Madonnas of Echo Park (Skyhorse) - Book Reviews

Book Reviews
A literary glimpse into the often unseen world of Mexican Americans trying to make it as Americans.
USA Today


Skyhorse maps in his vivid debut the spirit of L.A.'s Echo Park, where Mexican-Americans define themselves either in alignment with or in opposition to their barrio. Each story-like chapter tells the tale of a character who has grown up in, moved to, or fled Echo Park, such as an itinerant construction worker hired to dispose of a murder weapon, a woman who converses with the Virgin Mary, and a hustler who swears he's going to stay out of prison this time. These lives coalesce around a random shooting that claims the life of a young girl. Family epics also emerge, notably the story of Aurora Esperanza, whose absent father narrates the opening story and whose mother was at the center of a tragedy. Aurora herself closes out the book, drawing together threads of homecoming that weave throughout the novel. Though a few of the narrators' voices aren't distinct enough, Skyhorse excels at building a vibrant community and presenting several perspectives on what it means to be Mexican in America, from those who wonder “how can you lose something that never belonged to you?” to those who miraculously find it.
Publishers Weekly


Eye-opening and haunting, Skyhorse’s novel will jolt readers out of their complacence. —Deborah Donovan
Booklist


First-time novelist Skyhorse offers a poignant yet unsentimental homage to Echo Park, a working-class neighborhood in east Los Angeles where everyone struggles to blend in with American society but remains tied to the traditions of Mexico. Twenty-five years ago, a teenage Skyhorse tells Aurora Esperanza at a high school dance, "I can't dance with you…you're Mexican." Before he can apologize, she disappears. These eight linked stories—real voices, with details changed—are his apology. Hector, Aurora's father, is 40 years old with no job because the Hollywood restaurant where he worked closed. He picks up a construction job, but it isn't what he bargained for. Felicia, Hector's ex-wife and Aurora's mother, works for wealthy Mrs. Calhoun, to whom she is invisible. Efren Mendoza, a by-the-rules bus driver, is proud that he has escaped his family's gang associations, but after a terrible accident he breaks all the rules. Finally, Aurora's story is a lament to Echo Park. She is the last to move out, carried by force by the L.A. Sheriff's Department so Dodger Stadium can be built. Verdict: Universal appeal for readers who favor in-depth character-centered stories, this is enthusiastically recommended. —Donna Bettencourt, Mesa County P.L., Grand Junction, CO
Library Journal