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Everyone Knows You Go Home
The first time Isabel meets her father-in-law, Omar, he’s already dead—an apparition appearing uninvited on her wedding day. Her husband, Martin, still unforgiving for having been abandoned by his father years ago, confesses that he never knew the old man had died. So Omar asks Isabel for the impossible: persuade Omar’s family—especially his wife, Elda—to let him redeem himself.
Isabel and Martin settle into married life in a Texas border town, and Omar returns each year on the celebratory Day of the Dead. Every year Isabel listens, but to the aggrieved Martin and Elda, Omar’s spirit remains invisible. Through his visits, Isabel gains insight into not just the truth about his disappearance and her husband’s childhood but also the ways grief can eat away at love. When Martin’s teenage nephew crosses the Mexican border and takes refuge in Isabel and Martin’s home, questions about past and future homes, borders, and belonging arise that may finally lead to forgiveness—and alter all their lives forever.
336 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 13, 2018
353 people are currently reading
9833 people want to read
About the author
Natalia Sylvester
11 books71.2k followersNatalia Sylvester is the Pura Belpré- and Schneider Family-honor winning author of the young adult novel BREATHE AND COUNT BACK FROM TEN, and the award-winning author of the young adult novel RUNNING and the adult novels EVERYONE KNOWS YOU GO HOME and CHASING THE SUN. Her first picture book, A MALETA FULL OF TREASURES, illustrated by Juana Medina, is out now from Penguin Random House. Her debut middle grade novel, NO WAY NEVER SISTERS, co-written with Chantel Acevedo, is forthcoming in March 2026 from Simon & Schuster.
Natalia's non-fiction has appeared in the New York Times, Bustle, Catapult, Electric Literature, Latina magazine, and McSweeney's Publishing. Her essays have been anthologized in collections such as A MAP IS ONLY ONE STORY and A MEASURE OF BELONGING: WRITERS OF COLOR ON THE NEW AMERICAN SOUTH.
Born in Lima, Peru, Natalia came to the US at age four and grew up in Florida and the Rio Grande Valley in Texas. She received a BA in Creative Writing from the University of Miami, was a 2021 Visiting Associate Professor at the University of Texas at Austin, and was formerly a faculty member at the Mile-High MFA program at Regis University. She now lives in South Florida.
Natalia's non-fiction has appeared in the New York Times, Bustle, Catapult, Electric Literature, Latina magazine, and McSweeney's Publishing. Her essays have been anthologized in collections such as A MAP IS ONLY ONE STORY and A MEASURE OF BELONGING: WRITERS OF COLOR ON THE NEW AMERICAN SOUTH.
Born in Lima, Peru, Natalia came to the US at age four and grew up in Florida and the Rio Grande Valley in Texas. She received a BA in Creative Writing from the University of Miami, was a 2021 Visiting Associate Professor at the University of Texas at Austin, and was formerly a faculty member at the Mile-High MFA program at Regis University. She now lives in South Florida.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 324 reviews
March 24, 2018
This is a timely novel about immigration and family and the secrets people keep. I really enjoyed reading about the Bravo family and how we learn of the family's past in chapters that go between past and present. The parts of the novel set in the past are actually the strongest, beautifully written, tangible, engaging. The parts set in the present struggle a bit. I wonder if it's the premise, that Isabel, the protagonist, meets her dead father-in-law on her wedding day and he keeps visiting her on her anniversary for the first several years of her marriage. I was more than willing to go along with a woman seeing the dead but the why of Omar's continued appearances wasn't fully developed. Isabel and Martin's marriage wasn't fully developed. It was, in fact, very easy to forget they were married. They had no chemistry. It was not at all clear that they even loved each other though it was clear that we are supposed to believe they love each other. Nonetheless, this was very readable and I was very invested. The women characters are particularly well written and the lyrical moments of this novel are so very memorable.
July 23, 2018
I absolutely loved this book but am really struggling with how to describe it. How about a list?
• family
• marriage
• adoption (sort of?)
• immigration
• the harrowing journey to cross the US - Mexico border
• the ties that bind almost-strangers
• magical realism that feels REAL
.
