Jim LaBate
“Streets of Golfito” focuses on two individuals who meet in Golfito, Costa Rica in 1974. Jim (Diego) is a 22-year-old Peace Corps Volunteer from upstate New York, and he has been assigned to introduce sports other than soccer to the young people.
By contrast, Lilli is a shy, beautiful, 17-year-old Costa Rican girl who wants to learn English and escape her small town, a banana port on the Pacific side near the Panamanian border.
In alternating chapters, the first third of the book shows these two characters growing up in their respective countries. Then, after they meet, Lilli experiences a tragedy that will drastically change her life, and Jim does all he can to help her survive and thrive in her new circumstances. (Summary via Goodreads)
Streets of Golfito by Jim LaBate is a touching story involving Jim, a twenty-two year old who joins the Peace Corps for two years and a seventeen year old girl, Lilli, that he meets while working in Golfito, Costa Rica. Jim who decides to go by Diego so he can better relate to the people in Golfito is there to promote sports and help the children learn sports other than the popular soccer. He meets Lilli when he is asked to help a couple learn better English and she joins the couple in learning. The two become fast friends and Diego is there to help Lilli when she becomes pregnant.
Diego and Lilli also become friends with another Peace Corps volunteer, Christina, who is there working as a nurse. The three become close friends and become like a small family.
Readers cannot help but love reading Streets of Golfito and getting to know the characters, the town and the way of life there. You will enjoy reading about each character individually and love how they come together. You will begin to feel like you are there along side them and will fall in love with them all.
There is so much that I could continue to say about this book and the story and people …. like the struggles that Lilli’s mom, Rosa, had as a single mom and feared the same struggles for her young daughter, the story behind Lilli’s pregnancy, the ups and downs of Diego’s work promoting sports, the turmoil within Lilli’s family, the fun that Diego had playing with the boys of Golfito, and more…..but I don’t want to say more that could ruin the fun and surprise for future readers. I do, however, recommend you add Streets of Golfito to your reading list so that you can also get lost and enjoy this amazing story.
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