Ernesto Vega has lived many lives, from pig farmer to construction worker to famed luchador El Rey Coyote, yet he has always worn a mask. Ernesto found fame, rapidly gaining name recognition across Mexico, but at great expense, nearly costing him his marriage to his wife Elena. Years later, in East Los Angeles, his son, Freddy Vega, is struggling to save his father's gym while Freddy's own son, Julian, is searching for professional and romantic fulfillment as a Mexican American gay man refusing to be defined by stereotypes.
Espinoza’s love of the sport — Mexico’s second most popular, after soccer — is evident on every page, and some of the book’s most delightful moments come when he’s giving readers a blow-by-blow, or providing background information about its intricacies ... Espinoza carries the notion of an eternal struggle across his story lines to perfection.
Tender and revelatory ... Espinoza draws readers into the ripple effects of toxic masculinity, racism, and unspoken truths ... Espinoza's prose hits with raw emotional power.
