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Bless Me, Papi: A Novel
A coming-of-age tale of a young Dominican American boy facing a grave loss and a feathered phantom
Between the looming buildings of Brooklyn, a young Dominican American boy only ever called mijo by his family has just lost his father to brain cancer. In the wake of his grief, he begins to see his deceased father take the form of a pigeon and ghost, acting as protector and advisor in moments of duress and confusion. Determined to find out the truth behind his father’s appearances, he sets out on the streets of Brooklyn with his outspoken friend Naño, and in the hills of the Dominican Republic with his cousin Matias, in search of answers, only to discover more ghostly apparitions and inexplicable occurrences. In a world of lost things and in-betweens, the grief-stricken son must choose whether he can bear to let go of his father or accept the consequences of what we let haunt us.
Between the looming buildings of Brooklyn, a young Dominican American boy only ever called mijo by his family has just lost his father to brain cancer. In the wake of his grief, he begins to see his deceased father take the form of a pigeon and ghost, acting as protector and advisor in moments of duress and confusion. Determined to find out the truth behind his father’s appearances, he sets out on the streets of Brooklyn with his outspoken friend Naño, and in the hills of the Dominican Republic with his cousin Matias, in search of answers, only to discover more ghostly apparitions and inexplicable occurrences. In a world of lost things and in-betweens, the grief-stricken son must choose whether he can bear to let go of his father or accept the consequences of what we let haunt us.
- GenresYoung Adult
192 pages, Paperback
Published August 15, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review
August 16, 2026
This was such an amazing read and my first time reading this author.
Bless Me, Papi is a coming of age novel that packs such an emotional punch. It gives us a deeply vulnerable look inside an immigrant household, showing the profound love and ties that bind a family together.
The story follows Domingo José Sepulveda Jr., a young boy in 1999 in Brooklyn who is forced to cope with the sudden, tragic death of this father from brain cancer. As Domingo learns the real meaning of grief, he begins to see his father manifest both as a ghost and a pigeon. To process the loss, he embarks on a magical journey through Brooklyn with his best friend Naño and eventually with his cousin Matias when he visits the Dominican Republic.
I enjoyed how beautifully the author used the pigeon as a physical manifestation of processing grief. Since his father died so young, Domingo is completely unable to accept the loss and the trauma begins to haunt him. Personally, I think his Catholic background plays a huge role in why a pigeon becomes his spiritual guide. The pigeon serves a his guardian, advisor and a symbol of the in between identity. Ultimately, the pigeon helps him process the reality of his father's death and teaches him such a powerful lesson about the consequences of our choices, not just what we do but what we allow it to keep hurting us.
the supporting characters also make this healing journey so rich. In Brooklyn, his best friend Nano provides the much needed companionship and a sense of normal during a time of heavy mourning. Then, his cousin Matias in the Dominican Republic helps guide him through the ancestral, mystical side of his healing by connecting him to the elements of nature.
This was a beautiful, moving story that I highly recommend.
Thank you to Netgalley and Curbstone Books for the advance reading copy.
Bless Me, Papi is a coming of age novel that packs such an emotional punch. It gives us a deeply vulnerable look inside an immigrant household, showing the profound love and ties that bind a family together.
The story follows Domingo José Sepulveda Jr., a young boy in 1999 in Brooklyn who is forced to cope with the sudden, tragic death of this father from brain cancer. As Domingo learns the real meaning of grief, he begins to see his father manifest both as a ghost and a pigeon. To process the loss, he embarks on a magical journey through Brooklyn with his best friend Naño and eventually with his cousin Matias when he visits the Dominican Republic.
I enjoyed how beautifully the author used the pigeon as a physical manifestation of processing grief. Since his father died so young, Domingo is completely unable to accept the loss and the trauma begins to haunt him. Personally, I think his Catholic background plays a huge role in why a pigeon becomes his spiritual guide. The pigeon serves a his guardian, advisor and a symbol of the in between identity. Ultimately, the pigeon helps him process the reality of his father's death and teaches him such a powerful lesson about the consequences of our choices, not just what we do but what we allow it to keep hurting us.
the supporting characters also make this healing journey so rich. In Brooklyn, his best friend Nano provides the much needed companionship and a sense of normal during a time of heavy mourning. Then, his cousin Matias in the Dominican Republic helps guide him through the ancestral, mystical side of his healing by connecting him to the elements of nature.
This was a beautiful, moving story that I highly recommend.
Thank you to Netgalley and Curbstone Books for the advance reading copy.
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review