I really enjoyed this book, at first it would seem that we are getting a glimpse at life on the border between the US and Mexico, but we are also treated to a rivalry of cultures which bring all the characters to a confrontation with their beliefs, wants, and needs. The head of the family is a typically wise older Mexican man that has tried hard to create his own world where he can dictate how he wants his family to live. Yet, he senses that there is only so much control you can exercise before you start loosing those things that are precious to us. Very good and funny.

George Rabasa's writing is flexible and astute as he explores the conflict-ridden inward lives of home workers, security guards, disgruntled yuppies, and carnival performers, to name but a few of the many characters in "Glass Houses". With such a varied cast, it is the abundance of Rabasa's details that create the lives of these workers and provides a sense of cohesion to his collection of nineteen short stories. Rabasa strongly relies on his ability to convey the inner anxieties and often paralyzing fears of his characters in everyday occurrences. Most of the short stories in this collection are short enough to be read on bus rides, during a lunch break, and even in between classes. Rabasa provides an entertaining cast of characters that prove that we may be more alike in our everyday fears than we would probably like to admit.