Their goal is to not be seen, to blend into a world where so many are trying to stand out. They are the Falcóns, a family of undocumented immigrants who have fled their homeland in Peru and settled in New York City, where they are just trying to get by in a world that doesn't exactly accommodate their kind. Mother Ana and father Lucho are holding down jobs as factory workers and taxi drivers to make ends meet and support their two young children, while living in the spare room of Lucho's unsupportive cousin. They are wearing out their welcome, and to make matters worse, Ana has borrowed money from a loanshark who is demanding repayment. Ana is trying her hardest to keep her family afloat, but is finding it so difficult when her family's opportunities are limited due to their undocumented status. No one ever said that fighting for the American dream was going to be easy, but does it have to be this hard? Peruvian Melissa Rivero has written a timely novel about the undocumented immigrant experience with The Affairs of the Falcons. Her writing hits hard and gives an authentic telling of what it is like to be an undocumented family in America. Rivero explores issues of family, relationships, health, finances, and career, and gives a well-rounded account of the lengths people will go to survive. While this isn't an exciting or dramatic story, it is a poignant and haunting one, and will give readers much to think about regardless of which side of the immigration issue they stand on.
Availability: Book
Rating: **** Stars (I really liked it) Reviewer: Brooke, Public Relations Librarian
ARE YOU AND THIS BOOK A GOOD MATCH? DISCOVER MORE WITH NOVELIST APPEALS! The Affairs of the Falcons
GENRE: Literary Fiction
THEME: Immigrant Experiences (Moving through the world, over borders and into new and unfamiliar places, has always been challenging. These books explore the experiences of immigrants as they build lives abroad.) TONE: High Drama; Moving STORYLINE: Character-Driven; Own Voices WRITING STYLE: Compelling; Thoughtful CHARACTER: Authentic; Culturally Diverse; Strong Female; Sympathetic LOCATION: New Your City; Peru TIME PERIOD: 1990s SUBJECT: Blue Collar Workers; Husband and Wife; Immigrant Families; Marital Conflict; Money Lenders; Peruvian Americans; Taxicab Drivers; Undocumented Immigrants
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