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manaledi's review
3.0
DNF. This was fine, but nothing drew me in nor kept me in. Fairly standard in the real world it's tough to be an immigrant in the US genre. Definitely parts of it I liked (and a bias for the Peruvianness), but not enough.
charan's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
alodhia1's review
4.0
I believe in the ending, but the pressure built up from the entire book makes me want more! Still, a beautifully sad, yet hopeful story
glendareads39's review against another edition
4.0
“And that’s the thing about this place. You always need help. It’s not enough that we work hard. Doesn’t that tell you something?”
Very heart-wrenching, stunning and powerful story of a Peruvian family struggling to survive in America and support her family. Immigration, threat of deportation and Survival are the main themes of the book. Every reader should read the affairs of the Falcons. My heart felt for Ana and her family.
Very heart-wrenching, stunning and powerful story of a Peruvian family struggling to survive in America and support her family. Immigration, threat of deportation and Survival are the main themes of the book. Every reader should read the affairs of the Falcons. My heart felt for Ana and her family.
n9mr9t9's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
gilmoreguide's review
4.0
Life for Ana Falcón is walking a high-wire above a field of razors. She works long days at garment factory hunched over a sewing machine, while her husband, Lucho drives a cab at night. They live with their two small children in the bedroom of a cousin's apartment in Queens. A cousin who has made it clear they need to move on, but their jobs don't bring in enough income to pay for an apartment. Even worse, they are in debt to a loan shark named Mama. She now holds the deed to Lucho's family home in Peru and threatens to sell it because they're behind on payments. The Falcóns left Peru to escape political violence, but at what cost? Through Ana, author Melissa Rivero explores the plight of undocumented immigrants in America in her debut novel, The Affairs of the Falcóns.
Mama's loan is not even the greatest of Ana's problems. More money was needed and Mama's husband liked Ana so he gave her what she needed. Only now, there are strings attached. Strings that mean she has to lie to everyone. With each passing day, she feels the noose tighten around her neck. She can't get enough overtime to earn the money they need, they have to send money home to Peru, Lucho's driving is not earning what they expected, and Valeria wants them out of the apartment now. No matter which way she turns the demands on her are increasing as her options disappear.
The rest of this review is at The Gilmore Guide to Books: https://gilmoreguidetobooks.com/2019/04/the-affairs-of-the-falcons-a-novel/
Mama's loan is not even the greatest of Ana's problems. More money was needed and Mama's husband liked Ana so he gave her what she needed. Only now, there are strings attached. Strings that mean she has to lie to everyone. With each passing day, she feels the noose tighten around her neck. She can't get enough overtime to earn the money they need, they have to send money home to Peru, Lucho's driving is not earning what they expected, and Valeria wants them out of the apartment now. No matter which way she turns the demands on her are increasing as her options disappear.
The rest of this review is at The Gilmore Guide to Books: https://gilmoreguidetobooks.com/2019/04/the-affairs-of-the-falcons-a-novel/
brooke_review's review
4.0
Their goal is to not be seen, to blend into a world where so many are trying to stand out. They are the Falcóns, a family of undocumented immigrants who have fled their homeland in Peru and settled in New York City, where they are just trying to get by in a world that doesn't exactly accommodate their kind.
Mother Ana and father Lucho are holding down jobs as factory workers and taxi drivers to make ends meet and support their two young children, while living in the spare room of Lucho's unsupportive cousin. They are wearing out their welcome, and to make matters worse, Ana has borrowed money from a loanshark who is demanding repayment. Ana is trying her hardest to keep her family afloat, but is finding it so difficult when her family's opportunities are limited due to their undocumented status. No one ever said that fighting for the American dream was going to be easy, but does it have to be this hard?
Peruvian Melissa Rivero has written a timely novel about the undocumented immigrant experience. Her writing hits hard and gives an authentic telling of what it is like to be an undocumented family in America. Rivero explores issues of family, relationships, health, finances, and career, and gives a well-rounded account of the lengths people will go to survive. While this isn't an exciting or dramatic story, it is a poignant and haunting one, and will give readers much to think about regardless of which side of the immigration issue they stand on.
Mother Ana and father Lucho are holding down jobs as factory workers and taxi drivers to make ends meet and support their two young children, while living in the spare room of Lucho's unsupportive cousin. They are wearing out their welcome, and to make matters worse, Ana has borrowed money from a loanshark who is demanding repayment. Ana is trying her hardest to keep her family afloat, but is finding it so difficult when her family's opportunities are limited due to their undocumented status. No one ever said that fighting for the American dream was going to be easy, but does it have to be this hard?
Peruvian Melissa Rivero has written a timely novel about the undocumented immigrant experience. Her writing hits hard and gives an authentic telling of what it is like to be an undocumented family in America. Rivero explores issues of family, relationships, health, finances, and career, and gives a well-rounded account of the lengths people will go to survive. While this isn't an exciting or dramatic story, it is a poignant and haunting one, and will give readers much to think about regardless of which side of the immigration issue they stand on.
seraphimgt's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Pregnancy, Emotional abuse, and Dementia
Moderate: Death of parent, Sexual assault, Alcoholism, Abortion, Racism, Sexism, and Child abuse
Minor: Animal death, Homophobia, and Terminal illness
randomscrabble's review
3.0
The Affairs of the Falcóns is the debut novel by Melissa Rivero, published April 2nd, 2019 by Ecco. I picked this one up from my local library for mainly two reasons: 1) my ever-growing desire to learn about other cultures, and 2) the HYPE!
