The Affairs of the Falcóns

by Melissa Rivero

A stunning debut novel about a young undocumented Peruvian woman fighting to keep her family afloat in New York City

Ana Falcón, along with her husband Lucho and their two young children, has fled the economic and political strife of Peru for a chance at a new life in New York City in the 1990s. Being undocumented, however, has significantly curtailed the family’s opportunities: Ana is indebted to a loan shark who calls herself Mama, and is stretched thin by unceasing shifts at her factory job. To make matters worse, Ana must also battle both criticism from Lucho’s cousin—who has made it obvious the family is not welcome to stay in her spare room for much longer—and escalating and unwanted attention from Mama’s husband.

As the pressure builds, Ana becomes increasingly desperate. While Lucho dreams of returning to Peru, Ana is deeply haunted by the demons she left behind and determined to persevere in this new country. But how many sacrifices is she willing to make before admitting defeat and returning to Peru? And what lines is she willing to cross in order to protect her family?

The Affairs of the Falcóns is a beautiful, deeply urgent novel about the lengths one woman is willing to go to build a new life, and a vivid rendering of the American immigrant experience.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Historical Fiction, Latinx, Literary Fiction, New York, Book Club

277 pages, Hardcover

First published April 2, 2019

Reviews

[Angela M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Immigration, given the current political climate is such a relevant issue, not just for those who are risking their lives to get here, but those already here . This story focuses on a family already here, an undocumented family . How can we possibly know the experience without having experienced it ? How can we possibly understand the stress, the fear, the desperation to make a comfortable life for your children when you can’t afford a decent apartment ? How can we know how difficult it is to keep a job even though you have falsified papers ? How can we know how overwhelming it is that you make unwise decisions and do whatever it takes because you want to keep your family together? Or what it might be like to have to see a pharmacist for the medical needs of you and your children because you can’t take them to a doctor who might ask too many questions ? Or go to a loan shark who holds your fate in their hands in a way each time they refuse to loan you more money? You can read a book like this which does an amazing job of depicting that experience and gives a feel for what it might be like to want to escape terrorism or even the military in your home country. I’ll never truly know any of this, but I’m glad to have read this book which gave me a better understanding. This heartbreaking debut is definitely worth reading.

I received an advanced copy of this book from Ecco/HarperCollins through Edelweiss.

[Jennifer ~ TarHeelReader · Rating 5 out of 5]

A timely and emotional glimpse into the pressures and stress of the immigrant experience. ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Ana and Lucho Falcon, along with their two children, have fled the unrest of 1990s Peru for New York City; however, they are undocumented. This means they have far fewer opportunities to create a better life.

Ana works long hours for little pay at a factory and owes a loan shark money. In addition, she and her family are living with Lucho’s cousin, and the welcome mat is being worn thin. The spare room will no longer be available to them. At the same time, the loan shark is getting more upset about the lack of payments.

Desperation builds for Ana. She wants to stay in United States while Lucho dreams of going home. Her family is in more financial and physical danger here than she ever anticipated. How far is she willing to go to continue her efforts at a new life for her family?

The Affairs of the Falcons is a timely look at immigration, including those who live here with fear, stress, and abject desperation. This book is so insightful, so honest and raw, I felt the stress along with the family. One domino after another starts to line up and then topple for this family. Can they ever get the momentum of that to not only stop, but to turn around and have a chance at a successful and base level need, safe, life?

While I felt some of the feelings of the family because they are so well-drawn by the author, I could never truly know that fear, that hunger. My heart broke over and over for the Falcons. In an attempt to leave terrorism in their own country, they came to a new country where one intense fear was replaced by another.

Overall, The Affairs of the Falcons is a memorable and powerful story that left an indelible mark on me.

I received a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

My reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com

[Diane S ☔ · Rating 4 out of 5]

They came from Peru, settled in New York City, hoping to get lost in the crowds. They are some of the invisible people we encounter often, those that work the grills in our restaurants, do our landscaping,cwork in our factories and warehouses, clean our houses. Do all the jobs we no longer want to do. They are the undocumented, those without legal status in our country. For Ana and her husband, two children, it is a place where one can start over, have an opportunity , escape the censor and danger in their home country.

Yet there is always the threats of deportation, of working so hard but for little money, of having to count every penny, of borrowing money, and then owing a harsh master. Where every little thing that goes wrong could spell disaster. Having to live with a family member and her family because you can not afford your own place. A family that doesn't want you there. Still, Ana is ever hopeful, if she could just work a few more hours, if her husband driving a cab could get a few additional pick ups. If, if, if.

