gadrake 's review for:

The House of Broken Angels by Luis Alberto Urrea

5.0

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A family epic centers on the matriarch's funeral. A large Latino family gathers in traditional Mexican style to lay a woman to rest that not everyone liked. In the course of coming together from near and far, many issues emerge that give tremendous insight as to what it may be like for many Mexican families living in the USA today. Some scenarios include:

gay family members
husbands sleeping around
smart men taking menial jobs
working multiple low-paying jobs
pride, i.e., going hungry rather than accepting government assistance
pride, i.e, gaining citizenship
gangs
tattoos
sexuality
deportation
families where half the kids are legal and half are not
crossing the border illegally
old ways (beating children) and new ways (going to college)

This feels like an intimate look into someone else's house. Different ways, different values, etc. are on display. Found it very helpful in relating to lives that are understandably kept under the radar due to immigration concerns. Families are largely the same as they work through concerns about aging, health, kids, parents, and work but how people tackle these issues can be quite different.