Diving for Carlos Author:William Jackson This anti-war novel is a rebel yell from the heartland, in the spirit of teen fury. It's a wildly funny take on the absurdities of the establishment, as seen and told by Cruz, a Chicano Vietnam Vet, remembering a crazy springtime at the end of his high school days. This story features a guest appearance by the mother of the human race (six... more »teen and pregnant) who helps a teenage gang resist and survive the injustices of the grown-ups' world. As Cruz visits his mother, and wanders his hometown, he seeks to make peace with his absentee father and deceased older brother Carlos. This surreal meditation on the gradual process of forgiving, understanding and healing, is set on Hero Street in Silvis, Illinois, and the nearby Quad Cities, including Rock Island, and Arsenal Island on the Mississippi River. Diving for Carlos was a finalist in ForeWord magazine's 2005 Book of the Year Awards in the fiction category.« less