Ana is strong, tough, determined to keep her family together, but there are truths here she doesnt see, until it might be too late. This book shows how perilous are the positions of those who come to our country, without papers, without green cards. How tenuous is their position, how careful they must be in the choices and the decisions they make. A very poignant story about a woman who is determined to succeed despite all the obstacles before her. A very humsn woman who only wants the same things we all do, a safe place to live, enough food, and a sense of security, a family. It also shows how easily these people are preyed on, how many willing to take advantage of those trying do hard but in need.

Quite a story, one that certainly made an impression on me, one not easily forgotten.

ARC from book browse.

[Lisa (NY) · Rating 3 out of 5]

[3.4] The Affairs of the Falcóns details the daily struggles and travails of Ana Falcón, an undocumented immigrant from Peru living in NYC. She shoulders much of the burden of providing for her family, keeping up with loan payments, school payments and saving for rent to move out of a relative's house. Although Rivero did an excellent job of illustrating the tightrope of survival, the characters were flat and the pages felt like a dreary listing of obstacles. Ana and her family weren't fleshed out enough for me to feel involved.

[♥ Sandi ❣ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars Thank you to BookBrowse and Ecco for allowing me to read and review this ARC. Expected publication April 2, 2019.

Unsettled, desperate and heart wrenching, this story takes us into the lives of one undocumented immigrant family. Afraid to go home and afraid to stay, the Falcons are left living off family, struggling to find work, learning the language, avoiding crime and fitting into their new world. Turning to a loan shark Ana fears her undocumented status, along with the horrors she must face to remain in the United States. Looking for opportunity, running from danger, and striving to fit in, this story is the epitome of the immigrant population in today's world.

Rivero's debut book has hit the heart of the plight of the immigrant population of today. She sees the obstacles and demands of the undocumented. She writes of their hopes and strong will, their struggles and fears, their tenacity to move above life's hardships and to push forward when that path is nothing but hard work and uncertainty. If Rivero continues to hit the mark, as she has done in this book, she will be an author in great demand.

[Jerrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fleeing violence in Peru in the 1990s, Ana and her family live as undocumented migrants in NYC. Every day in her life is a struggle. Financial struggles occupy most of Ana’s life, but there is also the struggle to come to terms with her mother and father’s deaths and learn to trust anyone but herself. This is not a feel-good story, but it does highlight the determination and hope of some immigrant families. Great writing and sharp dialogue. 3.5⭐️ rounded up.

[luce (cry bebè's back from hiatus) · Rating 3 out of 5]

| | blog | tumblr | ko-fi | |

This novel was unrelentingly depressing. There might have been two instances which didn't make me feel anxious or sad.
The dialogues are the best thing about The Affairs of the Falcóns. Rivero has an ear for the way in which people speak, for rendering with terrifying realism those fraught and tense pauses that fill an argument or a conversation, and for depicting the hesitancy that might make its way into one's words.
On the other hand, I found Rivero's prose and her characters to be incredibly flat. I find this particular writing style very hit or miss: the narration merely describes the actions and movements of a character without fleshing out his or her personality. If I was distressed by Ana Falcón's situation it was not because I really cared or believed in Ana as a character but because I am not completely heartless. Ana seems to lack a personality, she experiences hardship after hardship, and yet, we never get to see her inner self, or the way in which the strain she is under affects her mental health and thinking. For instance, I knew that Ana was angry not because the narration shows us why and how she is angry but because we are told that she smacks the sofa she is sitting on. The narrative style was too passive and unattached for my taste (hopefully other readers won't be as bothered by this).
The characters themselves were many shades of selfish. Certainly, I did not think that Ana should get along with her husband or with his family but why should her friendship be so very...unfriendly?
The women in this novel are constantly accusing each other of behaving 'improperly' with each other's husbands, they are judgemental about each other, and they seem to be anything but 'friends'. There were two moments (both of which occur in a mere sentence) that showed that Ana's friends did seem to care for her.
Still, even if I found the prose to be as attractive as my shopping list, I do think that the dialogues were incredibly realistic. Sadly, the characters behind these conversations and arguments were not as fleshed out as the words they spoke. All of the characters share not only the same 'mood' but the same sort of underwhelming personality.
Soon I found that the various scenes sort of followed a similar formula: we have Ana entering a house or building, she has a confrontation of some sort with one character, one of them leaves the room. Characters kept telling Ana off for something or other, and she is unable to make a valid argument in self-defence. The ending tries—and fails—to give readers a glimmer of hope in an abyss of despair.

