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Profound and Perfect Things
Some truths can do more harm than good. This is what Isa comes to believe at the tender age of nine when she first has a dream about kissing a girl—an act that would never be acceptable to her family. By her late twenties, Isa has left her hometown in South Texas, so her conservative family won't discover that she’s gay, and immersed herself in the workaholic routine of law school. One fateful night, she experiments with a man, and subsequently ended up with an unwanted pregnancy. Meanwhile, Isa’s only sister, Cristina, loses the infant she spent years trying to conceive. Moving forward with her own pregnancy and giving the baby to Cristina seems like the perfect solution—until Isa bonds with the newborn. Still, the sisters move forward with the family adoption. Now everyone in the family has a secret.
Twelve years later, after much deceit and loss has passed between the sisters, Isa decides to reveal both her sexuality and her niece’s true parentage to their family, against Cristina’s wishes—but before all can be exposed, tragedy strikes.
Timely and gripping, Profound and Perfect Things is a story of two first-generation Mexican-American sisters striving to build a meaningful existence outside their traditional parent’s approval and ways of life—and an exploration of the boundaries of our responsibilities to those we love.
Twelve years later, after much deceit and loss has passed between the sisters, Isa decides to reveal both her sexuality and her niece’s true parentage to their family, against Cristina’s wishes—but before all can be exposed, tragedy strikes.
Timely and gripping, Profound and Perfect Things is a story of two first-generation Mexican-American sisters striving to build a meaningful existence outside their traditional parent’s approval and ways of life—and an exploration of the boundaries of our responsibilities to those we love.
- GenresLGBT
328 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 14, 2019
9 people are currently reading
240 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
April 1, 2019
Profound and Perfect Things surprised me- there’s so much to admire here. It’s a story of coming of age, gaining identity, and of family and what we “owe” our loved ones. I was struck most by the atmosphere. I could feel the Texas summer sun beating down. I also loved the themes of forgiveness and of finding oneself. Overall, this is a gorgeously realistic story of family and the ties that bind.
I received a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
I received a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
February 20, 2019
In Profound and Perfect Things, author Maribel Garcia ponders the question, what do we owe the people we love most? In her moving meditation on time, loss and identity, Garcia explores the corrosive power of long-held secrets and haunting truths in a novel so richly atmospheric you can see the shimmer of asphalt mirages and feel the crushing heat of the south Texas landscape.
February 20, 2019
In her debut novel, Maribel Garcia hits directly at the heart of deep human questions. Do family ties support us or bind us? At our core, do we all simply want to love and be loved? Are there any perfect choices? Garcia speaks to the human experience with a poignant and passionate voice. She does not play judge and jury in her story. Rather, she is the orchestra to life's ballet. She strikes powerful notes with just the right tone, making you feel this story in your bones. It will make you both laugh and weep because it is quintessentially human. Because, although it is fiction, it is true.
May 19, 2019
I was really looking forward to this book, but the writing is bad, the pacing is awkward, and I didn’t enjoy it at all. The concept was interesting, but it was so poorly executed that it was difficult to get through.
December 30, 2018
(Full disclosure: I was given an advance reading copy of this book to review)
I really wanted to like this book. The premise is interesting enough but the execution is truly terrible. The characters are flat and have little to no characterization (the difference between the two sisters seems to be "career-driven" and "family-driven" which is as predictable and as boring as it gets). As a result, the dialogue is also flat because the reader has no idea who these women are. The narrative often tells a situation in the past rather than just telling it in the present, which is irritating and just bad writing. The pacing is also absolutely terrible, as is the fact Isa doesn't realise she's 5 months pregnant (??) and the fact she doesn't come out to her family until the very end of the book. The dialogue feels so forced and shallow, it's was difficult to care about the characters. Also, the author tries to weave in Mexican-American culture at places where it feels really inauthentic and, again, forced. This book really wasn't for me.