If you are as upset as I am about how the US treats immigrants to our country right now, definitely add this to your TBR. Oh, and I have to admit that the title confused the heck out of me, but I promise it will be explained in the book!
• family
• marriage
• adoption (sort of?)
• immigration
• the harrowing journey to cross the US - Mexico border
• the ties that bind almost-strangers
• magical realism that feels REAL
.
If you are as upset as I am about how the US treats immigrants to our country right now, definitely add this to your TBR. Oh, and I have to admit that the title confused the heck out of me, but I promise it will be explained in the book!
June 12, 2020
I keep thinking about how much I enjoyed this book
Watch my review: https://youtu.be/C603LCkpQks
Watch my review: https://youtu.be/C603LCkpQks
March 30, 2018
Natalia Sylvester has added an important book to the immigration discussion in America with her sophomore novel, Everyone Knows You Go Home.
I appreciated the authenticity of the Mexican culture displayed in this story – in particular the unselfishness exhibited by family when it comes to caring for one another and even stepping in to offer financial resources. It’s never a question of “if,” but rather simply “is” – this is how we do it. (I learned a great deal about this cultural norm from my little sister, in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program, who is now 26 and very much part of MY family, still). This familial strength can also be seen in the Mexican tradition of honoring the dead – one of the key plot points to this novel: dia de los muertos (Day of the Dead). It’s a cultural tradition that has fascinated me since I wrote about it for a university research magazine years ago.
In this novel, Sylvester paints scenes along the immigration corridor that are often difficult (but important) to read – things we might never have considered regarding the risks taken in crossing the border to America. I can’t help but think young people would enjoy this book, as well, with its cast of mostly younger characters (new professionals recently married, a teenager, a young boy and a young girl). Elda and Omar are, of course, the exception.
I met Natalia Sylvester years ago on Twitter and in person at the Tucson Festival of Books where she debuted Chasing the Sun. I have enjoyed watching her career blossom and look forward to more!
I appreciated the authenticity of the Mexican culture displayed in this story – in particular the unselfishness exhibited by family when it comes to caring for one another and even stepping in to offer financial resources. It’s never a question of “if,” but rather simply “is” – this is how we do it. (I learned a great deal about this cultural norm from my little sister, in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program, who is now 26 and very much part of MY family, still). This familial strength can also be seen in the Mexican tradition of honoring the dead – one of the key plot points to this novel: dia de los muertos (Day of the Dead). It’s a cultural tradition that has fascinated me since I wrote about it for a university research magazine years ago.
In this novel, Sylvester paints scenes along the immigration corridor that are often difficult (but important) to read – things we might never have considered regarding the risks taken in crossing the border to America. I can’t help but think young people would enjoy this book, as well, with its cast of mostly younger characters (new professionals recently married, a teenager, a young boy and a young girl). Elda and Omar are, of course, the exception.
I met Natalia Sylvester years ago on Twitter and in person at the Tucson Festival of Books where she debuted Chasing the Sun. I have enjoyed watching her career blossom and look forward to more!
September 26, 2022
Good story, well developed, interesting and steeped in the experiences of Cental American immigrants and their efforts to adapt to American culture. The story was hard to stay complete focused because there was a density in the prose. I missed some of the activities. After a while the mind wanders. All in all a good novel. I read this one in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. My personal library is woefully underrepresentative.
3.75 Stars
Listened to Audible. Great narration by Frankie Corzo.
3.75 Stars
Listened to Audible. Great narration by Frankie Corzo.
January 21, 2023
#ReadAroundTheWorld. #Mexico
This is a magical realism, dual timeline story by Peruvian author Natalia Sylvester, about immigration, adoption and family secrets. The story shifts between 2012 with newly-weds Isabel and Martin in Texas; and 1981 with his parents Omar and Elda making the arduous journey across the Mexican border. The story begins on Martin and Isabel’s wedding day, which falls on dia de los muertos (the Day of the Dead), when Martin’s father Omar appears and speaks to them. Every anniversary he reappears and contacts Isabel, wanting her assistance to mend the fractures in his family, and gain their forgiveness. The past story of what broke the family apart gradually unfolds. Martin’s teenage cousin Eduardo also unexpectedly arrives, and the couple welcome him into their home and try to help him adjust to the massive cultural shift. Eduardo is deeply scarred by what he has been through and continues to suffer the marginalisation and racism put upon immigrants.
