one of the big houses at the top of Esperanza Street and left me with Mary Morelos. ‘I haven’t the time to fix broken wings,’ she said. ‘Does he have any trouble with discipline?’ My father glanced at me before answering.
So begins the story of Joseph, houseboy to the once-wealthy Mary Morelos, who lives in the three-storey Spanish colonial house at the top of Esperanza Street. Through Joseph’s eyes we witness the destruction of the community to which they are both, in their own way, bound. Set in a port town in the Philippines, Niyati Keni’s evocative and richly populated debut novel is about criminality under the guise of progress, freedom or the illusion of it, and about how the choices we make are ultimately the real measure of who we are.
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