“CanÃcula†- the dog days â€" is a particularly intense part of the summer when most cotton is harvested in South Texas. In Norma Cantú’s fictionalized memoir of Laredo in the 1940s, 1950s, and early 1960s, it also represents a time between childhood and adulthood. Snapshots and the author’s re-created memories allow readers to experience the pivotal events of this world.