Any Small Goodness: A Novel of the Barrio

Los Angeles is a place of movie stars and fast cars and people who are too rich and people who are too poor. An area of freeway chases and drive-bys and death. That's what some people will quickly point out. But there's another L.A., where warmth and humor and humanity pervade. Where a tacqueria sign declares: "One cause, one people, one taco". This is an L.A. as real as there is. Good things happen here.

Life in East L.A. is indeed affected by its violence. Yet it is also, and more importantly, a place of multi-generational supportiveness where random acts of generosity and goodwill enhance the lives of the community. As Arturo Rodriguez's father tells his son, "In life there is bueno and there is malo. If you do not find enough of the good, you must yourself create it....Remember this thing -- any small goodness is of value". Filled with hope, love, and exquisite beauty, Tony Johnston's first novel is a warm and memorable gem.