Arroyo

by Summer Wood

A blues singer with a buried voice and flame-red hair, Willie Lee moves to a dusty New Mexico mining town to escape her past. There, her dreams and passions mingle with those of the townspeople, especially Chavela, a woman who makes her realize that sometimes love chooses us. Then, just as Willie Lee finds her singing voice again, an accident threatens the town with disaster. Written with a cinematic eye and a penetrating lyrical power, Arroyo introduces the most distinctive Southwestern voice since Barbara Kingsolver.

Genres: Fiction, LGBT

272 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2001

Reviews

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is The Milagro Beanfield War as Samari. It reached down my throat, grabbed my guts, and yanked. Only someone who has been so grabbed by northern New Mexico can read and be left wanting desperately to return there even if they've never been before. How can people love this place that is so hard? So poor? So old? I don't know. I don't why I love it: a white, suburban reared, middle class, middle aged woman. But it's the part of the country my soul loves. And I loved this book in the same way.

[Melissa Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books I have read in a long time. Filled with so much happiness yet so much sadness as well. I loved the characters and their connections with one another.

[Ruth Martinez · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just remember it being so much better. I found the descriptions of Chicanos to be quite cliche, although being from NM and a chicana, I can absolutely see it. Still. Slightly annoying. The only parts I liked were that of the main character. That was the minority of the book though. The rest was just depressing, and it was an odd narrative choice to jump from character to character, from first to third person perspectives. Some lovely passages here and there were unbalanced by awkardly structured sentences in other places.

[Dorina · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fast and well written read.

[lucky daffodil · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to DNF this book so bad….. but here I am two months later!

[Azalea Sánchez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Arroyo, cuenta una historia hermosa sublime. La idea la Sra. Wood tiene en la humanidad es profunda, sus personajes son creíbles; la atención al detalle es exraordinary, y el humor que impregna esta historia es mágico. Es una sorprendente combinación de la escritura bella, personajes complejos y una línea de historia interesante - también una rara joya en que se trata de un romance lésbico que califica como la verdadera literatura. Hágase un favor y disfrute de este libro. Es probable que al leer Arroyo, te encuentres con una nueva alegría en su corazón.

[Marlene · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oddly written ... fragmentated. Sentences come in spurts... Thoughts and imagery fade in ....fade out. I enjoyed this book. However I tend to like to dive into the characters more, to know them deeply. To have a story unfold around them. I dog eared the family tree page and referred back to it often just so I could follow who was who, I’ve never encountered such vagueness. This whole novel - every page leaves you wondering where you’re going. I suppose that in itself is a talent. I liked it - didn’t love it.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as much lesbian action as I'd hoped, but a better book than I'd imagined otherwise. Very lyrical storytelling style, and a blend of english and spanish reminiscent of Cormac McCarthy's "All the Pretty Horses" which I liked (even though I don't speak spanish). I guessed at how it would end, but that didn't make it disappointing.

Plus, I just love the word "Arroyo." :)

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's a lot of hard luck in here, but the book is by no means hard to read. Jagged, yet it's soothing in a way. The settings and characters are certainly vivid. It manages to be very visceral for such an emotionally appealing book.

[Peter Swanson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was suggested reading for a creative writing workshop I attended in 2002, where the author was a guest speaker. I like the book a lot, and I've had an intermittent correspondence with Summer Wood ever since. Read this book, then read Wrecker, which is even better!

[Jessica]

Had to return it, it was okay, but not great enough for me to keep it overdue.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Line by line, this was a beautifully written book with powerful images and language, but as a whole the story never really brought out an emotional reaction in me as a reader.

[Coriphelps · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible book. One that I will make room for to keep and read again.

[Bradley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lesbians... but not as great as you'd think it would be.

[Mary Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book and the way Summer Wood brings her characters (including the setting) to life. Skillfully written, with a fresh, new voice.

[Jennifer Kepesh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written, and it is the writing style that one would come for: immediate, impressionistic, sense-driven.