“A masterful novel of family, faith, doubt. Quade’s storytelling gift is her ability to capture the mysterious pulse of belief and ground them in visceral ritual on the page.”
NO MAJOR SPOILERS
Just finished The Five Wounds by Kirstin Valdez Quade. This is the story about a family and it’s struggles with poverty, teenage pregnancy, alcohol addiction and all the problems that come with it. It’s also a story about love, learning responsibility and change.
Amedeo is an unemployed alcoholic father who is turning to religion to help him change for the better. He is going to carry the cross during Lent, enacting the suffering of Jesus at his crucifixion. He also is in for a big surprise when one day he comes him to find his very pregnant teenage daughter Angel sitting on his doorstep. She has had a fight with her mother over her live in boyfriend and has left her home to live with her father and her grandmother Yolanda. Her father is not happy about this but Yolanda loves the idea of her granddaughter being there.
Yolanda is the rock that holds the family together. Unfortunately she is very ill and is keeping that information away from her family.
The story revolves around the baby, Yolanda’s illness and Amedeo’s attempt to straighten out his life, open a business and improve his life.
There will be many obstacles in the way and all of their lives are going through many changes.
The book is beautifully written with a well detailed story with its so many ups and downs. This is real life with people living on the brink of poverty, trying to rely on each other to get through life. Thier will be sadness, laughter and wonder in this story and it seems that no matter how many obstacles are put in your path sometimes with a supreme effort you can make it through.
Recommended.
Reviewed by:
Richard Franco
Added 8th October 2021