I listened to this novel with a growing sense of dread, in a perpetual state of anxiety, and frustrated beyond belief over the way the characters were portrayed and the very way the story was told.
Part of me wishes that I had read (or listened) to this novel, not because this story is not important (and it has a lot of frighteningly realistic situations) but because it is told in such an unaffected, almost uncaring, way.

Read more reviews on my blog

[Book Concierge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ana Falcón, her husband Lucho, and their two children have fled the political turmoil of their native Peru for the chance at a better life in New York City. But despite Lucho’s education, the only job he can get is driving a cab on the night shift. Meanwhile Ana works as a seamstress in a factory. They are living with Lucho’s cousins, Valeria and Rueben, which adds stress to their family. Ana has resorted to borrowing money from a local loan shark, Mama, and she’s behind in repaying the loan. Should she give up and succumb to Lucho’s idea to return to Peru, or at least to send the children back?

My heart broke for Ana and her family. There is a lot going on and they can never catch a break. Yet Ana holds on to the hope of a better future. She is willing to work hard, to do whatever is necessary to keep her family together and in a relatively safe environment. She feels capable but is constantly reminded that she is from “the wrong side of the mountain,” being from an indigenous family, while the Falcóns were white Peruvians with college educations. She seems to really be carrying the future of her family on her shoulders, alone. But is that partly her own fault? She seems unable, and at least unwilling, to share her burden with her husband and his cousins.

I was glad to see that the family did enjoy some moments of joy and celebration. A nice dinner at Christmas, a New Year’s Eve party with friends. But those moments barely relieved the stress of their circumstances. And they needed to constantly watch out for who might betray them, or what would happen if ICE raided the factory where Ana (and many other undocumented women) worked.

The ending is jarring and unsettling and ambiguous. I desperately want to know what happens next!

[Irene (Irene’sLibros) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whoa!
• an immigrant story with so much realness
• flawed characters - all of them
• Ana - MC is faced with difficult decision after difficult decision. But she doesn’t need your sympathy or pity.
• 1990s Peru - NYC everyone is try to make their own way

[Emma Deplores Goodreads Censorship · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

There’s a real dearth of books about undocumented Spanish-speaking immigrants in the United States. I read in large part to learn about other people’s experiences, and this is a community that’s so nearby and yet so foreign to most Americans. I think what I really want is a popular ethnography – something like Just Like Us, but more representative; something like Two Dollars a Day, but about undocumented immigrants – but memoirs, and fiction by people who know what they’re talking about, can be great too.

So I came to this book with great hopes: it’s about a family of undocumented Peruvian immigrants living in New York in the mid-90s, written by an author who was an undocumented Peruvian immigrant herself as a child. And if this book helps other readers to better understand and sympathize with people in the characters’ situations, then that is a wonderful thing. But this one didn’t work for me as literature, and frankly I wound up not really understanding or sympathizing much with its protagonist either.

The book covers about a month in the life of Ana, a 27-year-old married mother of two who is determined to make a life for herself and her family in New York, but faces serious financial difficulties and family strife. She, her husband Lucho, and their 6-year-old daughter and 5-year-old son, are currently living in one room in Lucho’s cousin’s apartment; unfortunately the cousin has never liked Ana, Lucho has recently lost his job, and when Ana discovers she’s accidentally pregnant again, she knows they can’t afford it.

Unfortunately, the characters and writing are flat. Nobody has much personality, though everyone – Ana included – has a nasty tendency to kick everyone else when they’re down; I wasn’t sure whether this was meant to be an unfortunate result of their poverty and long-term stress or just a cheap technique to keep enough conflict in the book to tell a story with, but it tended to feel like the latter. It’s a quick, easy read, but the writing is bland, and though everyone is supposedly speaking Spanish, it doesn’t feel like it; characters say things like “Yes, I do,” which don’t really translate (Spanish doesn’t use the helping verb “do”). The plot is lacking too, mostly consisting of Ana going around arguing with her friends, family, and neighborhood loan shark. And the writing has a tendency to over-explain concepts and feelings in a very simplified way.