I really wanted to like this book. The premise is interesting enough but the execution is truly terrible. The characters are flat and have little to no characterization (the difference between the two sisters seems to be "career-driven" and "family-driven" which is as predictable and as boring as it gets). As a result, the dialogue is also flat because the reader has no idea who these women are. The narrative often tells a situation in the past rather than just telling it in the present, which is irritating and just bad writing. The pacing is also absolutely terrible, as is the fact Isa doesn't realise she's 5 months pregnant (??) and the fact she doesn't come out to her family until the very end of the book. The dialogue feels so forced and shallow, it's was difficult to care about the characters. Also, the author tries to weave in Mexican-American culture at places where it feels really inauthentic and, again, forced. This book really wasn't for me.
December 26, 2018
Profound and Perfect Things is my kind of book--a story of love and sacrifice, betrayal and forgiveness, fate and family. Through her beautifully-drawn characters, Maribel Garcia shows us the complexity of ties that bind, and asks us to consider what we would--and wouldn't--do for those we love.
March 28, 2019
This is a fascinating story of love and loss and a truly amazing debut from Maribel Garcia; a debut that will leave readers yearning for more from her in the near future. Throughout this incredible read, Garcia stays true to her Latinx heritage and does a great job of highlighting contemporary issues such as abortion and Gay and Lesbian (LGBT) lives. The characters in the book are well-developed and their emotional journeys were absolutely authentic. The sisters in the book, Isa and Cristina, reminded me so much of my own sisters and how their differences led to familial distance but never a loss of love. Bound by longstanding Latinx traditions, the sisters seek to break from those traditions and test unpaved confines. As a Latino myself, and as someone who hails from the same Deep South Texas region as Garcia, I can say with certainty that this story will resonate with all readers; specifically those of Latinx heritage. Overall, this is an exceptional read that I highly recommend.
February 25, 2019
What a beautiful story of love and loss! I loved this book so much and couldn't put it down. It made me love my sister stronger, appreciate the magic of my birthing three healthy children, and cherish the support I have always had from my family in accepting me for who I am. This book reminded me of the wounds we all walk through life with on a daily basis that are not visible to the eye, but are always a part of the moment. I loved learning more about life on the Texas/Mexican border, a world so far from my own. These beautiful characters have stayed with me and remind me every day to be true to myself. Can't wait for your next one Maribel Garcia. Well done!
May 20, 2019
Maribel Garcia piqued my interest in her book as soon as I found out it was set in the Rio Grande Valley. The place where my family lived for generations isolated from Mexico and the US by distance and it's barely hospitable climate. The people in this region on both sides of the border consider themselves separate and distinct from each other but nothing could be farther from the truth.
It is this culture of denial of our commonalities that enables secrets to
take root, to be cultivated and to be consciously avoided for the sake of appearances. As people have done through out human history, individuals struggle with their own demons in plain sight, unaware of how obvious their plight is to others, too afraid or incapable of asking for understanding from family and friends.
Maribel paints a vivid picture in the reader's mind, evoking the interminable South Texas heat, the smells of kitchens preparing the staples of Tex-Mex cooking, the awkward exchanges when people are deliberately being less than truthful with each other.
What I found most poignant had little to do with the imagery she so skillfully evokes that is particular to The Rio Grande Valley, but rather to the complex family relationships that we can all identify with. We all have families of origin and families that we seek out and create. Our biological families are constant, yet it is in those relationships that we first test the limits of tolerance of others. Without the experiences of parents and siblings to gauge ourselves it may be impossible to find love and start our own family.
Maribel's story focuses on the complex relationship between two sisters. They are like so many siblings very different from each other in many ways. Witnessing these characters personal growth and struggles to maintain a positive relationship within their own human limitations reminded me of my own experiences and those of my children. I am very different from my siblings as are my children from each other.
It is in this context that Maribel reveals universal truths and the beauty of human existence. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and I am buying copies for my children.
It is this culture of denial of our commonalities that enables secrets to
take root, to be cultivated and to be consciously avoided for the sake of appearances. As people have done through out human history, individuals struggle with their own demons in plain sight, unaware of how obvious their plight is to others, too afraid or incapable of asking for understanding from family and friends.
Maribel paints a vivid picture in the reader's mind, evoking the interminable South Texas heat, the smells of kitchens preparing the staples of Tex-Mex cooking, the awkward exchanges when people are deliberately being less than truthful with each other.
