In Search of Snow: A Novel

by Luis Alberto Urrea

In a novel set against the multicultural backdrop of Arizona in the mid-1950s, Mike McGurk journeys from one unlikely adventure to another as he searches for love and the meaning of life, accompanied by prizefighter-turned-mechanic Bobo Garcia. A first novel. $20,000 ad/promo.

Genres: Fiction, World War II, Latino

258 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

Luis Alberto Urrea is the award-winning author of 13 books, including The Hummingbird's Daughter, The Devil's Highway and Into the Beautiful North (May 2009). Born in Tijuana to a Mexican father and American mother, Luis has used the theme of borders, immigration and search for love and belonging throughout his work. A Pulitzer Prize finalist in 2005 (nonfiction), he's won the Kiriyama Prize (2006), the Lannan Award (2002), an American Book Award (1999) and was named to the Latino Literary Hall of Fame. He is a creative writing professor at the University of Illinois-Chicago and lives with his family in the 'burbs (dreaming of returning West soon!).

Reviews

[Judy King · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two, maybe three of Luis Urrea's books climbed to my lifetime top ten list -- Hummingbird's daughter and Into the Beautiful North are locked in -- Queen of America floats into and out of the lofty list depending on my mood and which of the other books I'm considering at the moment.

So I was delighted to discover a copy of his first novel, and devoured it, searching for the beautiful description Urrea phrases and scenes that make my heart sigh without my head stopping to wisecrack about corny poetry interrupting a novel. (How does he do that -- blend in those great word pictures without them getting in the way).

My search through this book was not totally in vain -- the much younger Urrea had that joy of words and ability to paint with them, but he didn't use the still unpolished skill as much in this story about the gritty life of Mike and Turk in their service station home in the Southwest.

It's a well done book, and much as I tried, I couldn't help but compare it to the later works. Not fair indeed. The book can stand on its own, but probably more easily when read by those who aren't infatuated and moonstruck by Urrea's later novels, and even non-fiction.

[Eddie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story follows two former soldiers after WW11 and their lives in the desert of Arizona. Each has a totally different family and is dis-functional in their own ways. Often funny but is a sad commentary on their loss of dreams. Always getting into fights for no apparent reasons usually between Mexicans and Indians. There's also a point made about the harm done by working in the copper mines in southern Arizona. I enjoyed this book about the nonsensical lives lived in the harshest of backwaters.

[Lesley Frazier · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is Urrea's first novel, and does not quite measure up to his later work. That said, he is a superb and imaginative writer, and this is a fascinating read.

[Abby Kindelsperger · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like every school still teaching Of Mice and Men to swap it out for this book. That might be controversial, but for a similar length and reading level, this book is more beautiful and hopeful while still touching on similar themes. It also works just as well for characterization, plot, or symbolism work.

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant first novel reminiscient of the characters in an Abbey novel. Turk Mcgurk is not someone you will soon forget, you may have met him out on the road somewhere between Tucson and Tucumcari or maybe Hatchabee or Tonopah (thanks to Lowell George for than line)...unlike the title, the main character didn't find snow but he does find acceptance and beauty in a world at first foreign to him. Like Ursula LeGuin says in her blurb on the dust jacket these characters "live just across the mesa from Barbara kingsolvers people".

[Zach Cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is first book I've read from Mr. Urrea, though I've been hearing about his novels and stories for years. First off, love that cover--the shimmering cactus, the winding desert road. This is the kind of book you think about long after you finish the last chapter, chuckling at everything Urrea has created--bookish Mike McGurk and his warrior dad, the quiet semi-deserted gas station they call home, Grandpa Sneezy, the bare-knuckle fights, Bobo and his fame inside the wrestling ring, Mr. Garcia and his beautiful farm (perhaps the most well-rendered part of the entire book) and the slapstick rampage through small-town Arizona. Urrea makes creating three-dimensional characters look so easy.

[Jodi Sh. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this, Urrea's language and characters are colorful, vibrant, and textured. Essentially a story of family connections and the different ways love and pride are expressed: the rough and tumble, bare-knuckle brawler, hard drinking single dad, Turk McGurk, raising a son as they bounce from one Texaco station to the next trying to make their way, and the Garcias with too many of their own kids, too many who just gravitated to their warm home with no place else to go, plenty of love but not enough cash. I could have stayed in either home for 200 more pages and been happy to be there.

I can't believe this has not been made into a movie.

[Val Wilkerson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a fan of this author. A young man, Mike, and his dad Turk run a gas station in the 50's, on a long lonely highway outside of Tucson. They also live at the gas station. This is full of very interesting characters, I was at times feeling sad and at times laughing out lout. I was kind of ambling through this book until about the last 5 chapters which just wrapped their arms around me.

[Brian Swain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Urrea's first novel and I loved it (like all of his work). Very funny and warm portrayal of a father/son relationship that later turns into a buddy story about the value of family and about having aspirations. Highly recommended.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I unfairly held this book and author to the same standard as The Hummingbird's Daughter. It is interesting to see the big difference--this piece was okay, while the other one gets all the stars and is a favorite.

[Kristina Harper · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have yet to read anything by Urrea that I didn’t love, and “in search of snow,” his first stand-alone novel, is no exception. This story of two unlikely friends living unconventional lives in the Arizona desert, is funny and heartbreaking and full of hope, a completely enjoyable read.

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

With a great sense of humor, Urrea writes of the human condition with all of its hilarity and misadventure.

[Glenn Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb.

[Candorman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sr. Urrea is a gifted writer and story teller par excellence. This finely crafted bittersweet tale is as close to perfection as any writer can hope to achieve. Bravo!