This book has an important message about the way immigrants are often treated and the hardships inherent in their journey. On the other hand I did not find Martin and Isabel’s relationship very relatable, and found the yearly ghost meeting not particularly engaging or well fleshed out. Isabel seemed somewhat fixated on the fact that Martin had not shared parts of his childhood with her rather than being conscious of what was happening immediately around them, like major family illness and loss. I used whispersync to move between the kindle version and the excellent audio-narration by Frankie Corzo. For me this was a 3.5 star read.
This is a magical realism, dual timeline story by Peruvian author Natalia Sylvester, about immigration, adoption and family secrets. The story shifts between 2012 with newly-weds Isabel and Martin in Texas; and 1981 with his parents Omar and Elda making the arduous journey across the Mexican border. The story begins on Martin and Isabel’s wedding day, which falls on dia de los muertos (the Day of the Dead), when Martin’s father Omar appears and speaks to them. Every anniversary he reappears and contacts Isabel, wanting her assistance to mend the fractures in his family, and gain their forgiveness. The past story of what broke the family apart gradually unfolds. Martin’s teenage cousin Eduardo also unexpectedly arrives, and the couple welcome him into their home and try to help him adjust to the massive cultural shift. Eduardo is deeply scarred by what he has been through and continues to suffer the marginalisation and racism put upon immigrants.
This book has an important message about the way immigrants are often treated and the hardships inherent in their journey. On the other hand I did not find Martin and Isabel’s relationship very relatable, and found the yearly ghost meeting not particularly engaging or well fleshed out. Isabel seemed somewhat fixated on the fact that Martin had not shared parts of his childhood with her rather than being conscious of what was happening immediately around them, like major family illness and loss. I used whispersync to move between the kindle version and the excellent audio-narration by Frankie Corzo. For me this was a 3.5 star read.
July 19, 2019
I liked the immigrant story and the examination of family, grief, love, and redemption. And I usually like dual timeline stories where the timelines come together in the end. But the dual timelines became so fragmented at times, and the cast of major and minor characters grew so large that it was hard to keep all the interrelationships clear for me, and that ultimately affected my enjoyment of the larger story.
My favorite scene is the one from which the title is drawn. That one hit me.
My favorite scene is the one from which the title is drawn. That one hit me.
June 4, 2018
The immigrant experience is our summer reading theme at my sons' high school so this felt perfectly appropriate for a reading choice and I have to say that I really liked this novel. In some ways it's a very small story of one family's life in a Texas border town, but of course it's so much more.
It opens with a ghost, which almost put me off, but Omar's character worked for me in the book as a whole. Sylvester tells stories of illegal crossings from the decision to leave Mexico through the assumptions and possible deportations of those living in the United States (legally and not). This is a topic so hot-button that even our family dinners grow heated, but this book reminded me that the story of immigration is not limited to numbers and laws; it's an issue with real people at its center.
No judgements or solutions from this author. Just good storytelling.
It opens with a ghost, which almost put me off, but Omar's character worked for me in the book as a whole. Sylvester tells stories of illegal crossings from the decision to leave Mexico through the assumptions and possible deportations of those living in the United States (legally and not). This is a topic so hot-button that even our family dinners grow heated, but this book reminded me that the story of immigration is not limited to numbers and laws; it's an issue with real people at its center.
No judgements or solutions from this author. Just good storytelling.
January 28, 2020
I was immediately captivated by the story-telling. I felt connected to so many of the characters as well as the Día de los Muertos aspect of the novel. The characters were complex and lived messy, realistic lives. Elda perfectly embodied my own grandmother - the stubbornness and sass were spot on!
It’s no secret that I love when stories alternate between past and present - and this novel did it so well. I will admit that I felt a stronger connection to the story set in the past. The love that Omar and Elda had for one another completely overshadowed the relationship that Martin and Isabel have.
