Hidden Place

By Shawn Shiflett

"With its exploration of racism, American jingoism, dysfunctional families, and lost love, this work is moving, suspenseful, funny, thoughtful, and sad. It will appeal to a wide range of readers . . ." --Library Journal

"Intriguing and absorbing. Shiflett has a powerful eye for characters and how the stubbornness, vanity, and fears of ordinary people can precipitate a descent into hell . . . Story-telling of the highest order." --Irvine Welsh, author of Trainspotting

Hidden Place is Shiflett's suspenseful and provocative literary debut, set in Chicago and Puerto Escondido, a small Mexican beach town 150 miles south of Acapulco. Told in a strong vernacular voice, the story focuses on six major characters, all of them highly flawed and uncomfortably real. The narrator, Roman Pearson, and his girlfriend, Mila Popovic, take a vacation together to Escondido in the hopes of patching up their deteriorating relationship.

In Escondido they become involved in a cultural conflict between the local Indians and the baby-boomer hippies from the US who have overrun the town. One violent act of retribution between the two cultural groups leads to another, and eventually a little girl is accidentally killed. Roman is torn between trying to save his relationship with Mila and turning in the main instigator of the conflict--another gringo from Oklahoma by the name of Jay--to the authorities. To complicate matters, Mila is drawn to Jay and has an affair with him. The story is about Roman's struggle to find the courage to do the right thing and promote a more respectful coexistence between two divergent communities. It is also about the ever-increasing conflict between the hedonistic "haves" of the first world, and the opportunistic "have nots" of the third world.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1888451505
• ISBN13: 9781888451504
• Release Date: January 2004
• Publisher: Akashic Books, Ltd.
• Length: 285 Pages
• Weight: 0.69 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.6" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Worth a Read

This book is a well written story of a young kid coming of age and the fright that can sometimes come with it. Excellent narration. Great use of tension. No surprise that this author is actually a professor in the creative writing department at Columbia College. I hope no one takes the couple negative reviews written by his former students with an ax to grind seriously.

A great cultural experience!

I found Hidden Place to be a great story that unfolded in a way that kept me looking forward to Roman and Mila's next encounter. Shawn's description of the Mexican village was so colorful and detailed that the you felt like you were walking through it and discovering it little by little. I especially appreciated his fair portrayal of the culture. You were given a glimpse of what life is like in a Mexican village, how tourists impacted their lives, and what a wonderful experience it can be to get to know people of another culture when you approach them with respect.I really enjoyed Roman's character throughout the story, especially his comments to himself in different situations. His comments about Mila, and her many issues, were hysterical. The ending was perfect, it "fit". This is a story that I would enjoy seeing on the big screen. While Brad Pitt is older than Roman, I think he would portray him well!

Engaging debut

Shawn Shiflett brings to life the passion of the college experience. Told through the eyes of the appeallingly flawed narrator, Roman, the story takes place in a vividly drawn, tiny Mexican village billed as the "next Acapulco." The dependence of Escondido's struggling economy on the American tourists mirrors Roman's dependence on his seductive, but volatile girlfriend, Mila. Reckless behavior leads to innocent casualties, forcing Roman to a compelling moral crossroads. Condencing the drama into a five day "vacation" was no easy feat. Shiflett has written sharp, memorable scenes, combined with complex characters resulting in a thought provoking first novel.

Finally...

Hidden Place is right-on! I found this to be an ambitious novel and a great read. It is the kind of book I craved reading in my twenties--one that respects twenty-something characters, the real complexities of their emerging politics and love affairs--but could never find. I'm glad it's here now, for readers of all ages to experience. And I look forward to this author's future work.

Great Story & Adventure

I found this book very engaging and could not put it down! Being from Chicago and about the same age of the main characters in the time period - I identified with the emotions, politics, and intellect in the story.The characters are typical 20 somethings making the transition between a shallow teenager mindset (sex, sex, sex) and a mature adult (Otto is bad, this is wrong). I enjoyed the interplay and angst between Roman and Mila and Otto and his friend make good villains without going overboard.My favorite part is a trip through the hills of rural Mexico where the author excellently describes this hidden oasis that propels the book into its final chapters. The sense of geography is well done here.