The Café on Dream Street

Book excerpt: After twenty years of crafting delicious food in Oakmont at his El Patio Café, loving father and husband Felipe Sanchez has big plans for expanding the business-so when the undocumented immigrant disappears without a trace, his family fears the worst. Fellow Oakmont resident Frank Sullivan has his own concerns: He's convinced that day laborers congregating at the mall are really drug dealers and becomes obsessed with driving out the immigrants he believes threaten his community. As he starts attracting followers, his family faces increasing tensions at home: His wife, Bonnie, is appalled by his xenophobic worldview, while his teenage son, Colin, struggles to cope with his father's racism as his own feelings grow for Marisol Sanchez. When police arrest Colin for drug possession, Frank seizes the opportunity to save his son's future and cleanse Oakmont of foreign invaders. Who will survive the fallout? And where is Felipe? Set amidst a backdrop of social and historical upheaval on both sides of the border, a treacherous deception and a shocking betrayal threaten to unravel the lives of two families in this riveting tale of love, hope, and resilience.