Thank you to Net Galley and Brilliance Audio for a copy of this book!

When I first read the synopsis of When We Were Widows, I assumed it would center around the shared sorrow of mothers and daughters, all grieving the loss of their husbands. As someone who enjoys layered, multigenerational family dynamics, this was one of the reasons I picked up the book. While the novel does explore how grief connects the women of the family, it goes deeper, offering a poignant exploration of how the same loss can be processed in vastly different ways by different people.

The story follows three women: Mama Melda, the matriarch; Ana, her daughter; and Yessica, her granddaughter. Told from the alternating perspectives of Ana and Yessica, the narrative unfolds when Ana and Mama Melda temporarily move in with Yessica due to an urgent renovation at Ana’s home. All three women have lost their husbands, though Yessica’s loss is still fresh, having occurred just six months prior. Their grief is as unique as each of their personalities, and I found this exploration of varying mourning processes incredibly moving.

The book’s plot is engaging, and the character development is rich and rewarding. There were so many quotable lines that truly enhanced the experience, and the side characters added warmth and depth to the story. I especially appreciated the subtle romance woven into the plot, which provided a tender contrast to the heavier themes of loss.

I alternated between reading and listening to the book, and the audiobook narration was superb. The Spanish phrases were pronounced beautifully, which reminded me of Gloria from *Modern Family*—a fun touch (IYKYK). My only minor issue was that the book didn’t provide a glossary for non-Spanish speakers, leaving me to rely on context to understand the occasional Spanish sentence. That said, it didn’t detract too much from my overall enjoyment.

Overall, When We Were Widows, is a beautifully written, emotionally resonant exploration of family, grief, and healing.

This story is all about connection and the secrets that bond people, particularly multi-generational families. Jessica plays host to her mother and grandma, neither of whom know everything going on in her life—like the fact that she’s taking a break from work and was highly recommended to start a therapy session to help process the death of her husband, whose marriage was not as shiny and bright as outsiders may have thought either. All of her secrets are matched by ones of her own mother’s, which are hidden from her mother, too. This story shows us that not matter how different the problems may be, they’re similar in that which unites family and brings them together and also demonstrates there’s always more than that which catches your eye. This family feels real. Their problems feel real. Their growth and relationships feel important and inviting. I was captivated by their distress and discomfort and along for the ride as I watched healing begin and love overcome loneliness.

Title: When We Were Widows
Author: Annette Chavez Macias
Genre: Contemporary
Rating: 3.75
Pub Date: November 1, 2024

I received a complimentary eARC and ALC copies from Montlake and Brilliance Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Gifted

T H R E E • W O R D S

Readable • Heartfelt • Familiar

📖 S Y N O P S I S

Since her husband’s death six months ago, Yesica Diaz-Taylor seems to be taking her grief in stride. Then an angry outburst at work shatters the illusion. Her mandated support group counseling doesn’t help much. Yesica has always kept her feelings close, so even when an unlikely friendship blossoms with the group’s facilitator, she still has reasons for holding back. She’s just not ready to share.

Ana Diaz has been widowed for five years and continues to live life exactly as she did with her late husband. When her house floods, she’s forced to shake things up. Although it was never part of her plan, Ana moves in with her eldest daughter, Yesica. But the new living arrangement tests their already strained relationship.

Shadowed by unresolved tensions, Yesica, Ana, and matriarch Mama Melda must learn to share a home, their heartbreak, and, once and for all, the haunting family secrets that have kept them apart.

💭 T H O U G H T S

Anyone that knows my reading tastes knows that books with grief as a central theme are easy adds to my TBR, such was the case with When We Were Widows. I was particularly interested in a book following three generations of women, in particular three widows.

Told in alternating chapters from the mother (Ana) and the daughter's (Yesica) perspectives, this structures allows for the grandmother to be an omnipresent character. It unpacks complex and fractured relationships, long held personal secrets, and complicated feelings in grief, yet isn't all about grief. I particularly appreciated the themes of forgiveness, open communication and the efforts to rebuild relationships.

While it is only a small portion of the story, I was intrigued to learn about the history of Chavez Ravine. I had never heard about the history of displacement that took place there and it made me want to do a little more research after reading the author's note, where she details her reasoning for including this little tidbit into the narrative.

The audiobook narrated by by Karla Serrato and Cynthia Farrell was very well done. It was helpful to have two narrators to distinguish between the two perspectives. I felt as if the voices brought the two characters to life and made them even more relatable. The speed and intonation suited the narrative and kept the flow of the story throughout.

While When We Were Widows tackles themes of loss and grief, it does so with understanding and in a lighthearted manner. At the end of the day, it's more a novel about finding ourselves and fixing relationships that has a hopeful undertone. The inclusion of some recipes at the end was an added bonus. This was my first novel from Annette Chavez Macias, but I am definitely interested in going back and exploring her previous publications and keeping an eye out for future projects.

📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• multi generational stories
• themes of grief
• mother/daughter relationships

⚠️ CW: death, death of partner, death of parent, grief, car accident, medical trauma, infertility, pregnancy, miscarriage, infidelity, panic attacks/disorders, alcohol, forced displacement, toxic relationship, dementia

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"Grief, I'd learned didn't have a finish line. It was an endless journey. Some days the path was easy, and other days you'd be running perfectly fine and then, our of nowhere, you'd stumble, and the pain would come roaring back as if your loss had just happened."

A multigenerational story about a trio of Mexican woman navigating life, love and most importantly grief.

Disclaimer: I read this novel as a EArc from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.

This book shook me to my very core. It handles some heavy and important topics and it's unapologetically Latinx. We follow 3 generations of women (grandma, mom and daughter) who have all become widows under different circumstances. The story follows not only how they deal with their grief and laws, but also how they relate to each other under the same banner. This book broke my heart and put it back together. I related to so much within this novel just on different levels. While I've never been a widow, it does cover some other topics like infertility and miscarriage. As well as family dynamics within a Latinx household.

The audiobook was spectacularly well done and you can tell it's by a native Spanish speaker. I enjoyed this book quite a bit, and I found it to be very accessible for both Spanish and English speakers alike. I highly recommend reading this literary fiction that left me reeling.

The relationship between the three women was so believable and relatable. I feel like it’s no secret that in the Latinx culture talking about emotions is something we don’t do enough and the author depicted this through out the whole story.