I love that there wasn’t a “happy ending” to the story, as it would have undermined the hardships and complexities discussed throughout. I can’t say much more without spoilers, but I will say this book has a little bit of something for every reader. It covers immigration (so timely), family, marriage, and it even throws in a bit of mystery and magical realism.
It’s no secret that I love when stories alternate between past and present - and this novel did it so well. I will admit that I felt a stronger connection to the story set in the past. The love that Omar and Elda had for one another completely overshadowed the relationship that Martin and Isabel have.
I love that there wasn’t a “happy ending” to the story, as it would have undermined the hardships and complexities discussed throughout. I can’t say much more without spoilers, but I will say this book has a little bit of something for every reader. It covers immigration (so timely), family, marriage, and it even throws in a bit of mystery and magical realism.
November 5, 2018
A solid story about family, immigration, love, finding yourself in a situation, a place you never thought you'd be in, finding your way out, redefining who you thought you were, starting over. I loved the flashbacks better than the forward story which at times felt a little emotionally thin, the characters actions and responses to situations a bit on the melodramatic side. Ending felt a tad rushed considering how many major emotional events occurred. Overall, though, a positive reading experience.
July 13, 2018
4.5 ⭐️
Such a beautiful story! I'll be doing a full review soon on my blog.
Such a beautiful story! I'll be doing a full review soon on my blog.
March 14, 2022
On the day of Isabel and Martin's wedding, which happened to be on the Day of the Dead, Martin's father Omar makes an appearance - which is unusual, since Omar is dead. He continues to appear as each Day of the Dead on their anniversary in a desperate atrempt to reach out to his loved ones, but there is a problem. Only those family members who are *willing* to see him are able to - which means nobody can see him except for his daughter-in-law, Isabel. As the years pass by she tries to breach the topic with the family of what happened in the past, but they have no interest in even hearing Omar's name, let alone discussing him. Not long after their marriage, Martin's teenage nephew manages to cross the border into Texas and they take him in, and over time pieces of the what really happened begin to fall into place.
There are so many themes tackled in this book but they are interwoven so seamlessly that it doesnt seem overpacked, thanks to the author's skillful writing. To me, the novel felt first and foremost to be a study of family life, the challenge of balancing your needs with those of your loved ones, trying to remain honest and open when the complex realities of life set into a marriage, making mistakes, drifting apart, keeping secrets, and trying to find your way back to one another. There's also discussions of immigration, crossing deserts in the cover of night in search of safety, legal status (and the vulnerability of living as an undocumented immigrant in America), what home means and what makes a family, the grief of losing a loved one.
I thought this was a great book. It was slightly more slow moving than I usually go for, but that was minor and overall it was a wonderful read.
There are so many themes tackled in this book but they are interwoven so seamlessly that it doesnt seem overpacked, thanks to the author's skillful writing. To me, the novel felt first and foremost to be a study of family life, the challenge of balancing your needs with those of your loved ones, trying to remain honest and open when the complex realities of life set into a marriage, making mistakes, drifting apart, keeping secrets, and trying to find your way back to one another. There's also discussions of immigration, crossing deserts in the cover of night in search of safety, legal status (and the vulnerability of living as an undocumented immigrant in America), what home means and what makes a family, the grief of losing a loved one.
I thought this was a great book. It was slightly more slow moving than I usually go for, but that was minor and overall it was a wonderful read.
July 7, 2020
Much like a few other books that have simultaneously broken my heart and kept me invested in what's coming next, Everyone Knows You Go Home follows multiple generations as they navigate the intricacies of the untold stories and connections within their familial ties, beloved and fraught alike. Natalia Sylvester is a beautiful storyteller and the way she weaves language is artful and compelling in ways that often left me struck as I turned the pages. The manner this story is told can be confusing at first as it plays with flashbacks that interweave into the present, but I loved it. I loved immersing myself in this family, their struggles, their conflicts, their love, and their path to finding deeper understanding of one another. Definitely one I recommend and one I imagine I'd get a lot from revisiting in the future for another dive in. I'll be keeping my eye out for what's next from Sylvester and look forward to getting my hands on her debut as another glimpse into the talent of this writer!