[hacksdancin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully paced and lyrical, an impressive first work of fiction from who will become one of my favorite authors.

[ROBYN MARKOW · Rating 3 out of 5]

While not as polished as Urreas’s later novels,this novella about a father & son who own & run a dilapidated gas station in Central Arizona circa the mid 1950’s is still worth a look. Mike McGurk, the MC is a WW2 vet & his former prizefighter dad, Turk, a vet of WW1 . They have a love/ Hate relationship w/Turk showing signs of Brain Damage & Dementia. Mike mostly dreams of seeing snow which never falls in their sun-belt located town.

His monotonous life is helped by his friend & co-worker Bobo Garcia, a former pro wrestler who helped liberate the notorious Nazi Death camp Buchenwald & has PTSD as a result. ( Mike was based in North Africa & saw little to no action) One day his dad’s brother , a successful dentist from the suburbs of NYC , stops by on his way to drop his daughter off at UCLA . Lily & Mike feel a strong attraction to each -other , which, being first cousins , makes it seem even more exciting. They get to know each other in a biblical sense & Lily, a Poetry major writes bad verse about their relationship & encourages Mike to do the same. She goes off to school & while Mike has guilt about their relationship, she leaves him w/an emptiness & longing for a better life. Things go further downhill when Turk agrees to one last fight w/ someone half his age. That doesn’t go well for Turk & he goes into a steep physical decline & Mike become s his caregiver. His father dies from a stroke & Bobo decides to help his friend w/ the funeral & a road trip to his hometown of Clifton , a mining community located. In the mountains of Arizona . Mike feels v.much at home w/ Bono’s large familia & doesn’t want to go back to the dreary gas station.

In spite of some sad subject matter this book has a lot of wryly humorous dialogue & observations .Though uneven & episodic, I still recommend this early work..

[Tony · Rating 2 out of 5]

In Search of Snow, Urrea's first novel, is mostly dialogue. Early on, that dialogue has some snappy moments, especially between the protagonist and his father, reminiscent of, say, Richard Russo. The father leaves us mid-book and the dialogue and the storyline both suffer. The protagonist's cousin Lily is wonderfully drawn and provides an interesting vignette which promises so much more; but sadly, she has a too brief role. Near the end, she reappears in a short letter:

"I am the saddest shore. Your tide leaves my stones dark. In spite of myself, I am a lone gull's cry in the fog..."

Which is to say: while this has all the markings of a first effort, there is promise here. Urrea's last three novels have gotten much better reviews, and In Search of Snow will not dissuade me from reading them.

[Jules · Rating 3 out of 5]

I give this a 3.5. Maybe a four since it's been a while since I finished it and I still think about the book sometimes. That's the reflection of a good book isn't it?
I picked this book up because it's one of my husband's favorites. It's a boy book. The best description I can give it I'm stealing off of Amazon's summary:
"Urrea wrests strange, beautiful poetry out of a mean, lean desert terrain--Arizona, mid-1950s--in this impressive first novel, a blend of deadpan humor, picaresque adventure and search for self."

His description of the desert terrain was so good that when I read the next novel with a desert scene in it, I still thought of Urrea's description.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. I couldn't seem to put it down, I always had it with me. The story is touching and emotional. I laughed out loud numerous times while reading it. There were sad parts but the book over all was a page turner. The characters are all extremely interesting and even some what odd. The book mixes the different cultures that come into contact throughout the book. It shows that no matter the cultural circumstances people can enjoy one another. I think this a good read for anyone.

[Cottageunderhill · Rating 2 out of 5]

I felt "eh" about it. I liked the ending and thought it went well with the storyline but it's hard to root for a main character who seems so weak. I kinda wanted to strangle Mike McGurk: get a grip! He talks about how he wants to leave Arizona so bad and then when he has his chance, he wusses out. Tormented by loving his cousin? Dependent on an abusive father? I just didn't get it. He seemed like the type of person who needs someone to make decisions for him and hold his hand while he does shit.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

If the main character of this book was a female, this would be a tender coming of age story. Since Mike McGurk is a man and stuck at his father's service station in the middle of Arizona, tender is not the right adjective. Mike is not sure of himself and overwhelmed by the forceful personality of his father. The book is touching and funny.

[Joni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mike McGurk is raised by a violent mercurial father in the Arizona desert. His mother is long dead and he grows up lonely and dreams of snow. He befriends an ex prize fighter named Bobo and their adventures begin. Picaresque, Dickensian in tone and a fine lyrical style with excellent characterization. It reminds me so of Adelina and the Trujillo clan.

[Stuart · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quirky and entertaining. Set in Nowhere Arizona in the 1950s, it’s about a guy who grows up in a desert gas station, motherless, under the hairy thumb of his father, a bare-knuckles boxer. It’s a small story well executed, with some wonderful characters, especially the Indians and Mexicans.

[Lindsaylu · Rating 4 out of 5]

There were some truly sad and disturbing moments in this book, but they were beautifully written. Also, the dad character in this story, Turk McGurk, is now one of my Ultimate Favorite Characters Ever.

[Fred · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good read, not his best, but then it's a novel and I tend to like things historical or historically based.

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first book by Mr. Urrea that I read. It blew me away that a first time novelist could pull me so totally into a story and it's characters. Try it - you'll like it!

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

cute.

[Norma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am really liking this book! It is funny and probing with difficult, harsh & likeable characters.
This was a great book. can't wait to read Hummingbird's Daughter.

[Charles]

Luis Alberto Urrea is a great story teller. Once I start to read it is so hard to put down. Spellbound!!