The Affairs of the Falcóns a powerful, gripping novel of complex choices and the tangle of family. Of the terrifying intricacies of rape culture, of the strict power striations of citizenship. Of the encompassing, enduring messiness of motherhood, and what that means to a woman, an undocumented Peruvian immigrant woman in America. This is a propulsive, engrossing debut and an absolute must-read.
...intensely moving ... This is not the usual up-by-your-bootstraps immigrant tale told in fiction ... That a book with such hardship is so engrossing, and indeed enjoyable, is a testament to Rivero’s genuine, complex characterization and her evocative writing, liberally infused with Spanish ... It’s vital and should be required reading for any politician or voter willfully disparaging immigrants and the almost impossible choices they make for a shot at a new life.
In following Ana’s epicurean aspirations, the book serves up a savory blend of stories, spiced with Spanish language and aromatic descriptions. The plot is thick and hearty ... The host of female characters pack a powerful punch of sacrificial love mixed with sensuality. Struggles of the heart are conveyed with candor and visceral detail ... conjuring empathy and admiration for all immigrants facing similar circumstances.
...[a] timely and beautifully rendered debut novel ... And Rivero succeeds in drawing to light the challenges many new immigrants face even from within their own scant support networks ... A complex and compelling portrait of Latin American immigrants and the experience of undocumented families.
A nuanced look at the human cost of immigration policy ... Rivero offers a portrait of the immigrant experience that will undoubtedly ring true to many, but she also writes with great specificity ... Ana is a very well-crafted protagonist, sympathetic but not perfect. Her situation is circumscribed, but Rivero gives her considerable agency ... Thoughtful and eye-opening, this is an admirable debut.
