Synopses & Reviews
Set in the 1950s and 1960s, The Line of the Sun moves from a rural Puerto Rican village to a tough immigrant housing project in New Jersey, telling the story of a Hispanic family's struggle to become part of a new culture without relinquishing the old. At the story's center is Guzmán, an almost mythic figure whose adventures and exile, salvation and return leave him a broken man but preserve his place in the heart and imagination of his niece, who is his secret biographer.
Review
"Cofer . . . reveals herself to be a prose writer of evocatively lyrical authority, a novelist of historical compass and sensitivity. . . . One recognizes in the rich weave and vigorous elegance of the language of The Line of the Sun a writer of authentic gifts, with a genuine and important story to tell."--New York Times Book Review
Review
"In this extraordinary first novel, Judith Ortiz Cofer bridges two cultures, giving voice to people who are seldom heard from. . . . Cofer invites us into a climate where the settings are authentic and richly textured, and whose lives bound in cultural mythology are particularized through the strengths and gifts of language, fully realized characters, and a multi-dimensional narrative. There is great strength in the way Cofer evokes the fierce, loving, and brave Latin spirit that is the novel's real theme."--Joyce Johnson
Review
The Line of the Sun reads like a dream, from the beautifully realized description of the deceptive Paradise Lost, to the utterly different but equally vivid world of the urban North. . . . This is a splendid first novel."--The State, Columbia, South Carolina
Review
"The writing in this superb novel stuns and surprises at every turn. Its sensuality and imagery . . . are riveting."--San Juan Star
Review
"Remarkable . . . Cofer is a fine storyteller. Her prose conveys all the energy and mystery of anticipation."--Women's Review of Books
Review
"A remarkable story, written from the heart as only the best stories are."--St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Review
"Poetry . . . what distinguishes the book finally are the images, the phrases, the simple scenes that catch the ear like a sparkle catches the eye.”--Washington Times
About the Author
"Cofer . . . reveals herself to be a prose writer of evocatively lyrical authority, a novelist of historical compass and sensitivity. . . . One recognizes in the rich weave and vigorous elegance of the language of The Line of the Sun a writer of authentic gifts, with a genuine and important story to tell."--New York Times Book Review"In this extraordinary first novel, Judith Ortiz Cofer bridges two cultures, giving voice to people who are seldom heard from. . . . Cofer invites us into a climate where the settings are authentic and richly textured, and whose lives bound in cultural mythology are particularized through the strengths and gifts of language, fully realized characters, and a multi-dimensional narrative. There is great strength in the way Cofer evokes the fierce, loving, and brave Latin spirit that is the novel's real theme."--Joyce JohnsonThe Line of the Sun reads like a dream, from the beautifully realized description of the deceptive Paradise Lost, to the utterly different but equally vivid world of the urban North. . . . This is a splendid first novel."--The State, Columbia, South Carolina"The writing in this superb novel stuns and surprises at every turn. Its sensuality and imagery . . . are riveting."--San Juan Star"Remarkable . . . Cofer is a fine storyteller. Her prose conveys all the energy and mystery of anticipation."--Women's Review of Books"A remarkable story, written from the heart as only the best stories are."--St. Louis Post-Dispatch"Poetry . . . what distinguishes the book finally are the images, the phrases, the simple scenes that catch the ear like a sparkle catches the eye.”--Washington Times