Luz
A Novel
Format:Paperback
Publisher:She Writes Press
Published:9th Jun '20
Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back
This poignant tale follows Alma Cruz's journey to find her father, exploring themes of love, sacrifice, and the harsh realities of migration in Luz.
In Luz, readers are introduced to Alma Cruz, a young Mexican woman whose quest to find her missing father leads her on a life-altering journey across the US border. Set against the backdrop of the year 2000, Alma's story begins in Oaxaca, where her father disappeared three years prior while seeking work in California. Accompanied by her sister Rosa, Alma faces the daunting challenges of migration, navigating a world filled with both hope and despair. Along the way, she experiences the thrill of first love, which adds a layer of complexity to her already tumultuous journey.
As Alma ventures deeper into the United States, she confronts not only the harsh realities faced by many migrants but also the emotional toll of her search. The narrative delves into themes of family devotion, sacrifice, and the longing for connection, highlighting the struggles that many endure in pursuit of a better life. The contrast between the warmth of familial bonds and the coldness of societal indifference is poignantly depicted, making Luz a compelling exploration of the human spirit.
Through Alma's eyes, readers witness the stark realities of migration, the bittersweet nature of love, and the resilience required to overcome adversity. The novel serves as a powerful reminder of the sacrifices made by those who cross borders in search of belonging, while also emphasizing the importance of understanding and compassion in the face of hardship.
2020 Next Generation Indie Book Awards Winner in Multicultural (Fiction)
2020 International Book Awards Finalist in Fiction: Multicultural
Official Pulpwood Queen Book Club Selection for 2021
2020 Sarton Awards Winner in Contemporary Fiction
“This is a novel of great tenderness and great brutality—Debra is right inside of her characters’ minds, bodies, spirits, their souls, and doesn’t spare the reader either tenderness or brutality.”
—Alma Luz Villanueva, author of The Ultraviolet Sky, winner of the American Book Award
“Debra Thomas has deftly interwoven the horrors and indignities, as well as triumphs, of the harrowing journey of Mexicans and Central Americans to the United States, ‘bringing to light’ the commonalities of what by appearances are insurmountable differences. With love there are no borders.”
—Luis J. Rodriguez, author of Always Running, La Vida Loca, Gang Days in L.A., and It Calls You Back: An Odyssey of Love, Addiction, Revolutions & Healing
“Luz is a deeply generous novel, steeped with compassion, [and] written with an open, observant heart. Our narrator, Alma, is enamored with math, and this book becomes a beautiful equation in itself—pain and hope and love adding up to a timely, magnificent story.”
—Gayle Brandeis, author of The Book of Dead Birds, winner of Barbara Kingsolver's Bellwether Prize for Fiction of Social Engagement
“Debra Thomas has written a novel of beauty and the nobility of the human spirit in the face of brutality and overwhelming odds. It’s an adventure as well, full of vivid characters, most notably Alma Cruz, as wise and courageous a heroine as you’ll find anywhere in literature. Luz is a story we need to read now more than ever.”
—Elizabeth McKenzie, author of The Portable Veblen
“An earnest novel about the journey of a young Mexican immigrant. . . . A sensitive but unsparing coming-of-age drama.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“This reader was mesmerized by the depth of pain and love that guides this story along the trail of Alma's fearful journey to her hopes for her daughter.”
—Charlotte Robin Cook, Next Generation Indie Book Awards Judge
“Your novel is our platform to have a voice that has the power to soften hearts, to understand the suffering of migrants and the current evil system that must be reformed.”
—Father Richard Estrada, Immigrant Rights Activist, Founder of Jovenes, Inc.
ISBN: 9781631528705
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
1 pages