Then there’s Ana, our protagonist, who is by turns baffling and unsympathetic. Ana grew up poor, in a small village, is of mostly indigenous descent, and seems to have little education, yet is inexplicably married to Lucho, who grew up privileged in Lima, is of Spanish descent and college-educated and a professional. Predictably, the two don’t understand each other or communicate at all, and I was never convinced by Ana’s insistence that at some point they’d fallen in love; their marriage seemed more like a device to educate readers about differences of class and ethnicity within Peru than a real relationship. Ana doesn’t understand why Lucho would care about having a fulfilling job rather than doing menial labor, and seems to see this as a frivolous desire; meanwhile she doesn’t consult him about major decisions affecting their marriage, then becomes enraged when he doesn’t appreciate the sacrifices she’s kept to herself. I didn’t understand why Lucho would have agreed to immigrate illegally in the first place – couldn’t he have gotten a visa to go to Spain, as his brother did? – especially since this leaves their kids, too, leading an insecure existence when his background might have afforded them better opportunities back home. As the family’s problems compound and their reasons for being in the U.S. are stripped away, it seems as if Ana prefers to make her whole family third-class non-citizens in New York rather than being a second-class citizen by herself in Peru. Aside from all that, she just comes across as an unpleasant person; for instance, when the cousin’s husband – who is consistently kind to her and sticks up for her to his villainous wife – confesses that his wife can be abusive, her response is an internal tirade about how he, with his own home and money, has no right to feel sorry for himself, and she hopes his kids will abandon him (sure, he had an affair, but yikes).

So, overall, this book was a quick read but didn’t do much for me, and features characters who seem unrepresentative of undocumented immigrants in ways that make them less sympathetic. It didn't help that I got the sense we were supposed to take Ana's side and see her as a heroine instead of the deeply flawed and difficult person that she is, but even without that issue, this book is awfully simplistic. Hopefully someone else will tackle this topic more successfully.

[Ann (Inky Labyrinth) · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best debuts I've ever read. Had me hooked by the first sentence (it's about a little girl slaughtering a chicken).

A blurb on the back of the book calls The Affairs of the Falcóns "a book we urgently need now", a take which I very much agree with as I sit here turning the final page.

A woman and her family's immigration journey from a dangerous conflict-ridden Peru to a vibrant New York City in the early 1990's: all of their heartaches, their disappointments, their paranoia, their fears; their hopes and their dreams, too, colorfully told in prose that is both readable and full of boundless emotion on every level.

When we see and hear about families torn apart at the US-Mexican border, or elsewhere in the world, our hearts sigh, but it soon passes as we continue on with our own lives, our own troubles. On a planet so desensitized to violence, the victims and their stories fade and blend together--a refugee woman being reunited with her trauma-sickened child--another sad statistic soon forgotten by most of the world.

"Son ilegales, Ana."
Her stomach clenched. "I know what we are, Valeria. But we’re not going anywhere. My children aren’t going anywhere. I’m not going anywhere. We came here as a family and we’re staying as a family. I’ll keep sewing curtains and wiping toilet seats if I have to, and so will Lucho." She held on as her stomach settled. "But we’re not leaving."

But stories like this force us to remember. Whether in our own backyards or on the other side of the world, the very least we can do is listen to their stories, and and not let them be forgotten. By reading Ana's story, though fictional, I was knocked right off of my "white privilege box" and was reminded of how lucky I really am, despite my own struggles.

She was safe now, she told herself. They were safe. Yet as she looked at her own reflection in the mirror, she wondered when she’d ever stop running.

Despite the major differences between Ana and myself, I found it easy to slip into her shoes. Her inner dialogue, when taken out of context, often synced up with my own. She has a quiet fierceness flowing through her motherly instincts, like a jungle cat ready to pounce, only when absolutely necessary.

That is what kept her going: her ability to change, to evolve. To try again. That was the point of it all. She could keep trying, no matter her mistakes or the mistakes of others. There was always room for change. She could always start over.
Could they?

I feel a little insignificant after finishing this novel, but I rather suppose that is one of its points: we are all the same. There are no others, no one is neither illegal nor legal. We all belong here and we all have a right to seek out a happier, safer spot in our troubled, cold world.

We're all human: running amok all over a big rock floating through space, making up rules and searching for meaning.

Sometimes, I think that meaning is as simple as sharing our story.

4.5 // 5 stars

Edit:I decided to round down my rating from 5 to 4 stars. I wrote this immediately after finishing late at night, and after sleeping, I realized it didn't quite hit that five star sweet spot compared to some other favorites I've discovered recently.

