Woman of Light: A Novel

by Kali Fajardo-Anstine

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A “dazzling, cinematic, intimate, lyrical” (Roxane Gay) epic of betrayal, love, and fate that spans five generations of an Indigenous Chicano family in the American West, from the author of the National Book Award finalist Sabrina & Corina
 
“Sometimes you just step into a book and let it wash over you, like you’re swimming under a big, sparkling night sky.”—Celeste Ng, author of Little Fires Everywhere and Everything I Never Told You
 
A PHENOMENAL BOOK CLUB PICK AND AN AUDACIOUS BOOK CLUB PICK • ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: Book Riot

There is one every generation, a seer who keeps the stories.

Luz “Little Light” Lopez, a tea leaf reader and laundress, is left to fend for herself after her older brother, Diego, a snake charmer and factory worker, is run out of town by a violent white mob. As Luz navigates 1930s Denver, she begins to have visions that transport her to her Indigenous homeland in the nearby Lost Territory. Luz recollects her ancestors’ origins, how her family flourished, and how they were threatened. She bears witness to the sinister forces that have devastated her people and their homelands for generations. In the end, it is up to Luz to save her family stories from disappearing into oblivion.

Written in Kali Fajardo-Anstine’s singular voice, the wildly entertaining and complex lives of the Lopez family fill the pages of this multigenerational western saga. Woman of Light is a transfixing novel about survival, family secrets, and love—filled with an unforgettable cast of characters, all of whom are just as special, memorable, and complicated as our beloved heroine, Luz.

LONGLISTED FOR THE JOYCE CAROL OATES PRIZE • LONGLISTED FOR THE CAROL SHIELDS PRIZE FOR FICTION

• ISBN10: 0525511334
• ISBN13: 9780525511335
• Publish Date: 18 April 2023 (first published 7 June 2022)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: One World Books
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 352
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780525511335

Reviews

[Quirky Cat]

I've said it before, and I'm going to say it again (sorry, not sorry) – I love that BOTM tempts me into picking up books that I may have missed out on. I grabbed several books for June, including Woman of Light by Kali Fajardo-Anstine.

Luz Lopez has been left all alone, though not by choice. Her only remaining family, Diego, was run out of town by a violent (and very white) mob. Now it's just Luz. Perhaps this solitary moment is the spark her ancestors needed.

Four generations of Lopez came before her, and Luz is going to see through their eyes and experience the past. By seeing the past, she will finally understand everything they have gone through and what threatens them so gravely.

“This could be your family, Celia shouted. Your brother, your son, your father. This could be your loss. But it's not. It's mine, and you might think you're lucky, but for every lucky person, unluckiness arrives. Our existence shouldn't depend on luck. It should depend on justice, what is good, what is right.”

Before I dive into my review, I want to state that I feel awful for not enjoying Woman of Light more. I went into it hoping to fall in love, but I didn't – though I don't regret reading it if that makes sense. Maybe it was the mood I was in at the time; I'm not sure.

For me, the best part of Woman of Light was the prologue. Reading about Luz and her life was fascinating and set the tone for the whole book. Again, that's just my take on the matter. But I would have gladly read another hundred pages with that perspective.

Once we move on (which technically means going back), things get a bit fuzzier. On the bright side, it was still an extremely informative (and heartbreaking) read. I think that Woman of Light is an important read for this reason, as the events that played out in this book are based on real life and should be something we discuss more often.

Read more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks