Set primarily in Denver, CO in the mid-1930s, Luz Lopez is a 17 year old laundress living with her aunt and her older brother. The small family is scraping by, until her brother driven out of town by a white family. Luz has always had the gift of reading tea leaves, but over time her second sight grows and she begins seeing not only recent events, but also events that shaped the lives of her ancestors.

Farjado-Anstine masterfully brings to life the people of places of the story.

Woman of light by Kali Fajardo-Anstine, follows the Indigenous Chicano Lopez family, at the heart of which is Luz, Little Light, Lopez. Readers see Luz come of age in a difficult time in America. It is the era of Great Depression, and Luz watches as her family and minoritized community are mistreated and objectified (at best) and terrorized with violence (at worst).

The book opens on a sad note. Luz’s brother, Diego, has to flee his town and his people, leaving Luz and the aunt who raised them, Maria Josefina, in a financial bind without his income. Dispite this, there are deep wells of joy all over this novel.

Readers encounter beauty and kindness in Luz’s lovely cousin, Lizette, who can sew any garment and who is rooted in her understanding of where her life is, where she wants it to go, and who she wants to spend that life with. There is gentle Pidre Lopez, Luz’s visionary grandfather and open-air theatre owner, who builds a parish of performers who recognize and celebrate each other’s differences. The characters and the happiness they exhibit are #goals

This is not to say that the difficulty of life is not acute in this novel. Readers will marvel at the ways in which the more things change, the more they remain the same, especially as it relates to the role of the police (term used loosely) toward the minoritized. In addition, most of the community that inhabit Luz’s life have ended up in Denver due to some form of displacement – through deportation, threat of violence, or that oh so subtle and dangerous form of dislocation: gentrification. Much like things are today.

Showing that history is repetitive is the part of writer’s intention, I think. That and to educate about how history impacts and is seen in a different context when the same story is told in a different voice.. Luz, with her ability to glimpse the future and the past, serves as a conduit who examples how and why she inhabits her space in the way she does. Fajardo-Anstine’s story-telling makes readers think about how a person may have ended up where they are, about how a person ends up being who they are through ancestral and historical contexts.

For those of you who like generational novels like Book of the Little Axe, pick up this book in early June.

Woman of Light was a really good read. In some ways it felt like a bunch of short stories smooshed together to make a larger book and that was a little dissatisfying in some ways, but it was a great book.

A beautifully written work of historical fiction set in the American West from 1868-1933. There is so much depth here as a multigenerational Chicano family drama with a touch of magical realism. I love a good character driven novel with dual timelines and I learned so much from this one. This is my first time reading this author and it won’t be my last!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for the complimentary ebook!

I received a free e-arc of this book through Netgalley.
It has a lot of back and forth and sometimes it is repetitive because of visions that the younger generation has of the older generation that we already heard about, but it all ties together into a generational story of endurance. There is a lot going on in this book so you need to read it when you aren't distracted by other things. I liked that the female characters were pretty badass.

I loved the descriptions in this book. The author has a beautiful way with words, without seeming like she's trying too hard. I was a little confused for the first quarter of the book, but once it got moving, it was a good read. Luz's ability to see things and the layout of the book around this sight was a little fuzzy to me at the beginning. I enjoyed the rest of the book enough that I'd read it again just to see if I missed something that would connect the dots better for me at the beginning. With the nonlinear timeline, I think reading it in hard copy might be easier so you can flip back to the beginning of the chapters to check the dates.
I was invited to read a prepub copy of this lovely book in return for my review. I will absolutely read more from this author.

I'm disappointed to say that I really just could not get into this book. It was a very slow read for me because it just did not catch my interest until close to the end. As a result, I don't have much to say in the way of a review. I'm giving this 3 stars because any less would imply that it was bad and it wasn't, it was just average in my opinion.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC.

I took a quiz on one of the book sites about what historical novel I should read next, and "Woman of Light" was the recommendation. And, you know? It was completely right.

Luz Lopez is one of the women of light in the story. She's the third generation of Native/Mexican women covered in the story, which is set in Denver at the first half of the 20th century. She lives with her aunt, Maria Josie, and brother Diego in a Denver tenement near the stockyards. They do menial jobs, with Luz reading tea leaves and Diego charming charming snakes (imagine!) at street fairs to make a little side money. It's the Depression and fortunately they live in a community of diverse friends who help each other along. Luz has always had a good eye for the tea leaves but now that she is reaching adulthood, her readings sometimes come with visions, like those seen by her great-grandmother the Sleepy Prophet. The book dips lightly into the story of Luz and Diego's abandonment by their parents, and by their mother's loss of her parents. The notion is dropped that there could be more to this saga, with perhaps another book to come.

