A linked short story collection that weaves together the lives of three generations of a Mexican American family bound together by love, and a curse
The tight-knit Izquierdo family is grappling with misfortunes none of them can explain. Their beloved patriarch has suffered from an emotional collapse and is dying; eldest son Gonzalo's marriage is falling apart as he tries to care for his father; daughter Dina, beleaguered by fear that her nightmares are real, is a shut-in.
When Gonzalo digs up a strange object in the backyard of the family home, the Izquierdos take it as proof that a jealous neighbour has cursed them-could this be the reason for all their troubles? As the Izquierdos face a distressing present and an uncertain future, they are sustained by the blood that binds them and a divine presence which manifests in visions, signs, wonders and an abiding love for one another. Told in a series of soulful voices brimming with warmth and humour, Rubén Degollado's book is a tender narrative of a family at a turning point.