Verse from the Village

…after… is a collection of short stories, its title derives from the final story in the book. The primary setting of the book unfolds in El Salvador in the 1970s and culminates in the 1980s. The stories chronicle a girl’s coming of age in turbulent times. How does one keep compassion alive while suffering the loss of love and close friendship? How does a witness to atrocious human rights violations search for meaning in an unstable world? How does one experience sexual awakening, during the catharsis of family separation and in a time of war? The prime narrator, Dalia, her life unfolds within the context of her family and community before and during the civil war in El Salvador.