Starred review from April 15, 2024
Fuentes debuts with the astonishing story of two malas, or women who challenge traditional Mexican gender norms. The year is 1951 and Pilar Aguirre, who is eight months pregnant with her second child, has recently joined her husband, Jose Alfredo, in the Texas border town of Barrio Caimanes, where he works as a cowboy. While Pilar is visiting her friend Romi Muñoz, a mysterious older woman shows up and claims to be Jose’s first wife. Soon afterward, Pilar goes into labor and has a stillbirth, which she attributes to a curse put on her by the older woman. A parallel narrative set in 1994 La Cienega, Tex., follows Lucha “Lulu” Muñoz, Romi’s angsty teen granddaughter, who plays in a punk band called Pink Vomit without her father Julio’s knowledge. For his part, Julio worries Lulu will become a mala (“For a Mexican man, a mala is the worst”). After Romi dies in her sleep, Lulu meets Pilar at her grandmother’s funeral. Later, the two become friends and bond over Tejano music, leading to the revelation of family secrets. Fuentes is a seamless storyteller: the narrative is rich in Mexican culture and fully realized characterizations, especially the defiant Lulu and the overbearing Julio. Fans of Ana Castillo and Erika Sanchez will be thrilled. Agent: Michelle Brower, Trellis Literary Management.
September 13, 2024
Pilar and Jos� Alfredo live in the small Texas border town of La Cienega in 1951. They have a son and are expecting another baby. Then, an older woman appears, claiming to be Jos� Alfredo's wife. The woman curses the family, and a cascade of tragic events ensue, including the stillborn death of the baby and, later, the death of the Alfredos' son. In a parallel storyline set in 1994, 14-year-old Lulu is unsupervised and wild. Her father, Julio, is addicted to alcohol, and her mother is dead. She skips school, has sex, rides her father's motorcycle, and plays in a punk band called Pink Vomit. When her grandmother Romi dies, Lulu encounters Pilar at the funeral, sparking a life-changing friendship. Then, in an epic act of rebellion, Lulu skips her own quincea�era and, seemingly, breaks the family curse. Debut author Fuentes explores the complex familial and superstitious beliefs that result in tragedy and neglect. Fuentes's prose is beautiful, and her settings are evocative. Christine Avila (as Pilar) and Victoria Villareal (as Lulu) narrate with feeling, conveying both adult and teenage tragedies beautifully. VERDICT Listeners will appreciate Fuentes's intricately drawn portrait of two unforgettable women searching for connection.--Joanna M. Burkhardt
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