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hawkia75 's review for:

The House of Broken Angels by Luis Alberto Urrea
5.0

This is a big-hearted story of a large immigrant family who gather for a dual purpose: to mourn their matriarch, and at the same time, celebrate the birthday of her son, Big Angel, their dying patriarch. The book teems with characters, which might be difficult for readers who like to keep a firm grip on who's who in the story. I don't feel the need to keep notes or anything. I just keep reading and trust that eventually it will all come clear. And it does—the uncle who sounds like a duck, the death-metal loving goth cousin, the super sexy aunt, down to the the estranged son who performs as Cher at a local bar. The narrative winds back and forth through time as Big Angel and his half-brother Little Angel come to terms with their father's failings and try to come together before Big Angel's death. Urrea shows how complicated an immigrant family can be, with lives and histories that crisscross the border, and with varying immigration statuses. He details how life in the in-between of the border can be rich in love and stories, and how much we would lose by trying to cut ourselves off from it. Bonus points to Urrea for sharing a playlist of the songs he matched up with each character.