What I found most poignant had little to do with the imagery she so skillfully evokes that is particular to The Rio Grande Valley, but rather to the complex family relationships that we can all identify with. We all have families of origin and families that we seek out and create. Our biological families are constant, yet it is in those relationships that we first test the limits of tolerance of others. Without the experiences of parents and siblings to gauge ourselves it may be impossible to find love and start our own family.
Maribel's story focuses on the complex relationship between two sisters. They are like so many siblings very different from each other in many ways. Witnessing these characters personal growth and struggles to maintain a positive relationship within their own human limitations reminded me of my own experiences and those of my children. I am very different from my siblings as are my children from each other.
It is in this context that Maribel reveals universal truths and the beauty of human existence. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and I am buying copies for my children.
August 25, 2019
Profound and Perfect Things from Maribel Garcia is a deeply moving book that whose characters face challenges, make decisions, and, like all of us, question those decisions over time.
This book touches on so many aspects of life that it does not do it justice to reduce it to a specific type of story (coming-of-age, LGBTQIA+, tradition/breaking from tradition, etc) These are, for everyone, interconnected and this work illustrates that very well. It is easy, and a bit disingenuous, to be overly critical of one of the characters for something said or unsaid. Hindsight, especially for a reader who isn't even in the story, makes the right decisions seem obvious. And to claim perfection for oneself as if you would no doubt have made that decision is hubris writ large. These people are flawed, but they are becoming. They are becoming strong, independent (it requires a great deal of independence and strength to come to the conclusion that you need people in your life, far harder than building and living in a cocoon), and most importantly self-aware as a part of something bigger (not just tradition but so many interrelated identities and groups).
This is one of those novels that will sometimes frustrate you (out of compassion for the characters) and sometimes give you feelings of profound sadness. But it is life, in all of its beauty and ugliness, all of its amazing highs and devastating lows. Rather than make the easy claim that things should have been said that weren't said in the book I hope that I, and other readers, have learned the importance of taking some of those risks that seem so difficult and the importance of truly listening when others take those risks.
I finished this book some time ago but let it ferment for a while before writing this. I would have been too tempted to talk about particulars in the story and I hate taking a chance on giving spoilers. Plus it gave me the opportunity to think about the whats and the whys of what took place; to step away from the immediacy of finishing the story and let it settle into my mind.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via Edelweiss.
This book touches on so many aspects of life that it does not do it justice to reduce it to a specific type of story (coming-of-age, LGBTQIA+, tradition/breaking from tradition, etc) These are, for everyone, interconnected and this work illustrates that very well. It is easy, and a bit disingenuous, to be overly critical of one of the characters for something said or unsaid. Hindsight, especially for a reader who isn't even in the story, makes the right decisions seem obvious. And to claim perfection for oneself as if you would no doubt have made that decision is hubris writ large. These people are flawed, but they are becoming. They are becoming strong, independent (it requires a great deal of independence and strength to come to the conclusion that you need people in your life, far harder than building and living in a cocoon), and most importantly self-aware as a part of something bigger (not just tradition but so many interrelated identities and groups).
This is one of those novels that will sometimes frustrate you (out of compassion for the characters) and sometimes give you feelings of profound sadness. But it is life, in all of its beauty and ugliness, all of its amazing highs and devastating lows. Rather than make the easy claim that things should have been said that weren't said in the book I hope that I, and other readers, have learned the importance of taking some of those risks that seem so difficult and the importance of truly listening when others take those risks.
I finished this book some time ago but let it ferment for a while before writing this. I would have been too tempted to talk about particulars in the story and I hate taking a chance on giving spoilers. Plus it gave me the opportunity to think about the whats and the whys of what took place; to step away from the immediacy of finishing the story and let it settle into my mind.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via Edelweiss.
