Once I started reading, I could not put this book down, it just called to me! The Rio Grande Valley setting brought back so many memories of places that no longer exist. The music of Selena plays a feature roll in this book. What a wonderful time to be growing up surrounded by family, Hispanic traditions and the music of Selena! This book will give you a glimpse inside a family, along with a touch of mysticism. This book is riveting.

The Family Izquierdo is a multi-generational saga following three generations of the familia Izquierdo. The story is told as a series of vignettes.

I was immediately enamored with the Izquierdo family. There was a sense of uncanny familiarity - from the love of Tejano music, to Selena references to curses, food, brujeria and family dynamics. I couldn't help but relate to the dysfunctional family that is bound by both misfortune and love.

Growing up it was a reality that I wouldn't be able to relate to characters in books but this book made me feel seen. I loved it.

There was a time of my life when I read mostly book by Latinx and South American authors. This is one of those I would have loved then and loved now.
A colourful story of a family, a pinch of magic realism, characters larger than life, and a well plotted story.
I loved it and hope to read other books by this author.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

One of the best books I read this month and maybe also this year? It follows three generations of family (and I loveeeee generational stories) as they are grappling with the different misfortunes that the family faces throughout generations, and then finding out that htey have been cursed by a jealous neighbor. Each chapter/story follows a different family member and they all deal with this curse in a totally different way - some not wanting to believe it at all, some turning to religion, some blaming mental illness, etc. etc. and the most beautiful part about this book is that despite all the differences between each family member and each way they decided to cope - they are all bounded together by the love they have for one another. At the end of the day, despite all differences, they will come together to help, support, and love each other. super super beautiful!

Each family member was so real and I loved them like they were my own. Definitely going to buy a copy of my own when it comes out on September 6! Thanks netgalley for the early copy~

“The Family Izquierdo,” by Ruben Degollado, is a deeply connected, touching and entertaining group of short stories that take us through the ups and downs of a large Mexican American family and its many descendants.

Is there a curse on this family from a jealous neighbor? Or are some of their problems the result of mental illness that runs in the family? I can’t say I ever quite decided as a reader, but I really enjoyed reading the stories from the perspectives of different generations of the family. If you, like me, were raised in a large Catholic family, you’ll find some points of laughter and resonance.

Each story and generation held my interest, and while I did get lost occasionally, I didn’t let that bother me. I also thought that Degollado did an excellent job at writing from women’s perspectives, something male writers often botch.

At the same time, I wished I had more of a sense of forward movement in the characters’ emotional lives over the course of generations, and occasionally, I felt like the story was a little bit superficial in the narrative sense. It didn’t always take me where I hoped it would in terms of chances with the characters’ arcs.

Overall, this was an engrossing, entertaining read, and I look forward to other books by Degollado.

A Mexican family living in Texas - as seen through the eyes of each member, in interconnected short stories.

I literally did not want this book to end! The characters have big hearts even with all their flaws. The spiritualness soaked through to every page and deeply enriched the stories told through different points of view. All were tied together through important themes. I look forward to more books by Rubén Degollado!

This falls into the genre of the family epic that traces through the experiences of the family members. While I love this format, it was a bit dense at times so make sure you set aside the appropriate time to give it your full attention. Beautiful prose.


I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

What a great concept and execution! Meet the family Izquierdo (left handed/cursed). There's patriarch Tavo and his wife, daughter Dina, son Gonzalo and all are falling apart! Told via vignettes, we learn that there may very well be someone casting spells against them, that the Izquierdos are truly cursed. If you love a sprawling extended family story, dysfunctional tales of love and forgiveness, or just a raucous cacophony of voices speaking their truth - this story is for you!
#wwnortonco #wwnorton #Netgalley #Netgalleyreads #TheFamilyIzquierdo #Rubendegollado

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing an arc in exchange for my honest review all thoughts and opinions are my own!


The Family Izquierdo feels like … home. And that’s all I can ever ask for in a book. I felt like I jumped right into my own family’s house-
Our dysfunction making us whole. 10/10.

<i>The Family Izquierdo</i> is a family saga focusing on the titular family in McAllen, Texas. Each chapter is told from a different character's perspective, making the story feel like one that has been passed down through the generations.

There is a lot to like here. Degollado does a great job of making each character distinct, despite the sheer number of family members. While it can be difficult to keep some of them straight at the beginning, it quickly becomes easier as the key players appear in subsequent chapters, and I never felt like I was reading the same life story about different characters. The prose itself is written well and flows easily from one chapter to the next, even when the timeline is making a jump, and I'm always a sucker for any stories about or set in Texas.

The two main things that didn't work for me essentially boiled down to what I was willing to believe. The first was pretty simple: a lot of the dialogue felt stilted, as though they weren't real people speaking the words. This was more obvious in the beginning chapters; I find it hard to believe that Papa Tavo and Abuelita just sat down and decided the day they arrived at their new home what they wanted their future grandkids to call them. It gets better as the book goes along, but there are still moments like this throughout.

It also took me a while to figure out that Contreras was actually (supposedly) casting spells against the Izquierdos; I thought this was just the family superstition for the majority of the book, but eventually you realize that it appears to actually be true (at least, true to all the characters on both sides of the issue). No one questions this for a second, even as unlikely as it seemed to me as a reader. I think it would have made for a stronger point if one of the family members doubted that Contreras was behind all the family's woes - then Degollado could easily set up how that character was wrong.

Overall, though, this was an interesting family story, and one I'd recommend for those interested in the genre. I'll be adding Degollado to my list of authors to look out for.

Thank you to W. W. Norton and NetGalley for providing a copy for review.

I honestly don't know how to describe this book, it is beautifully written, almost lyrically and is an absolutekly riveting read with characters that are so vivid they jump off of the page. A wonderful book