THE HOUSE OF BROKEN ANGELS by LUIS ALBERTO URREA (2018)

Out of all the books published in 2018 that I have read, this is my favorite. It is not the one most well written, or the one most topical, but it is the most enjoyable to read and the one that left me with the most hope for the future of mankind. This is a love story -- the love and support provided by an extended family. The fact that it also highlights some of the problems of today's Mexican-Americans, legal and illegal, is secondary.

The plot set-up would seem to presage that The House of Broken Angels would be a sad story -- a large Mexican-American family gathers for the funeral of the grandmother of the clan, followed immediately by the birthday celebration of the oldest surviving member, who is himself dying of cancer. The descendants and relatives of the ailing patriarch, Miguel Angel de la Cruz (affectionately called Big Angel) include those who came to the U.S. as immigrants and became citizens, those who crept across the border and stayed, those who were brought here as children and are still here illegally, and those who are birth citizens. Some never knew they were not citizens until they were almost adults. Some speak only Spanish, some speak only English, but most speak both. Some are dark of complexion and some are light. Big Angel's half-brother, known to the family as Little Angel, is one of the light-skinned ones, having had an Anglo mother.

Over the course of the weekend's events, Urrea tells their stories, particularly those of the two Angels. This is a novel which brings forth both tears and laughter. It is eminently satisfying on an emotional level, and the ending is perfect.

I wrote in the first paragraph that this was not the most topical novel of 2018 that I had read, but perhaps it is, in the best way. It does not attempt to gain the reader's sympathy for the plight of Mexican-Americans in today's divisive society nor does it accentuate their difficulties in dealing with bigotry and racism. Instead, it celebrates family and love and (this sounds corny) the circle of life. Despite what some would like us to believe, these people are not rapists, or murderers, or sex traffickers, or M-13 members. This is a typical Mexican-American family, patterned after the author's own family.

This novel is a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award, and was on many Best of 2018 lists. I love it. Highly recommended.