[Julia Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could not breathe while reading this book. It took my breath away. Tense, vivid, rich, real, it is a masterpiece. If you've ever been told you're less than, if you've been vulnerable, if you've done the wrong thing for the right reasons, if you've had to rely on yourself, if you've loved someone, if you've been hurt and kept going, you have got to read this novel. Stunning.

[The Lexington Bookie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’ll give fair warning- I think I’ll be giving an unpopular opinion on this novel, but please bear with me and hear me out.

The Affairs of the Falcóns was a difficult read for me to review, in the sense that I felt I understood what the author was trying to relay to readers, however the message didn’t impact me the way I think was intended.

In the novel, the Falcóns are illegal Peruvian immigrants who are trying to provide a better future for their children. Main character Ana is a wife with a full time factory worker job, who also executes a multitude of tasks for their loan shark sponsor/cousin, who calls herself Mama. Her husband is a cab driver in NYC, trying to support his family and ideally be able to afford an apartment of their own.

Ana takes things with a grin-and-bear-it attitude, knowing that despite difficulties and discomfort, she is providing opportunities for her children that they wouldn’t have gotten in Peru, while also keeping the family together. However, this also means taking risks for the sake of her family. When Mama’s husband proves to be a seedy, greedy player who likes to trade debt repayment with personal favors, Ana finds herself conflicted- can she really turn down money that could provide for her family?

In my opinion, I think Rivero is trying to show the desperation for safety and security in undocumented immigrants, and how dire their situation can be- at any moment their families can be ripped apart. I will never be able to understand that kind of terror, and I would never assume to. I think that sharing these stories is vitally important for everyone’s understanding and compassion for those in these situations. Yet, I also think that The Falcóns only scratches the surface of this topic. The emotional conflict didn’t resonate with me, and often I felt the writing leaned towards melodramatic. In the heated moments, I did feel terrified for Ana and her children, but then I lost compassion when Ana relayed what happened to her friend, as it came across to me as embellishment. I also thought the whole story arc was a little flat- the ending was a good punch, but it was almost abrupt after such a slow, dramatic pace. I also felt that if Rivero had added more backstory, it would have clarified some vague recollections from Ana’s dark past in Peru, and added more depth to the plot.

In the end, I hate to say, I didn’t enjoy this read. I won’t go out of my way to recommend it to anyone, however I know that it could spark some much needed conversation, so I wouldn’t discourage anyone who wishes to read it from actually reading it, but it just fell so flat for me. In the end, I just didn’t connect emotionally with the story and was left wanting more.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

There were times while reading this book that I put my hand to my heart in sorrow. Much of the time, though, my jaw was clenched in anger. The protagonist, Ana Falcón, is a woman from Peru, trying to keep her family together by any means necessary after immigrating to New York City. There are forces and unspoken rules beyond her control everywhere she turns, determining her fate. The people around Ana seem increasingly dangerous to her well-being, from loan sharks to in-laws and more. There are moments of pure horror; one scene so intense I had to pause because I felt it unfold so viscerally. I'm talking realistic, modern day, living-in-this-world-every-day horror. The most insidious.

Rivero creates an immersive experience through her protagonist; she manages to paint a portrait of Ana that is a test of the reader's empathy. Ana is doing her best, and we are privy to why she makes certain decisions. I would guess most readers are reading this novel from a privileged vantage; we will never be asked to make these same decisions or face similar circumstances. This prods you to find that common ground: you know, being human. Rivero's writing captures Ana's struggle in such a way that asks us to examine ourselves. It's powerful.

I'm not sure you could read this book without having an emotional reaction. I highly recommend, and I think it'd be a great book club pick, too.

[Katharine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was phenomenal. To read this book in this political climate, when the conversations around undocumented immigrants has become so divisive, made this book even more impactful. Rivero's writing brought the characters to life, so much so that their fear, their desperation was palpable. This book made me think, made you examine my beliefs, and will stick with me for a long time.

[Kara Paes · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was impossible to put down. Ana Falcon was such a surprising and intriguing character that I was immediately immersed in her and her family's story. I thought Melissa Rivero did a fabulous job portraying the sacrifices and difficulties that immigrants in Ana's situation might face. I definitely recommend this to everyone looking to further their understanding of what it takes to migrate to the US and establish a new life here.