It is delightful to be surrounded by so many colorful cultures at work, I've learned a bit about culinary preferences, different meanings for some words, rooted expressions, etc. Truthfully though, I haven't got the chance for deeper discussions when it comes to social and political structures in their countries, and maybe not everyone is willing to have this sort of conversation.
This story made me want to read more about Peru's history, guerilla groups and to ask a few questions to my Peruvian co-workers about racism and classism within their culture. It was eye-opening to read how every culture has its issues with race and racial traits. How someone can end up feeling unwelcomed within their own country and more at ease by being invisible in foreign lands.
We read to understand what we can't possibly know first hand, I can identify with being an immigrant but not with the fear and difficulties that come with being undocumented. How the most trivial of tasks become harder and an ordeal, stuff as simple as going to work or getting medical help. I can easily empathize but, for some reason, it was a bit difficult to do so here, how all of these hardships and nightmares seemed to lack justifiable grounds.
I can understand wanting a better education and future for your children, but it wasn't really emphasized that way here, the reasoning behind Ana wanting to remain in the US was painted as somewhat selfish. I don't know if anyone else felt it this way but it kind of seemed that her motivations were being unable to deal with an unaccepting family, not wanting to inflict wounds to her own pride, having her dreams in sight whilst disregarding completely the dreams of her partner - which is not the nicest of ways to treat your spouse, without conversations, agreements, compromises-, not thinking about the discomfort of the others around her - friends and family members trying to help but having the rightful need of their own space as well-.
I don't know, I truly admired her determination, her willingness to succeed, her strength and fighting spirit. I understand the shakiness of the economy in Latin American countries, where a degree is far from a guarantee that you'll secure employment, I'm aware of the political crisis and corruption in our countries, where politicians steal and brake the poor and no one does anything. I won't say I know about violence in Peru, but by the accounts of the book and some reading, I can conclude that Ana's family was safe where they were at Lima, where her other relatives continued to be safe after she left. Having a glance at the big picture, it felt like this family was being scarred irreparably and that somehow things were just getting worse instead of better.
All of this information made me wonder what would I do in this situation, and the truth is I don't want to ever have to answer that, being aware that I have this privilege of not having to. I believe we all try to do the best we can with the cards we were dealt and we all play them as we think appropriate and more beneficial. This book really got me thinking, as all good books do. It has also motivated me to have more meaningful conversations with the ones around me and learn more about their stories.
It is delightful to be surrounded by so many colorful cultures at work, I've learned a bit about culinary preferences, different meanings for some words, rooted expressions, etc. Truthfully though, I haven't got the chance for deeper discussions when it comes to social and political structures in their countries, and maybe not everyone is willing to have this sort of conversation.
This story made me want to read more about Peru's history, guerilla groups and to ask a few questions to my Peruvian co-workers about racism and classism within their culture. It was eye-opening to read how every culture has its issues with race and racial traits. How someone can end up feeling unwelcomed within their own country and more at ease by being invisible in foreign lands.
We read to understand what we can't possibly know first hand, I can identify with being an immigrant but not with the fear and difficulties that come with being undocumented. How the most trivial of tasks become harder and an ordeal, stuff as simple as going to work or getting medical help. I can easily empathize but, for some reason, it was a bit difficult to do so here, how all of these hardships and nightmares seemed to lack justifiable grounds.
I can understand wanting a better education and future for your children, but it wasn't really emphasized that way here, the reasoning behind Ana wanting to remain in the US was painted as somewhat selfish. I don't know if anyone else felt it this way but it kind of seemed that her motivations were being unable to deal with an unaccepting family, not wanting to inflict wounds to her own pride, having her dreams in sight whilst disregarding completely the dreams of her partner - which is not the nicest of ways to treat your spouse, without conversations, agreements, compromises-, not thinking about the discomfort of the others around her - friends and family members trying to help but having the rightful need of their own space as well-.
I don't know, I truly admired her determination, her willingness to succeed, her strength and fighting spirit. I understand the shakiness of the economy in Latin American countries, where a degree is far from a guarantee that you'll secure employment, I'm aware of the political crisis and corruption in our countries, where politicians steal and brake the poor and no one does anything. I won't say I know about violence in Peru, but by the accounts of the book and some reading, I can conclude that Ana's family was safe where they were at Lima, where her other relatives continued to be safe after she left. Having a glance at the big picture, it felt like this family was being scarred irreparably and that somehow things were just getting worse instead of better.
All of this information made me wonder what would I do in this situation, and the truth is I don't want to ever have to answer that, being aware that I have this privilege of not having to. I believe we all try to do the best we can with the cards we were dealt and we all play them as we think appropriate and more beneficial. This book really got me thinking, as all good books do. It has also motivated me to have more meaningful conversations with the ones around me and learn more about their stories.
mariemone's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0