The House of Broken Angels

By: Luis Alberto Urrea

Narrated by: Luis Alberto Urrea

In this "raucous, moving, and necessary" story by a Pulitzer Prize finalist (San Francisco Chronicle), the De La Cruzes, a family on the Mexican-American border, celebrate two of their most beloved relatives during a joyous and bittersweet weekend.

"All we do, mija, is love. Love is the answer. Nothing stops it. Not borders. Not death."

In his final days, beloved and ailing patriarch Miguel Angel de La Cruz, affectionately called Big Angel, has summoned his entire clan for one last legendary birthday party. But as the party approaches, his mother, nearly 100, dies, transforming the weekend into a farewell doubleheader. Among the guests is Big Angel's half brother, known as Little Angel, who must reckon with the truth that although he shares a father with his siblings, he has not, as a half gringo, shared a life.

Across two bittersweet days in their San Diego neighborhood, the revelers mingle among the palm trees and cacti, celebrating the lives of Big Angel and his mother, and recounting the many inspiring tales that have passed into family lore, the acts both ordinary and heroic that brought these citizens to a fraught and sublime country and allowed them to flourish in the land they have come to call home.

Teeming with brilliance and humor, authentic at every turn, The House of Broken Angels is Luis Alberto Urrea at his best, and cements his reputation as a storyteller of the first rank.

"Epic...Rambunctious...Highly entertaining." (New York Times Book Review)

"Intimate and touching...the stuff of legend." (San Francisco Chronicle)

"An immensely charming and moving tale." (Boston Globe)

National Bestseller and National Book Critics Circle Award finalist

A New York Times Notable Book

One of the Best Books of the Year from National Public Radio, American Library Association, San Francisco Chronicle, BookPage, Newsday, BuzzFeed, Kirkus, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Literary Hub

©2018 Luis Alberto Urrea (P)2018 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

"Luis Alberto Urrea's The House of Broken Angels is a vivid portrait of one Mexican-American family in San Diego and the complexities of immigration and heritage. The patriarch of the De La Cruz family decides to throw a huge birthday party in the last days of his life, but his mother also dies in the days leading up to the event, leading to a bittersweet celebration of both of their lives and their family's legacy." (Jarry Lee, Buzzfeed)

"Exuberant...Urrea has written a vital, vibrant book about the immigrant experience that is a messy celebration of life's common joys and sorrows." (Publishers Weekly)

"This, the most personal book by the great American novelist Luis Alberto Urrea, is one of the most vivid and engrossing family epics of the last 20 years." (Dave Eggers, National Book Award finalist and New York Times best-selling author of The Circle)

Life

Great narration by the author. I loved his sense of humor. An epic family “saga”.

beautifully read

loved the story and the pictures painted by the authors words. being from San Diego made it even more interesting

Beautiful Story

This was a beautiful story! Very well written and to my pleasant surprise preformed with great skill and feeling by the author!

Muy Delicioso

I didn’t want to like this book. The beginning didn’t reel me in. But as I got further into it, I was enthralled by the author’s gift with words. When I was listening to the closing credits, & a light went off. Of course the narrator was the author! So worth it!

great book

the imagery is vivid, gritty and visceral. I really enjoyed the book. the only parts I struggled with, was the multitude of characters, and how the reader transitioned from one to another, I found it difficult to distinguish which character the story was focusing on more than once. but otherwise the author paints a vivid picture with his words.

Beautiful and honest

Language and customs blend until you are lost somewhere magical that is neither America or Mexico but is purely family. The narrative is driven by characterization and theme. Figurative language captivates from the first page. Love that the author narrates audiobook.

A Beautiful Story

A beautifully descriptive story of a patriarch’s reflection on his life after the passing of his mother just days before his 70th birthday and impending death from cancer. It’s a story of hope, love, survival, forgiveness and family. The theme is to embrace your life in all its imperfections and know a life that is well lived is the best life.

Living, breathing characters

Narrator was the author, who not only understood the novel as no one else, he also performed each character distinctly and with nuance which brought the characters to life. The story's framework takes place over a couple of days, which does at times made this reader feel it could have used some editing.

Funny, deep lyrical

Oh does Urrea know how to write a funny novel. Whatever the summary may be of the book, you should read this for the wonderful characters and their dynamics. So rich, funny, full of heart and deep. Loved it!!

I can’t wait to listen to it again

This is an excellent book and the performance of its reading is outstanding. I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend it wholeheartedly.