The Brick People

by Alejandro Morales

This engrosing historical novel traces the growth of California from the nineteenth to the twentieth centuries by following in the development of the Simons Brick Factory. With an attention to historical reality blended with myth and legend, the prolific Morales recounts the epic struggle of a people to forge their destiny, along with Califonia's.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Latino

Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

Reviews

[Irma Rodriguez]

I remember reading this for a class and liking it. Dumb me lent it to a boy I thought was easy-on-the-eyes and I never saw my book again. :-/. Guess I'll just have to buy myself a new copy. ;)

[Lis]

I hate to say I didn't like it. As a Chicana, that would seem sacrilegious. It was interesting to read about the way of life in a hacienda, how the owners may seem nice but are as benevolent to their workers as good pet owners who expect their animals to work off their room and board. It was good to see a brick from here and know the history. You should know this story, but I had a hard time not reading other books before finishing this.

[Ry]

This book didn't really challenge any of my views or anything like that, so I can't say that this was a great novel, but it was great to see capitalism portrayed from the perspective of the exploited Mexican worker.

[Carolina]

Fantastic! About the simmons brick company in Pasadena. Great use of magical realism and historical fiction.

[Richard]

If you live in Southern California you should really read this. If not, still read it.