July 16, 2018
Need to think on this one a bit. Review to come.
March 29, 2020
Loved this dual timeline immigrant story about the actual journey and the life in a new home. We've got strong Dia de Los Muertos themes throughout, and a bit of ghosty-ness. Excellent.
March 29, 2022
A beautiful, moving novel about immigration, crossing the US-Mexico border, family, grief and memory told through dual timeline narratives with a sprinkle of magical realism. The opening—the bride’s deceased father-in-law visiting the newlyweds on their wedding day (the Day of the Dead), and introduces himself to the bride for the first time—totally charmed my socks off! It’s been a while since a book was able to take my mind off work and really capture my attention. I was deeply immersed and invested in the characters.
January 27, 2021
Somehow I was not able to get into the story and had to reread the first couple chapters over and over. Somehow my mind went off wondering while I was reading this book, and it took me quite a long time to complete.
One thing was the audio book. After chunk of sentences, there were gaps between. I felt a bit awkward at that.
The story went back and forth of two time lines. I liked Omar and Elda’s story better than Martin and Isabel’s. I did not like Isabel much somehow.
One thing was the audio book. After chunk of sentences, there were gaps between. I felt a bit awkward at that.
The story went back and forth of two time lines. I liked Omar and Elda’s story better than Martin and Isabel’s. I did not like Isabel much somehow.
November 21, 2021
I started this book during Los Dias de Los Muertos and on my brother’s birthday so it immediately resonated with me. I liked the way the story alternated between past and present and the intersections of the various characters. Heartbreaking but also filled with hope, I think it ended well but made me weep a bit for the hundreds of thousands who have similar stories. Four stars for a good story, good character development and education. The writing was good but not such that I oohed and ahed over it.
February 27, 2018
Beautiful storytelling! I fell completely in love with the characters.
December 2, 2020
The problem with this book is that it was told through the wrong character. At its heart, it's a rich and moving love story about Elda and Omar, a couple who survive a harrowing journey across the southern US border and then are separated under mysterious circumstances that are slowly revealed throughout the course of the novel. It is a powerfully moving story of forgiveness and healing, and it reveals a lot about the immigrant experience.
But for some reason, the author whips up a character that seems to come straight out of the pages of a YA romance novel, and then tells the story through her. Isabel is newly married to Martin, Elda and Omar's son, and the couple is visited by Omar's ghost on their wedding day -- a surprise to Martin, who didn't know his father was dead. Isabel doesn't understand why Martin never told her more about Omar, and for the rest of the book, she whines to anyone who will listen about how unfair it is that no one in the family will tell her all the intimate details of their painful past. She works incredibly hard to make all of Martin's family trauma about her. She picks fights with Martin about anything and everything, and usually manages to find the most inappropriate times to do so -- like coming to his work before a big meeting, or during a family birthday party for their nephew, or after a relative is diagnosed with a serious illness. All she can think about is being pissed that no one tells her more about Omar. I was rolling my eyes constantly.
Isabel and Martin make no sense as a couple, and all of their interactions completely distract from the beautiful and multilayered characters surrounding them. There's no narrative purpose for including Isabel at all. She's just a one-dimensional bucket of melodrama. It was such a waste of a good story.
This is a five-star novel told through a one-star character.
But for some reason, the author whips up a character that seems to come straight out of the pages of a YA romance novel, and then tells the story through her. Isabel is newly married to Martin, Elda and Omar's son, and the couple is visited by Omar's ghost on their wedding day -- a surprise to Martin, who didn't know his father was dead. Isabel doesn't understand why Martin never told her more about Omar, and for the rest of the book, she whines to anyone who will listen about how unfair it is that no one in the family will tell her all the intimate details of their painful past. She works incredibly hard to make all of Martin's family trauma about her. She picks fights with Martin about anything and everything, and usually manages to find the most inappropriate times to do so -- like coming to his work before a big meeting, or during a family birthday party for their nephew, or after a relative is diagnosed with a serious illness. All she can think about is being pissed that no one tells her more about Omar. I was rolling my eyes constantly.
