This textured tale of the modern immigrant begins with Javier Almonte, who was born in a palm hut and, as a schoolboy, pledged his allegiance to the dictator Rafael Trujillo - the man who was courted by a fickle government in Washington, D.C., and then overthrown with its help. It ends with Javier's son Mauricio, an American graduate student whose heroes are Bob Dylan and Allen Ginsberg.

We also meet Roselia, Javier's wife, who has to make a wrenching choice to leave her children for the good of the family; Elizabeth, the determined eldest child, who embraces her new life; and Cristian, the youngest daughter, who ultimately returns to her homeland as a child bride.

In Muddy Cup, Barbara Fischkin illuminates the frustration of getting an American visa and the disorienting effects of unfamiliar customs, habits, and a strange tongue. With skill and elan, she weaves the "common threads in our disparate backgrounds" into the tapestry that is the story of immigration and modern America. Ultimately, the Almontes' story is a rich testimonial to our nation of immigrants.