Burdened by poverty, illiteracy, and vulnerability as Mexican immigrants to California's Coachella Valley, three generations of Gonzalez men turn to vices or withdraw into depression. As brothers Rigoberto and Alex grow to manhood, they are haunted by the traumas of their mother's early death, their lonely youth, their father's desertion, and their grandfather's invective. Rigoberto's success in escaping-first to college and then by becoming a writer-is blighted by his struggles with alcohol and abusive relationships, while Alex contends with difficult family relations, his own rocky marriage, and fatherhood.

Descending into a dark emotional space that compromises their mental and physical health, the brothers eventually find hope in aiding each other. This is an honest and revealing window into the complexities of Latino masculinity, the private lives of men, and the ways they build strength under the weight of grief, loss, and despair.
Reviews
"Generous, and intimate, Gonzalez's memoir offers a riveting account of the bond that saved two brothers from their tortured past while offering lucid glimpses into the meaning of Latino manhood. A raw, emotionally intense memoir."-Kirkus Reviews

"In this compelling, eloquent recollection of his relationship with his younger sibling, Alex, Gonzalez offers a sincere portrait of the joys and difficulties of brotherhood."-Booklist

"A literary treat for its substance, detail, expression."-La Bloga

"Gonzalez comes at us with a ruthless honesty that is counterbalanced with hard-earned self-awareness."-Los Angeles Review of Books



Book Information
ISBN 9780299316907
Author Rigoberto Gonzalez
Format Hardback
Page Count 208
Imprint University of Wisconsin Press
Publisher University of Wisconsin Press
Weight(grams) 372g
Dimensions(mm) 216mm * 140mm * 11mm