Isabel and Martin make no sense as a couple, and all of their interactions completely distract from the beautiful and multilayered characters surrounding them. There's no narrative purpose for including Isabel at all. She's just a one-dimensional bucket of melodrama. It was such a waste of a good story.
This is a five-star novel told through a one-star character.
December 4, 2018
I’ve been wanting to pick this book up for so long, and I finally carved out the time to read it. I don’t know what took me so long!! This book is totally worth the time, and I wish I would’ve picked it up sooner!
EVERYONE KNOWS YOU GO HOME begins on Isabel and Martin’s wedding day where they are visited my the ghost of Martin’s father. (You read that correctly! What an awesome start to the story, right?) As the couple celebrates their anniversary on the Day of the Dead each year, Omar continues to pay the couple a visit in hopes of achieving his ultimate goal of passing over peacefully. Told in alternating chapters between the past and present, this story explores immigration, relationships, and ever present question of, “what if?”
I had really high hopes for this book, and it still smashed my expectations!! Natalia Sylvester does an excellent job of tying together two timelines from multiple perspectives. While there are a lot of POV characters, it never felt muddy or over ambitious. Each character was so relatable and, while they each had their flaws, I deeply cared about the direction of their story. While I’ve read various immigration stories, I have never read something so honest and telling about the experiences of immigrants crossing the Mexican border. If you haven’t picked this one up yet, I highly recommend you bump it up on your TBR! Perfect for those looking for a well told, character driven novel or a heartfelt story about family and immigration.
EVERYONE KNOWS YOU GO HOME begins on Isabel and Martin’s wedding day where they are visited my the ghost of Martin’s father. (You read that correctly! What an awesome start to the story, right?) As the couple celebrates their anniversary on the Day of the Dead each year, Omar continues to pay the couple a visit in hopes of achieving his ultimate goal of passing over peacefully. Told in alternating chapters between the past and present, this story explores immigration, relationships, and ever present question of, “what if?”
I had really high hopes for this book, and it still smashed my expectations!! Natalia Sylvester does an excellent job of tying together two timelines from multiple perspectives. While there are a lot of POV characters, it never felt muddy or over ambitious. Each character was so relatable and, while they each had their flaws, I deeply cared about the direction of their story. While I’ve read various immigration stories, I have never read something so honest and telling about the experiences of immigrants crossing the Mexican border. If you haven’t picked this one up yet, I highly recommend you bump it up on your TBR! Perfect for those looking for a well told, character driven novel or a heartfelt story about family and immigration.
January 6, 2019
This was a great novel to end the year! Sylvester is able to weave a tapestry of time, secrets, and love in the Bravo family alongside Isabel, who marries into the family on the first page. And then her dead father-in-law shows up. Here, I'll just quote the great first sentence since I loved it so much:
"They were married on the Day of the Dead, el Día de los Muertos, which no one gave much thought to in all the months of planning, until the bride's deceased father-in-law showed up in the car following the ceremony."
WELL THEN. And the story never loses pace from there; it jumps between the past and present, the latter showing Isabel trying to understand her place in her new family, navigating the turmoils of marriage and relationships, and holding it together despite what the universe directs their way. In the past timeline, we see the events that molded her husband and his family, and several that they don't know about (and not knowing, that void of understanding, can be so shaping as well). The revelations are often heartbreaking. I loved this family and was sad to say goodbye to them as it ended. The end was bittersweet, but fitting.
Sylvester's prose is lyrical and poignant. I took my time reading this one because of the beautiful sentences. I'm looking forward to seeking out more Sylvester, and for more of her works in the future. I highly recommend this novel.
"They were married on the Day of the Dead, el Día de los Muertos, which no one gave much thought to in all the months of planning, until the bride's deceased father-in-law showed up in the car following the ceremony."
WELL THEN. And the story never loses pace from there; it jumps between the past and present, the latter showing Isabel trying to understand her place in her new family, navigating the turmoils of marriage and relationships, and holding it together despite what the universe directs their way. In the past timeline, we see the events that molded her husband and his family, and several that they don't know about (and not knowing, that void of understanding, can be so shaping as well). The revelations are often heartbreaking. I loved this family and was sad to say goodbye to them as it ended. The end was bittersweet, but fitting.
