Knock, knock. Who's there? Death...

The House of Broken Angels by Luis Alberto Urrea, was an easy read and real tear jerker. I came across Luis’ segment on “The PBS Newshour” for the July 2019 book club read. I was moved to read the novel because the responses from those who called in were touching and the topic was of interest to me since I recently lost my father to cancer just a couple of months prior. So I figured what better way to get through another bit of grief by reading about someone else’s(although it is fictional) experience of this similar situation.

The novel is written in a kind of conversational tone where Little Angel recalls the weekend visit home while also adding his own commentary while in the moment. You get a real sense of him being present in the moments physically and running a play by play in his mind about those external encounters, like a real introvert. The story is centered around the impending death of Big Angel who is the family patriarch and the narrator is Little Angel, the half brother who was born to the “rolling stone” father and his American wife.

The title is representative of the family and the relationship between Big and Little Angel. The brothers are brothers, but best kept separate just like their lifestyles. Big Angel is the stereotypical Mexican patriarch. He is full of pride, he takes control of his family and worked extremely hard so he could achieve his version of the American dream. Punctuality is also a very important part to his character so the fact that Big Angel is dying and time becomes an enemy of the man who was most timely is ironic to this tale. Big Angel, still is able to control time, by organizing a big final birthday party to celebrate his life and for all of his family to attend. His last Hurrah. He counts the moments and savors the time, and even finds time to become a legend while his time ticks away.

Little Angel has issues with being the outsider of the siblings because he was half-Mexican his siblings thought he grew up privileged(although their father ended up leaving this home as well). So he has feelings of not being Mexican enough, and also being alienated for that and reasons which were beyond his control. Little Angel lives in Seattle, is divorced from his Caucasian spouse, and works as an educator. The introvert of his personality allows him the chances to escape family with his work. One of the quotes about family which stick to me is when Little Angel thinks, “Another disaster averted. Family was too much responsibility. That thousand mile buffer zone was the only thing that worked.” (Pp. 90) This illustrates the safety net Little Angel creates so he does not have to deal with the overbearing brother and the disruption of family especially such a large one.

As a reader I was able to relate to both Big and Little Angel because family definitely comes with great responsibility. As the oldest sibling(kinda) a lot is expected and required to keep things in order. To meet these obligations, work and hustle become necessary so everyone is taken care of. From the point of Little Angel, I can relate to the space and buffer tactics. I am close with my immediate family and not so close with the rest of the family. The buffer is necessary in a couple cases, but not all. In reading this book I was able to recognize the cost of the buffer. That buffer excludes one from those things you want to avoid at the cost of missing those you wish you could experience. At the end of the day family is family and people are who they are and should be accepted as such. Never be too big to apologize and listen.

While watching his older brother die, Little Angel thinks, “Big Angel was aware of the sad steps of the dance. It cost him great effort to speak now. When you died, you died in small doses. You had trouble speaking. You forgot who was beside you…” (Pp. 260) This passage hits me deepest because I have watched my father wither away from Cancer and watch him stay strong even in the state of pain. Reading the words about Big Angel’s deterioration, really were reminiscent of my last visits with my dad. His constant fading in and out, not remembering who he's taking to and about, and his small physical stature of the man who was Superman all of my life. In this novel Urrea does not get carried away with the imaginative expressions. He writes about Big Angel’s deterioration in simple, heroic, and charming fashion. The language concerning the death of Big Angel gets right to the point but in a beautiful tone. He is delicate with the handling of Big Angel's death but still honest.

The book was interesting. I am glad I came across the segment on the PBS Newshour. It did help me read through a little bit of my own grief. Many of the aspects of this family's experience was similar to my own, and then there were other parts that I wish could've been our experience but was not. I'll be keeping this one in my collection...