The Tortilla Curtain

Published in 1995, The Tortilla Curtain by T. C. Boyle tells the story of two couples living parallel lives in Southern California: Delaney and Kyra Mossbacher, affluent white Americans with a home in the upper-middle-class subdivision of Arroyo Blanco; and Cándido and América Rincón, undocumented immigrants from Mexico living in a makeshift camp at the bottom of the canyon. Rotating among the perspectives of the four protagonists, the novel explores the inequality inherent in the United States and the many contradictions of the American Dream, alongside themes of racism, xenophobia, and the exploitation of nature. The novel won the Prix Médicis Étranger prize for best foreign novel in 1997. Author of 19 novels and more than 150 short stories, Boyle received the PEN/Faulkner Award for Best Novel of the Year in 1988 for his book The World’s End. He has also received the O. Henry Award, the Kenyon Review Award for Literary Achievement, and has been shortlisted for the National Book Award.

This guide references the Penguin Books Kindle edition of the novel.

Content Warning: The Tortilla Curtain depicts racism and xenophobia, including offensive language, which is reflected in this guide. The novel and guide also refer to rape and sexual assault.