Assumption and Other Stories — Daniel A. Olivas

Assumption is a collection of 18 short stories that revolve around Latinos in Southern California. The characters are so varied, that they defy easy stereotypes: converted Jews, lesbians, lawyers, newscasters, Catholic schoolchildren -- just to name a few.

In the suspenseful "Summertime," the parents of nine-year-old Jonathan Cohen-Ramírez are confronted with their greatest fears when a deranged white supremacist opens fire on people at the Jewish children's day camp that Jonathan attends.

"Weatherman" tells the amusing tale of Castro Ramírez, a Los Angeles media personality who builds his fame by using the correct Spanish pronunciation of California city names during weather broadcasts. When a ruthless competitor attempts to beat Ramírez at his own game, the results are startling -- and hilarious.

Shifting effortlessly between pathos and wry comedy, Olivas is able through his character-driven stories to explore how a married couple deals with infertility, how a lawyer reconciles her lesbian sexuality with the expectations of her traditional-minded parents, and how the students of a Catholic grammar school come to terms with the suicide of a popular young priest amid swirling rumors of his sexual improprieties.