Sylvester's prose is lyrical and poignant. I took my time reading this one because of the beautiful sentences. I'm looking forward to seeking out more Sylvester, and for more of her works in the future. I highly recommend this novel.
August 22, 2018
This was exceptional. Beautifully written (but not overwrought) and full of insights about family, love, immigration, parenthood, aging, and more. My copy is littered with Post-It flags marking favorite passages.
While the story is compelling regardless of time and circumstances, I think there's no denying an extra level of relevance right now, given our country's discourse around immigration, particularly along the southern border. I appreciated the insight -- why and how people cross -- and maybe more importantly, what their lives are like both before and after. Because immigrating is just one part of their story; it's not where things start, nor where they end.
Going in, I had no idea the book would span multiple timelines and perspectives, but it does so quite deftly, and I followed along easily. To my surprise, I enjoyed both the past and present storylines fairly equally.
Most of all, I liked that all of the characters and relationships were complex and nuanced. No one got to be purely good or bad; everyone made mistakes; most people were just doing their best.
Also, the ending let us know more or less where things stood, without wrapping everything neatly in a bow.
While the story is compelling regardless of time and circumstances, I think there's no denying an extra level of relevance right now, given our country's discourse around immigration, particularly along the southern border. I appreciated the insight -- why and how people cross -- and maybe more importantly, what their lives are like both before and after. Because immigrating is just one part of their story; it's not where things start, nor where they end.
Going in, I had no idea the book would span multiple timelines and perspectives, but it does so quite deftly, and I followed along easily. To my surprise, I enjoyed both the past and present storylines fairly equally.
Most of all, I liked that all of the characters and relationships were complex and nuanced. No one got to be purely good or bad; everyone made mistakes; most people were just doing their best.
Also, the ending let us know more or less where things stood, without wrapping everything neatly in a bow.
May 23, 2018
I love the way the supernatural is handled in this book. It's just there, startling perhaps but as much an ordinary part of life as the relationships between the characters and the characters' daily struggles. It's solid, engaging, and has just the right balance of conceal and reveal. It's a wonderful book.
May 29, 2019
This book took way too long to get where it was going. It should have been a hundred pages shorter.
November 26, 2024
"Some people have holes in their hearts not even time can fill, but that doesn’t mean they’re broken."
"He had always thought crossing the border would be hardest, but now he suspected it was this, the in-between, the stretches of miles for the forgotten, where they could become lost but never mourned, or found but tossed back, turned away as if they had never arrived."
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4.5 - For most of this book I thought it was going to be a 4 star for me—I enjoyed it when I picked it up, but I wasn't racing to get back to it when I put it down. However, I just read the back half in two days, and I am really moved by this story. I think it's actually been nice to sit with it for a bit longer, because it's a heavy story, and I've been able to slowly absorb the weight of it.
This is a story about family, about migration, about how the choices we make to protect the people we love can hurt them, too. It's about how there's not always an easy answer with a satisfying conclusion. About how a choice that causes a lot of pain can also make room for other beautiful and meaningful things—and how these truths do not cancel each other out.
UGH. I'm emo!
"He had always thought crossing the border would be hardest, but now he suspected it was this, the in-between, the stretches of miles for the forgotten, where they could become lost but never mourned, or found but tossed back, turned away as if they had never arrived."
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4.5 - For most of this book I thought it was going to be a 4 star for me—I enjoyed it when I picked it up, but I wasn't racing to get back to it when I put it down. However, I just read the back half in two days, and I am really moved by this story. I think it's actually been nice to sit with it for a bit longer, because it's a heavy story, and I've been able to slowly absorb the weight of it.
This is a story about family, about migration, about how the choices we make to protect the people we love can hurt them, too. It's about how there's not always an easy answer with a satisfying conclusion. About how a choice that causes a lot of pain can also make room for other beautiful and meaningful things—and how these truths do not cancel each other out.
