Join us for a discussion of the book selection for Castro Valley Reads!
Our selection for 2025 is The House of Broken Angels by Luis Alberto Urrea.
In this work of contemporary fiction the plot is simple enough. In his final days, beloved and ailing patriarch Miguel Angel de La Cruz, affectionately called Big Angel, has summoned his entire clan for one last legendary birthday party. But as the party approaches, his mother, nearly one hundred, dies, transforming the weekend into a farewell doubleheader.
The magic of this book comes in the telling. Imagine a tornado picking up speed as it whirls through and around each character: Big Angel, his wife Perla, his half-brother Little Angel, his children, parents, in-laws, grandchildren, and neighbors. The tornado dislodges and blends their memories, foibles, regrets, desires, and grief through rapid fire interior monologues. As we learn tales that have passed into family lore, we are treated to a depiction of the de La Cruz family that is at turns tragic, bawdy, funny and joyful, and, ultimately, about love and grace.
Free copies of the book are available while supplies last. The free copies will be distributed beginning Sunday, February 2 at 2 pm at the CV Reads Kick-Off Event.
The book is also available in the Library collection.
An ASL (American Sign Language) interpreter or closed captioning can be provided for this program if requested at least seven (7) days in advance. For assistance, please contact your library or accessibility@aclibrary.org.