First published 6200
Diego, a deaf-mute Mexican-American, ekes out a meager existence on the border in El Paso. Meanwhile, Helen and Eddie Marsh, a yuppie couple expecting their first child, hide their Chicano roots in the posh suburbs of San Francisco. When Helen's friend Lizzie, an AIDS nurse, discovers a mysterious patient's telekinetic gift, it catalyzes a collision of these disparate worlds, unearthing long-buried secrets. At the heart, a story of people born in different Americas, bluntly confronting divisions of race, gender, and class.
Genres: literary-fiction, contemporary, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Period: 20th Century
512 pages · Paperback
Content warnings: medical-trauma