UGH. I'm emo!
October 19, 2023
4.5⭐️ rounded up.
This book and it’s characters, message and story will stay with me for a long time. It comes out swinging, wasting no time by introducing you to our main character, Omar… who is dead. He visits his estranged son, Martin, and daughter-in-law, Isabel, on Dia de Los Muertos to reveal a secret that he can’t explicitly describe. Martin turns Omar away, still full of hate. But year after year, Isabel welcomes the visits with hope she can make the rest of his family see who he truly is. When his nephew Eduardo shows up at Martin and Isabel’s door, more comes to light.
Despite its flip-switch start, it was a bit of a slow build. But honestly I think that’s a big part of what made me love it. It’s a dual timeline - which I love - of an immigrant family’s past and present that slowly converges to piece together the bigger story.
Sylvester’s writing goes right to the heart. A beautiful genre-bending take on both the actual and metaphorical consequences of crossing a border - of a country, of trust, of life.
I’m so glad I stumbled across this one at my local library. So much so that I bought myself a copy to keep on my shelves and read again someday.
Just beautiful.
This book and it’s characters, message and story will stay with me for a long time. It comes out swinging, wasting no time by introducing you to our main character, Omar… who is dead. He visits his estranged son, Martin, and daughter-in-law, Isabel, on Dia de Los Muertos to reveal a secret that he can’t explicitly describe. Martin turns Omar away, still full of hate. But year after year, Isabel welcomes the visits with hope she can make the rest of his family see who he truly is. When his nephew Eduardo shows up at Martin and Isabel’s door, more comes to light.
Despite its flip-switch start, it was a bit of a slow build. But honestly I think that’s a big part of what made me love it. It’s a dual timeline - which I love - of an immigrant family’s past and present that slowly converges to piece together the bigger story.
Sylvester’s writing goes right to the heart. A beautiful genre-bending take on both the actual and metaphorical consequences of crossing a border - of a country, of trust, of life.
I’m so glad I stumbled across this one at my local library. So much so that I bought myself a copy to keep on my shelves and read again someday.
Just beautiful.
December 25, 2024
Part of my Texas Lit list.
This started really strong and I overall enjoyed it but I think it wobbled in the second half and lost some of the focus and clarity in the first half. The relationship/story line I most wanted to have closure didn’t find any and there was a kind of a side story line I think was unnecessary. Still, I’m surprised by the low number of reviews on here as I think it deserves some broader readership.
The characters were engaging and it felt very real to me - it is certainly a reflection of so much of Texas. I would read the author again!
This started really strong and I overall enjoyed it but I think it wobbled in the second half and lost some of the focus and clarity in the first half. The relationship/story line I most wanted to have closure didn’t find any and there was a kind of a side story line I think was unnecessary. Still, I’m surprised by the low number of reviews on here as I think it deserves some broader readership.
The characters were engaging and it felt very real to me - it is certainly a reflection of so much of Texas. I would read the author again!
April 2, 2024
This book dealt with a heavy subject well. The characters were believable and so was their story.
For me, the ending was a little too abrupt to say I felt safe leaving the characters where they were, but maybe that was intentional with how abrupt many migrant lives feel.
The fantasy elements were well done and were highly believable.
For me, the ending was a little too abrupt to say I felt safe leaving the characters where they were, but maybe that was intentional with how abrupt many migrant lives feel.
The fantasy elements were well done and were highly believable.
May 5, 2021
Sweet and contemporary, the book anchors at first around a little bit of magical realism - showing how the protagonists deceased father in law visits them on Dias de los muertos- subsequently also her wedding day and returns on each anniversary. I do wish this interesting plot piece followed us a little more as the book progressed. But now, in reflection, I think this might have been on purpose. We bounce between generations of family, and learn how our passed loved ones never fully leave us, and how the effects of poor immigration laws, over-policing and a lack of international accountability can leave generations of a family struggling and grieving. Heartbreaking with many gems in the writing, the author does a great job of weaving together a story that spans decades without making the reader feel jerked around or confused. The ending I felt was a little abrupt but maybe I just didn’t want the story to end.
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