Thanks to Ecco and Harper Collins for providing an advanced copy via Edelweiss in exchange for my honest review.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this story. Immigrants from Peru (some legal, some not) move to New York City to find the American dream. But they realize it isn't easy, especially when they are preyed upon by their own kind.

There was a lot of telling in this novel, instead of showing. Even with that though, some of this was beautifully written. I liked the authors use of words as times. I liked this one, but I didn't love it....so 3 stars.

[Maryam · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.7 stars

This is a heart-wrenching and upsetting story that needs to be told.

Ana, an undocumented Peruvian mama will go through all ends of the Earth to keep her family safe and together to build a better life in New York City. Please don't go into this story thinking it will be a light read.

Throughout the book, I just wanted to hug and hold Ana and invite her and her family to my home and just tell her that "everything will be okay." But unfortunately, how many undocumented immigrants have no one to turn to? Nowhere to go? This book shows this particular reality and doesn't sugarcoat anything. I appreciated that, despite how gut-wrenching some scenes were. This book showed the interpersonal conflicts and devastating effects each difficulty Ana endured had on those around her and especially on herself. I am left wondering what the future holds for the family as those difficulties continue to come to fruition.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Omg that ending! A book for a time such as this. I loved Ana. She makes me ask myself —- what wont I do for my family? For my children? This is a book about the joys and plight of motherhood.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel is the story of Ana and her family who are immigrants from Peru. It deserves all the stars. Ana struggles to come up with money to pay the bills every month. She deals with difficult decisions on what she's willing to do to keep her family together. It felt incredibly real to me and extremely compelling.

[Oscreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible!!!!
Review coming soon.

[Mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunning in its simplicity, this book bowled me over with the all-too-relatable chaos that exists within an individual and especially within a family, which often doesn't receive the attention and care that Rivero gave to Ana here. Taking place over the winter holidays in Queens in the 1990s, Ana is floundering beneath the responsibility she has undertaken to make sure that the family she uprooted from Peru is going to thrive, no matter what it takes. Her husband Lucho lost his job and the family of 4 moved in with his cousin, Valeria's, little family, but the apartment is cramped and Ana is constantly "on". When not at work sewing in a factory for 10+ hours at a time, she runs errands and cooks and cleans and mothers both her kids and Valeria's as she runs a business and travels often. Trying to stay afloat she took out a loan from a local woman, bargaining a deed for Lucho's mother's house in Peru as collateral, and struggles to pay back the money because she is also paying back the loan she took out separately from the woman's husband and still afford life's necessities. The husband doesn't mind if she pays him back in other ways and though she is once willing, she's not sure how much longer she can play his game. When she realizes her period is late and Valeria continues to lay out her suspicion that Ana is sleeping with her husband and Lucho, tired of struggling, suggests they send their children back home or they all return to Peru, Ana reaches her breaking point. She reaches out to her childhood friend and confidant, Betty, for help and even then my heart ached for Ana and the little attention she spared for herself while, as so many women and mothers do, she chose to focus on feeding her family and keeping her children safe over seeking out her own well being. The story rang so so sadly true.

[Vera · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Affairs of the Falcóns is the debut novel by Melissa Rivero, published April 2nd, 2019 by Ecco. I picked this one up from my local library for mainly two reasons: 1) my ever-growing desire to learn about other cultures, and 2) the HYPE!

It is delightful to be surrounded by so many colorful cultures at work, I've learned a bit about culinary preferences, different meanings for some words, rooted expressions, etc. Truthfully though, I haven't got the chance for deeper discussions when it comes to social and political structures in their countries, and maybe not everyone is willing to have this sort of conversation.

This story made me want to read more about Peru's history, guerilla groups and to ask a few questions to my Peruvian co-workers about racism and classism within their culture. It was eye-opening to read how every culture has its issues with race and racial traits. How someone can end up feeling unwelcomed within their own country and more at ease by being invisible in foreign lands.

We read to understand what we can't possibly know first hand, I can identify with being an immigrant but not with the fear and difficulties that come with being undocumented. How the most trivial of tasks become harder and an ordeal, stuff as simple as going to work or getting medical help. I can easily empathize but, for some reason, it was a bit difficult to do so here, how all of these hardships and nightmares seemed to lack justifiable grounds.

