SOURCE: Niño, Raúl. Review of Rain of Scorpions and Other Stories. Booklist 89, no. 15 (1 April 1993): 1411.

In the following review, Niño offers a favorable assessment of Rain of Scorpions and Other Stories.

In this impressive collection [Rain of Scorpions and Other Stories] Portillo Trambley weaves the fabric of joy and sorrow, life and death from the richly hued strands of her characters' lives. The novella-length title story is an inspiring tale of earthly wisdom and the human search for meaning and a center to life. Papá At, the wise old man of a small town, listens to the breathing of the earth, the air, and all the creatures. He tells the stories of Gotollama, the creator, inspiring a group of boys to undertake a journey that leads ultimately to deeper understanding of themselves. The other, shorter stories include the tragedy of what happens to those who don't...