Morales has chosen to concentrate principally on the novel rather than the short story. His novels such as The Brick People (1988) and The Rag Doll Plagues (1992) examine and interpret the experience of Mexican Americans in a variety of contexts. His critical reputation as one of the most important of contemporary Mexican American writers rests with his novels. Morales's short-story output, which consists only of "Cara de caballo" and "The Curing Woman," is too small to attract critical attention. However, it is clear from "Cara de caballo" and The Rag Doll Plagues that Morales has more than a passing interest in curanderismo. Like "The Curing Woman," the plot of "Cara de caballo" includes magic potions and mysterious transformations. There is an emphasis on events that cannot be rationally explained. The Rag Doll Plagues is notable for the magical realism also found in "The Curing Woman," and it...