Longlisted for PeN/Faulkner Award

The new York Times Book Review Editor’s choice

★ “An instant Tejano Classic”
Kirkus Reviews

★ “This is a gem”
Publisher’s Weekly

“a thoroughly satisfying read”
the new york times

one of the most
anticipated books of 2022

kirkus 20 best, chicago review of books, the millions, Lit hub, book riot, Goodreads, Austin American-Statesman

THE FAMILY IZQUIERDO

Rubén Degollado has written an open-hearted work of witness, love, and triumph. We have come far. And this brave novel reminds us of where we have to go. Anyone with a family will find themselves in these pages.

― Luis Alberto Urrea, award winning & best selling author of The House of Broken Angels

ABOUT

The Family Izquierdo is a masterful debut that weaves together the lives of three generations of a Mexican American family bound by love, and a curse.

The tight-knit Izquierdo family is grappling with misfortunes none of them can explain. Their beloved patriarch has suffered from an emotional collapse and is dying; eldest son Gonzalo’s marriage is falling apart; daughter Dina, beleaguered by the fear that her nightmares are real, is a shut-in. When Gonzalo digs up a strange object in the backyard of the family home, the Izquierdos take it as proof that a jealous neighbor has cursed them—could this be the reason for all their troubles? As the Izquierdos face a distressing present and an uncertain future, they are sustained by the blood that binds them, a divine presence, and an abiding love for one another. Told in a series of soulful voices brimming with warmth and humor, The Family Izquierdo is a tender narrative of a family at a turning point.

PRAISE

With a delicate and perceptive understanding of humanity and the ties which bind community to history, Rubén Degollado has painted a portrait of sincere love in The Family Izquierdo. This book feels like coming home to a warm embrace, where the characters and land leap off the page and into our hearts.

Kali Fajardo-Anstine, author of Woman of Light

In The Family Izquierdo, every story is a revelation. Rubén Degollado’s storytelling is as rigorous as it is intricate. Intimate and epic, it brims with magic and spirit. A bold, beautiful debut!

― Deesha Philyaw, author of The Secret Lives of Church Ladies

The stories plumb the hyphenated identities of being Mexican and American through family dynamics. It is a testament to the importance of family and the influence of religion, as well as a poignant tale about personal hopes and dreams.

Foreward Reviews

The Family Izquierdo, reveals family troubles and secrets that span generations. He explores the conflicting dualities of Catholicism and curanderismo, what it means to be Mexican on both sides of the border, and the rich complexity of the Spanish language, both pure and pocho.

High Country News


Published by W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.
September 2022 | 304 Pages
ISBN 978-0-393-86682-7