The House of Broken Angels

De: Luis Alberto Urrea

Narrado por: Luis Alberto Urrea

In this "raucous, moving, and necessary" story by a Pulitzer Prize finalist (San Francisco Chronicle), the De La Cruzes, a family on the Mexican-American border, celebrate two of their most beloved relatives during a joyous and bittersweet weekend.

"All we do, mija, is love. Love is the answer. Nothing stops it. Not borders. Not death."

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. Among the guests is Big Angel's half brother, known as Little Angel, who must reckon with the truth that although he shares a father with his siblings, he has not, as a half gringo, shared a life.

Across two bittersweet days in their San Diego neighborhood, the revelers mingle among the palm trees and cacti, celebrating the lives of Big Angel and his mother, and recounting the many inspiring tales that have passed into family lore, the acts both ordinary and heroic that brought these citizens to a fraught and sublime country and allowed them to flourish in the land they have come to call home.

Teeming with brilliance and humor, authentic at every turn, The House of Broken Angels is Luis Alberto Urrea at his best, and cements his reputation as a storyteller of the first rank.

"Epic . . . Rambunctious . . . Highly entertaining." -- New York Times Book Review"Intimate and touching . . . the stuff of legend." -- San Francisco Chronicle"An immensely charming and moving tale." -- Boston GlobeNational Bestseller and National Book Critics Circle Award finalistA New York Times Notable BookOne of the Best Books of the Year from National Public Radio, American Library Association, San Francisco Chronicle, BookPage, Newsday, BuzzFeed, Kirkus, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Literary Hub

Reseñas de la Crítica

"Epic . . . Rambunctious . . . Highly entertaining . . . Sorrowful and funny . . . Cheerfully profane . . .The quips and jokes come fast through a poignant novel that is very much about time itself . . . A powerful rendering of a Mexican-American family that is also an American family."—Viet Thanh Nguyen, New York Times Book Review (cover review)

"A raucous, moving, and necessary book...Intimate and touching...The stuff of legend...There's deep heart and tenderness in this novel.The House of Broken Angels is, at its most political, a border story...Chillingly accurate, they're heartbreaking, and infuriating."—Alexis Burling, San Francisco Chronicle

"An immensely charming and moving tale...Urrea deftly inhabits many points of view, dreaming up an internal voice for each...It is a testament to his swift and lucid characterizations that one does not want to leave this party...A novel like The House of Broken Angels is a radical act. It is a big, epic storyabout how hard it is to love with all of your heart, and all of your family--regardless of which side of the border they live on."—John Freeman, Boston Globe

"The House of Broken Angels is a big, sprawling, messy, sexy, raucous house party of a book, a pan-generational family saga with an enormous, bounding heart, a poetic delivery, and plenty of swagger...More than once while reading the novel, I thought of James Joyce's 'The Dead,' another kaleidoscopic fable of family life that skillfully mixes perspectives...The House of Broken Angels isa book about celebration that is, itself, a celebration."—Michael Lindgren, Washington Post

"Urrea's gifts as a storyteller are prodigious...The book's spirit is irrepressibly high. Even in its saddest moments, The House of Broken Angels hums with joy...The noveloverflows with the pleasure of family...And all that vulnerability, combined with humor and celebration and Urrea's vivid prose, will crack you open."—Lily Meyer, NPR

"The House of Broken Angels is a big, messy, warmhearted epic, over-flowing with color and character...With bird's eye agility, Urrea moves between borders and generations...His narrative is imbued with the timeless texture of every immigrant's hope's and dreams...Generous to the last breath."—Leah Greenblatt, Entertainment Weekly

"A whirling fiesta of a book...Filled with intelligence and wickedly funny cultural commentary, the story builds to an electrifying finale."—Marion Winik, People

"Humane and often laugh-out-loud hilarious."—O, The Oprah Magazine

"A sprawling yet intimate tale...rich in detail and images...It's the sort of book you might read, as I did, in one long, breathless push."—Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times

Life

Great narration by the author. I loved his sense of humor. An epic family “saga”.

beautifully read

loved the story and the pictures painted by the authors words. being from San Diego made it even more interesting

Beautiful Story

This was a beautiful story! Very well written and to my pleasant surprise preformed with great skill and feeling by the author!

Muy Delicioso

I didn’t want to like this book. The beginning didn’t reel me in. But as I got further into it, I was enthralled by the author’s gift with words. When I was listening to the closing credits, & a light went off. Of course the narrator was the author! So worth it!

great book

the imagery is vivid, gritty and visceral. I really enjoyed the book. the only parts I struggled with, was the multitude of characters, and how the reader transitioned from one to another, I found it difficult to distinguish which character the story was focusing on more than once. but otherwise the author paints a vivid picture with his words.

Beautiful and honest

Language and customs blend until you are lost somewhere magical that is neither America or Mexico but is purely family. The narrative is driven by characterization and theme. Figurative language captivates from the first page. Love that the author narrates audiobook.

A Beautiful Story

A beautifully descriptive story of a patriarch’s reflection on his life after the passing of his mother just days before his 70th birthday and impending death from cancer. It’s a story of hope, love, survival, forgiveness and family. The theme is to embrace your life in all its imperfections and know a life that is well lived is the best life.

Living, breathing characters

Narrator was the author, who not only understood the novel as no one else, he also performed each character distinctly and with nuance which brought the characters to life. The story's framework takes place over a couple of days, which does at times made this reader feel it could have used some editing.

Funny, deep lyrical

Oh does Urrea know how to write a funny novel. Whatever the summary may be of the book, you should read this for the wonderful characters and their dynamics. So rich, funny, full of heart and deep. Loved it!!

I can’t wait to listen to it again

This is an excellent book and the performance of its reading is outstanding. I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend it wholeheartedly.