20190316_092323.jpgToday I have a review of The Affairs of the Falcons by Melissa Rivero and available from Ecco Books on April 2, 2019!

My Thoughts:

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. 

Synopsis:

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.

Have you read The Affairs of the Falcons, or is it on your TBR? Happy Reading! ~ Jennifer THR