January 22, 2020
At the beginning I was enjoying the book. But then after a while it became so repetitive. I felt like I was reading the journal entry of someone who is so frustrated about being lesbian I’m not able to tell a Family and then when she did reveal It was so anti-climactic. There was really nothing to be scared but your own internal fears. The conflict between the sisters it’s understandable but it’s so relatable because of the giant secret. As a Latina I understand how hard it is to keep secrets and want to keep secrets and your family but how do you know what pressure or ask what is going on. It Has so many patches.Some details are some stories were so insignificant. The sisters conflict is understandable but there wasn’t any resolve between them! . It didn’t flow is in a mess easily as it could have. Some details or some stories were so insignificant I feel like the author tried to touch on so many issues such as gender, race , culture but she barely scrape the surface. It’s an ok book to read but it’s really hard to get through because it doesn’t flow.
August 6, 2019
I can't rave enough about this! The author draws you into this family's life and the lives of two sisters that you cannot help but relate to and root for. The terrible secrets keeping them apart for so long just make you want to lock the family in a room and get them to open up to each other. It is funny and tragic and I couldn't put it down! I will be recommending this to anyone who wants to read about a family you can't help but love and recognize. The pull between tradition and Latino/Latino roots, sexuality, race, ethnicity, and religion and how tow modern girls deal with that conflict is so relevant as well as relatable.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 10, 2022
The story is so very real, honest, and raw. Once I started reading, I was entranced, unable to stop, and finished it in one day. As someone who has endured multiple pregnancy losses, it was a therapeutic experience. The author "gets it" - that war between sinking into grief and choosing life. I loved the poetry of each woman's journey in the novel...how their lives come together, move apart...the unspoken understanding of shared experience. Absolutely a worthwhile read, but prepare yourself to be fully emotionally immersed in the lives of these women. Grab a blanket and some tea, (and a tissue!) and get ready for the ride of this moving novel.
August 7, 2024
Profound and Perfect Things was overall a good book. Garcia's writing style is relatable and easy to follow. The ending felt open ended and rushed and the middle left much to be desired.
Garcia has a way of pulling you into the lives of the characters. The way she describes the challenges of being a Mexican-American family, lesbian and keeping family secrets keeps you coming back for more.
I enjoyed the storyline and the characters but I think more time should have been dedicated to expounding the middle and the end of the book, IMO there were missed opportunities to detail out the intricacies during these parts.
Garcia has a way of pulling you into the lives of the characters. The way she describes the challenges of being a Mexican-American family, lesbian and keeping family secrets keeps you coming back for more.
I enjoyed the storyline and the characters but I think more time should have been dedicated to expounding the middle and the end of the book, IMO there were missed opportunities to detail out the intricacies during these parts.
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February 4, 2020I got about 1/3 of the way through this book yesterday before deciding it wasn't worth finishing. The writing just isn't very good. Garcia spends way too much time telling us about things instead of showing us and if the central conflict of the book, as the back cover seems to indicate, is this adoption of Isa's baby by Cristina and Isa threatening years later to reveal it, why is it that at page 111 of 320 Isa just found out she's pregnant and hasn't told Cristina yet? I'm disappointed because this was one I was really looking forward to.
February 20, 2019
This book was truly moving and as the title says profound. It covers important issues of culture, class, discrimination and love among family. It speaks movingly about the desire to have children, and the bonds between parents and children.
But it is not didactic - it is very readable - I read it in two days, and it both moves you and makes you think. The characters feel like real people, and you feel like you know them as real people. I was sad when it was over. Highly recommend.
But it is not didactic - it is very readable - I read it in two days, and it both moves you and makes you think. The characters feel like real people, and you feel like you know them as real people. I was sad when it was over. Highly recommend.
June 11, 2025
The book was a mess. Had all the tropes that you wouldn’t like and is cliche - i.e surprise pregnancy, sudden death etc and the ending was rushed and very stupid to put plainly. The entire book felt like it was both going too slow and quick. A lot of things was said but not much of substance to the actual storyline. Most of the dialogue was unnatural as well. I even tried reading aloud to make sure it wasn’t just me being pedantic but it genuinely sounded crazy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 22, 2019
Tolstoy once said that “All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way." And Profound and Perfect Things, told with honesty and heart, will connect with everyone.” No reader will be able to keep this mesmerizing family saga at a distance--either psychologically or emotionally.
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November 24, 2019DNF at 60%
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews