The Resurrection of Fulgencio Ramirez

This book is an amazing, bilingual with everything you could want from a story; love, action, mystery and great characters. The magical realism in the book is woven in so well it's very easy to believe and adds a little something extra to the story. The constant crossing between Mexico and the US is poetic in so many way and there are comparisons between the two cultures dotted throughout. I loved the characters Fulgencio and Carolina. I loved that Fulgencio took responsibility for his actions, despite the curse that he could have easily blamed his actions on. Carolina also is a strong character, who constantly stands up for herself and will speak out. Their journey is nothing short of epic.

This book is fantastic! I highly recommend it for anyone looking for an epic story of love and loss that spans decades.

The description is clear to state the writing follows magical realism, but it' an interesting thing to actually read it. It has a good way of bringing forth the real feelings of someone who is a minority, who is poorer than others and wants to strive for a better life and rise out and be like something else. Very interesting read.

I hadn’t read much magical realism since I graduated, so reading this story was a wild rollercoaster of nostalgia, especially tied in with all the shifts between Spanish and English that laced through the novel. Everything about the story was blended so well together, you didn’t quite grasp the shifts, and I loved that because it really felt like the reader knew Fulgencio, because this is what he saw, this is what he felt. Perhaps my favorite part of the story was Fulgencio’s passion—it was something that never went away, and it seemed to bleed out of the pages. It’s definitely the kind of story I would recommend for someone just dipping their toes into the world of magical realism, and it’s certainly one that they would remember.

If I had to describe The Resurrection of Fulgencio Ramirez in one word I would say Wonderful. It is a wonderful book full of wisdom, love, growth, magic, and ghosts. The story follows Fulgencio through his life, the mistakes he has made, and the regrets he has. I will say that Fulgencio is not always a character you will like, many times I found him rude, overbearing, violent, and just plain crazy. He is truly stalker material. However, the story is about his resurrection, so we have to witness his negative traits so we can see how he changes. The characters are great, I loved them all, especially the ghosts. The setting was perfect, everything was very well written. I highly recommend this book, it really has everything.

I was excited to reach for Ruiz's novel as a highlighted new Latinx release on Goodreads. And, indeed, what a beautiful tale of love, rejection, class and passage of time in Mexico and the US.

While I don't usually reach for books with ANY kind of fantasy or magical realism elements, this one hit it out of the park. In this novel, our main character Fulgencio Ramirez attempts to win back the love of Carolina Mendelssohn - the love of his life from thirty years ago whose husband has just died. Fulgencio and Carolina come from very different social classes and are separated by a border, literal and metaphorical, which is another theme thoroughly examined in this novel. The writing is vivid and imaginative in a way that managed to transport me straight to La Frontera.

In addition to the fascinatic magical tale, while I was reading with my eyeballs, I had the chsance to listen to the audiobook simultaneously. Narration in the audiobook version is truly brilliant. I loved how the narrator was able to accentuate the right moments and bring raw emotions to life.

Fantastic.

*Thank you to the Publisher for a free advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Blackstone and NetGalley for the Reader's Copy!

Now available!

Like any good Western, Rudy Ruiz's latest book "The Resurrection of Fulgencio Ramirez" has it all - a tortured male protagonist, a love story that lasts the years and legendary arch nemesis. However, there's more than meets the eye in the border town of La Frontera like drug addled crime lords, religious Catholic priests and roaming undead spirits. With a touch of magical realism, Ruiz plays around with the concept of intergenerational trauma, machismo and the healing power of love. Like a hearty tortilla soup, "The Resurrection of Fulgencio Ramirez" will leave you with a full heart and a smile on your face.

Fulgencio Ramirez falls in love the moment he sees Carolina Mendelssohn, daughter of the local pharmacist. They live in La Frontera during the 1950's, and Fulgencio is sure Carolina will be his. Until, she isn't. They are pulled apart by forces beyond their control, and Carolina marries someone else. Fulgencio becomes a pharmacist, conducting a daily ritual of poring over the local obituaries in the newspaper. One day, decades later, while engaging in his macabre ritual, Fulgencio's heart soars with happiness. Carolina's husband has died, and Fulgencio's second chance has arrived at last! Of course, to capture the heart of the one you love after so many years and such recent tragedy is no easy feat, especially when there is a darkness from the past that has shadowed Fulgencio's every footstep from the moment of his birth, tripping him up and denying him every lasting happiness. It is time for Fulgencio to correct the wrongs of the past, to win Carolina's heart, and to find the love that has always been denied to him.

What a layered and interesting book that spans generations and approaches love, rage, mistakes, and second chances in such an interesting light! Fulgencio is a tragic character, unable to make his relationships last, and that is because of a tragedy that occurred long before he was born! Carolina is the sad victim of Fulgencio's malaise, in that she cared deeply for him, but what plagued him also kept them apart for decades. I listened to the audiobook for this story, and while I enjoyed hearing about the 1950's and Fulgencio's budding feelings for Carolina, the narrator's delivery definitely lacked emotional punch, and I would have preferred a bit more oomph in emotional and tense moments. The Resurrection of Fulgencio Ramirez is an engrossing story about lost love, second chances, and breaking free of negative behaviors and emotions to find peace, and while its characters are flawed, their hearts are in the right place.

This is Literary Fiction & Magical Realism at its best! Truly a beautiful, inspirational adventure. I loved the Spanish used in context, the great love story, and the back in forth in time. I felt that I was right there with the characters!
I will need to purchase this to keep with my favorites. Beautiful!!!