Oscar is a sweet but disastrously overweight ghetto nerd from New Jersey, who desires nothing more than to be the Dominican J.R.R. Tolkien and find true love. Regrettably, Oscar's romantic quests are thwarted by a family curse, 'the Fukú,' which brings misfortune and star-crossed love, and has shadowed his family through generations. Junot Díaz's novel unfolds the rich and heartbreaking tale of Oscar's quest for happiness, his family's haunted past, and the Dominican-American experience, all told with vivid energy, wit, and profound humanity. This narrative is not just Oscar's, but that of his sister Lola, their mother Belicia, and the family's complex journey from the Dominican Republic to the United States and back. 'The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao' is an extraordinary tale of endurance in the face of heartbreak and loss, paving Diaz's reputation as a prominent voice of our time.