That would be great. Kali Fajardo-Anstine is a very good writer who tells a good story and there are plenty of intriguing characters in "Woman of Light" for her to follow. The setting is unusual and appealing, the cast of Natives, Mexicans, and Greeks well developed and people you want to learn more about.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the DRC of this engrossing and enjoyable read.

Luz Lopez lived with her brother Diego and her Aunt Maria Josie in Denver in the 1930’s. Luz reads tea leaves and does the laundry of the rich with her cousin Lizette but after her brother is run out of town by a violent white mob, she is left to fend for herself as she tries to help keep her and her Aunt afloat. As she starts a new job as a secretary in a law firm, Luz begins to have visions of her ancestors’ origins in her nearby Indigenous homeland, Lost Territory. She sees the hardship and sinister forces that have devastated her people for generations. It’s up to Luz to keep her family stories from disappearing.

This is an exquisite multigenerational book that is so captivating it transports you directly into the scenes. Kali Fajardo-Anstine writes such vivid descriptions of the landscapes and settings that when Lizette was getting married, I could practically taste the food the women were making in the kitchen. Fajardo-Anstine is a wonderful, mesmerizing storyteller.

Woman of Light is a story about family, love, loss (lots of loss), and keeping both your story and your family’s story alive so it’s not forgotten. Through the eyes of Luz, we see the treatment of Native and Indigenous peoples as settlers and other white immigrants move further and further west across the country. It’s hauntly heartbreaking and some of the images will stick with me.

I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical fiction; especially ones with Indigenous history and family sagas. This story will possibly break your heart a bit, but there is so much hope and love within the Lopez family that even in the end, you’ll be glad you met them.

*Thank you Netgalley and One World Publishing for an advanced eBook copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It’s family saga, without feeling the drag that sagas can feel. It’s allegory of the settling of the west, with truth-telling of the stealing of land from people continuously displaced. It’s a peek into the lives of traveling performers and the struggle to make enough to live. Mostly, it’s the story of a family in Denver, headed by strong-willed tía Maria Josie, who takes in her niece and nephew after her sister’s mental health crumbles with the abuse and abandonment of her husband. Diego, big brother to his sister Luz, tries to be a provider, but after getting caught up with an Anglo girl, is beaten and has to flee town to protect his family from persecution. The pressure is then on Luz to help Maria Josie keep them afloat, and the narrative follows her for the majority of the time as Luz finds work, navigates complicated social and romantic relationships and sees into the future. A gifted tea leaf reader, Luz’s visions speak into both the future and the past, collapsing the effect of time. It’s a beautifully apt gift for this character, which compliments Fajardo-Anstine’s seamless movement back and forth in time, giving back story to other characters.

The writing is cinematic, (and I think this may have already been optioned as a film). I flew through this book, which is not my typical approach with historical fiction. There’s so much richness and history here. I appreciated the honesty about the entrenched racism of the west— history that gives light to its origin (and it’s persistence today).

This book blew me away! I was unable to but it down. Perfect, dazzlingly, very well written. The details the author described throughout the book was so amazing. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

Taking place from 1868 and into the heart of the Depression, this is a multi-generational historical novel of an Indigenous Chicano family.

The main character, Luz Lopez, is – among other things -- a tea leaf reader. As such, she is the keeper of her family’s memories and stories.

The author provides the reader with fabulous characters, and there is a great deal of historical detail of which I was not aware (e.g. early radium mining in the Lost Territories; the KKK’s strength in Denver and elsewhere in Colorado in the late 1920s).

Luz and her family live with hope and joy, mostly coming from within their own community, even though the past and present are not without fear, sadness, and loss.

I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to read some absolutely grand historical fiction.

Woman of Light is a story about a lot of things, not the least a history of Denver, Colorado. The story of that part of the country--overrun as Americans moved west, building train tracks out to wherever they might dig something valuable out of the ground--is as sad as it is interesting. Telling the tale through the eyes of a young woman coming into her own life as a mixed race orphan whose beloved brother was run out of town by the family of a white woman he fell in love with (and impregnated) is an excellent device that brings out the best and the worst of the times they reflect.

