In a most rare occurrence in my ebook reading days, I did not check once how far I had read in this book. I just kept reading about Big Angel’s family, his proudest moments, and his worst regrets. Luis Alberto Urrea’s new novel The House of Broken Angels tells the history of a Mexican-American family and how they are brought together for one weekend to celebrate the patriarch Big Angel’s last birthday and his mother’s funeral.
Urrea writes of the past, present, and possible future of each cousin, sister, and uncle. The characters struggle with the that eternal question of what makes a person successful and of value to each other. And because Big Angel is terminally ill, he spends most of his days contemplating his value to his family. One of his friends encourages him to keep a journal of all the things he will miss. His list includes the mundane, everyday things of life, but also the special intangibles that make family and life so precious.
The House of Broken Angels is special book about the American Experience. I’ll be thinking about it and recommending it to people for a long time.
5 out of 5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley, Little, Brown and Company, and Mr. Urrea for the advanced copy to review.
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