THE POLISH BOXER

Native Guatemalan Halfon transcends the short story genre with a collection that maps the geography of his own identity. Lyrical, yet grounded by prosaic dialogue, the stories trace the literature professor and writer's journey of chance encounters that just happen to grow his spirit. Armando Duran shows admirable restraint in his performance of the diverse works. His perfect American accent sharply contrasts with his elegant Spanish pronunciation of names and phrases. Duran sensitively balances Halfon's dual messages of melancholy and wonder with a vocal wit that blurs the realms between memoir and fiction. Always curious, Halfon's autobiographical protagonist continually questions the "inner revolutions" of those around him to make sense of the mysteries of the past and the shifting world of the present. A.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2013]