I can understand wanting a better education and future for your children, but it wasn't really emphasized that way here, the reasoning behind Ana wanting to remain in the US was painted as somewhat selfish. I don't know if anyone else felt it this way but it kind of seemed that her motivations were being unable to deal with an unaccepting family, not wanting to inflict wounds to her own pride, having her dreams in sight whilst disregarding completely the dreams of her partner - which is not the nicest of ways to treat your spouse, without conversations, agreements, compromises-, not thinking about the discomfort of the others around her - friends and family members trying to help but having the rightful need of their own space as well-.

I don't know, I truly admired her determination, her willingness to succeed, her strength and fighting spirit. I understand the shakiness of the economy in Latin American countries, where a degree is far from a guarantee that you'll secure employment, I'm aware of the political crisis and corruption in our countries, where politicians steal and brake the poor and no one does anything. I won't say I know about violence in Peru, but by the accounts of the book and some reading, I can conclude that Ana's family was safe where they were at Lima, where her other relatives continued to be safe after she left. Having a glance at the big picture, it felt like this family was being scarred irreparably and that somehow things were just getting worse instead of better.

All of this information made me wonder what would I do in this situation, and the truth is I don't want to ever have to answer that, being aware that I have this privilege of not having to. I believe we all try to do the best we can with the cards we were dealt and we all play them as we think appropriate and more beneficial. This book really got me thinking, as all good books do. It has also motivated me to have more meaningful conversations with the ones around me and learn more about their stories.

[Jamise · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up. A timely and relevant story about immigration, being undocumented in America, motherhood, strong women & friendships. ⁣Rivero knows how to tell a story. Her writing style is so descriptive that I felt as if I was going through the experiences with the characters. I felt their fear & heartaches, could vividly picture the places and could even taste the food. Very nice debut novel.

[Tai Marie (TMarieReads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ana, her husband Lucho, and their two children are immigrants from Peru living in NYC. They are living with Lucho’s cousin and trying to make enough money to move out and survive on their own. Lucho thinks they should return to Peru, that it is too hard to live in NYC, but Ana is desperate to give her children a better life. In her desperation she does things she doesn’t understand, and can’t tell anyone about, while always looking over her shoulder for immigration.

As a mother, Ana’s story was very powerful to me. Mothers will do anything for their children and I can’t imagine how hard it is for immigrants to be constantly living in fear of being deported and separated from their families. It reminded me of my privilege and how thankful I am that I don’t have those fears.

[BookOfCinz · Rating 3 out of 5]

And that’s the thing about this place. You always need help. It’s not enough that we work hard. Doesn’t that tell you something?

I wanted to love this one but I did not. Maybe it is case of "me", but the overall the book fell flat for me. The Affairs of the Falcons follows the lives of the Falcon family, Peruvian by birth, they are currently living and working in New York. Some of the Falcons are documented, majority, specifically Anna, her husband and her two children are undocumented. Ana and her family have to rely on the help of her husband's family when they hit rock bottom.

This book read like a series of one unfortunate event after another, after awhile I stopped caring. Yes, I know, I sound awful but I just kept wondering "exactly how much hardship can one person take?"... the answer is A LOT. Ana was faced with one difficulty after the next.

I do applaud Melissa Rivero for telling the immigrant experience from a Peruvian point of view.

[Lauren Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

“AFFAIRS OF THE FALCÓNS” by @melissarivero_ is a wonderful work of fiction that empathetically bridges the stories of Latinx immigration to America with the realities one undocumented family faces once arrived in the U.S. I’ve read many stories surrounding immigration, but this one most dramatically placed me in their shoes, especially as a woman and mother; one cannot possibly fault the choices Ana Falcón has to make to endure “The American Dream”. This Peruvian family’s story acutely humanizes the broader immigrant narrative and I especially appreciated the use of the Spanish language (most were decipherable as a non Spanish speaker thanks to context), and it greatly added to the authenticity.

[Glenda Nelms · Rating 4 out of 5]

“And that’s the thing about this place. You always need help. It’s not enough that we work hard. Doesn’t that tell you something?”

Very heart-wrenching, stunning and powerful story of a Peruvian family struggling to survive in America and support her family. Immigration, threat of deportation and Survival are the main themes of the book. Every reader should read the affairs of the Falcons. My heart felt for Ana and her family.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

thoughts coming shortly

[Katy Carnell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This moving book chronicles the plight of an undocumented Peruvian family trying to make ends meet in NYC. Rivero does a good job of portraying the constant stress and pressure that most immigrants face. I felt like I was right alongside Ana, and at times felt hopeless that her life would hold any happiness at all. Great book!!