Sunlight and Shadow

by Sue Boggio, Mare Pearl

An acclaimed first novel by two award-winning New Mexico writers, Sunlight and Shadow is a story of family, friendship, and what it really means to have hope. "Everything is going well for San Diego restaurateur Abby Silva. She is four months pregnant, and her husband Bobby is finished with his last tour as a Navy submariner, but their happiness is interrupted by a brutal robbery, followed by Bobby's father's sudden death. Bobby and Abby's mixed marriage angered their families. Her wealthy white parents disowned her after she married a Hispanic, and Bobby's father felt that his son was denying his heritage. Now Bobby wants Abby to have the baby in the tiny New Mexico town of Esperanza where he grew up so she can experience the feeling of 'La Familia, ' where everyone helps one another. Abby reluctantly agrees, then Bobby mysteriously disappears. The neighbors gather around to help, and new entanglements ensue in this wonderful first novel by two talented authors who vividly bring to life the beauty of New Mexico and its people."-Booklist "Sue Boggio and Mare Pearl are vivid and sensual writers. From raising goats to making tortillas, life on a farm in Esperanza is beautifully described. Sunlight and Shadow captures the complexities of rural life in New Mexico and presents an intriguing mix of Anglo and Hispanic characters. The plot is fascinating and the characters are well developed. It's a wonderful book."-Judith Van Gieson "Filled with emotion. A real winner of a story."-Tony Hillerman

Genres: Fiction

322 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

Reviews

[Jody · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about Sunlight and Shadow. I'd call it a mixed genre book, because although there is a mystery, the focus is more on human relationships, family history, and how people relate to the culture, climate, and traditions of where they live. It is set in central New Mexico and delves into the contrasts and conflicts between Hispanic and Anglo (and Jewish) cultures. Overall, it is quite a good book. Unfortunately, there are numerous grammatical errors (not just in the dialog) and a few misspellings that interfere with the flow of reading. I expected that University of New Mexico Press would have cleaned up the little problems that get in the way. It is apparently republished from an earlier release: it would have been better to call it a new edition and clean up the grammar. If you can relax and overlook the little mistakes, it's well worth a read.

[Kare · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story had a quiet feel but big things happen. The main character was easy to connect with and I was constantly interested in finding out what would come next. The relationships of the characters is the main story, but the setting, cultural differences, and circumstances all work to make this a good read!

[Sherry Laskowski · Rating 3 out of 5]

A man recently released from the Navy and his pregnant wife, go back to his home town when his father passes away. And then the night of the funeral, the husband gets upset, leaves to go to the store and never comes home. It's about the people that become our family and letting people in. It's about developing relationships.

[Nmdb22 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was interesting to me because of the San Diego - New Mexico characters and settings. It was engaging and kept me reading until the end. It is not great literature, and the ending was not very satisfying to me. However, it was a good take along read on a trip to Santa Fe!

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book at a book sale, knowing nothing about it or its authors. Though I had a hunch about the way it would end, it was still satisfying to read. The characters were multi-dimensional. I enjoyed the sensory description and writing style. I don't think many writers could pull off writing an entire book basically about a woman waiting to see what had happened to her husband, but they kept my attention.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well written story. The further into the book I got, the more difficult it got to put the book down to do anything else. I am looking forward to reading more about la familia in the sequel to this book.

[Erin O. · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was unoriginal-- the literary equivalent of every crime drama on TV. I'd rather watch a Lifetime movie for the same effect.