Luz is at loose ends after her brother Diego gets beaten to a pulp by his girlfriend's brothers. She has little money, and few prospects until she gets hired at a local law firm to do office work. Thing is, the lawyer there, David Tikas, while good at his job prosecuting the killers of another young Mexican man, isn't so great at keeping his hands to himself.

Luz struggles with a lot of things--money, relationships, the demands of her cousin's upcoming wedding--but her name means "light" and that shines through as she comes to the conclusion that while she might be physically drawn to older man David, and be emotionally charmed by her local suitor Avel, she doesn't need either of them to feel fulfilled.

Woman of Light is Magical Realism lite but more importantly, it's lush, sensory storytelling -- so much so that you can practically smell the air in the poor areas of Denver where Luz and her family live, taste the food they eat and feel the rough pine floors of their houses against your feet. While it provides yet another sad history of white people taking what wasn't theirs and punishing anyone who wasn't white, it also proves the power of family bonds and love in the face of daily adversity. It's a great book for anyone interested in the history of Denver, the stories of the native peoples in that part of the country, and in the story of a young woman who experiences her family's history in way that at first seems strange and scary but later gives her the strength to survive.

This isn't the type of book I would normally read, but it is so well written with a historical fiction base that drew me in. Heat breaking and uplifting at the same time, it can be difficult to read. Very compelling.

Woman of Light
Kaili Fajardo-Anstine

Beautifully written historical story of characters woven together out of survival, pain and a deep bond. Luz, Lizette, Maria Josie & Diego each found a place in my imagination invoking sadness, anger, curiosity and gratitude for sharing their journey with me. Luz’s gift, I believe carried pain, insight, and independence that kept my interest through-out reading. Luz is a survivor. Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to be transported to a life I may not have felt or known until reading this difficult journey.

A wonderful multigenerational story of a Chicano woman and her family. Love, prejudices and family loyalty are at the core of the story. Characters had lots of depth spanning several generations. The history for each character was doled out throughout the story in bits that gave the AHAA moments to unanswered questions. Luz, the main character stayed true to herself and follows her heart, she never looses herself. I really enjoyed the segments regarding Luz and her visions while reading tea leaves, a gift inherited from her grandmother. Historical fiction fans will love this one.

A beautiful novel about how stories make us what we are. Kali Fajardo-Anstine has created a cast of characters that spans generations from 1868 to the early 20th Century, people whose heritage includes Pueblo, Mexican, French, making their way from the “Lost Territory” to Denver. The story begins with the ancestors, a baby abandoned by his birth mother and raised by the “Sleepy Prophet,” who discovers the baby, essentially adopts him and teaches him the ancient ways. He grows up and moves North to create the family whose descendants now inhabit the "wild west" of early Denver, and whose lives are constantly challenged by bigotry and lack of opportunity, but enriched by strong family love.

I found myself caring deeply for these people, especially Luz, “Little Light,” the great granddaughter of the Sleepy Prophet who inherits the ability to know what is not seen. The narrative follows Luz and her cousin Lizette who bravely face the challenges of not being Anglo in a bigoted society, terrorized by the Ku Klux Klan. With every turn of the page I felt trepidation about what would happen to these young women and the people they love, and while they experienced loss, they overcame and prevailed. It is a captivating story, poetically written, and one I highly recommend.

Woman of Light is a family saga told across interspersed timeframes. The book explores the effects of trauma and racism and reckons with an ugly truth in America.

While I greatly appreciated the point of view of the novel, I found the middle of the story to drag. At a time when I wanted to really connect with the character of Luz, the continued timeline jumps pulled me out of any sort of character bond. However, the last 40 pages packed a punch.

A multigenerational book about an Indigenous and Mexican family with the lead character being a girl named Luz. Strong connections between the generations, especially the women. People are not who you think they are. The importance of remembering the past and the will to move on.
Thanks to NetGalley for a copy.

ound this book to be interesting, but quite slow. It took me a long time to get into it. I found I kept reading bits and pieces and it couldn’t quite grip me like I wanted it too.
I found the setting interesting and I liked the back and forth to different time periods. I enjoyed the multi generational aspect to this book. I thought bringing in historical news was also fun. Like Bonnie and Clyde.
I just wish this one would have had a little bit more. I found the characters lacked some depth, especially the main character Luz.
I hate giving not so great reviews, but unfortunately this one just wasn’t for me.