A richly imagined debut novel of friend-

ship and forgiveness, Frontera Street

explores the physical, cultural, and emo-

tional borders that shape our lives.

Nowhere are those lines more clearly

drawn than in the small West Texas town

of Los Cielos, and on the pavement of

Frontera Street.

Dee Paxton, a widow at 28, finds her-

self pregnant and alone, back in her home-

town and afraid to face the future. On

impulse, she takes a job at a fabric store in

the barrio, only minutes from the affluent

neighborhood where she grew up--but

worlds apart. She doesn t tell anyone

about her real life or her secrets.

At first, Alma Cruz is not impressed by

her new coworker. She s convinced Dee is

hiding something~and whatever it is,

Alma certainly doesn t want it in her part

of town. But when Dee needs a place, to

stay, Alma reluctantly takes her in. As a

single mother, Alma knows what it s like

to raise a child alone...and as a woman,