It’s wonderful when an author takes the time to share some of the very personal things that are parts of them. We Came From an Island is a small, fairly short book with a lot of power behind it. It’s a glimpse into a culture, and a world, that – having read it – I believe would break most people, particularly those of us from the west who, while we have problems of our own, simply have not experienced the level of dismissal, prejudice, and hate our society has built into a norm. On top of that, the stories of family in this volume are deep, and dark. “I come form an angry family,” is a quote that will stick with me, because it was so deep, and so dark.
Cynthia Pelayo is a strong voice in modern horror, and writing stories about her heritage and the struggles of Puerto Ricans is something she has said she will not do as a career. She writes lyrical, folklore driven horror in the city of Chicago, and she is very, very good at it. But this tiny book is a window you can peek through to the shadows that made her strong.
Highly Recommended.