Excellent -- I only wish it was longer to expand on the characters and their stories. Easily a top book of the year for me.

An epic story with bold women as the background. An engrossing story told across generations. I really liked it.

Thinking perhaps the time was not right for Kali Fajardo-Anstine’s WOMAN OF LIGHT and me. The dream like quality of this book left me sleepy, detached.
The few pages that reeled me in were not enough to keep me invested.
The plot intrigued me, the story left me feeling cheated.
Perhaps another time, another day I can connect with this story but for right now it left me feeling like I skimmed through most of it.

National Book Award finalist and author of the best-selling short story collection Sabrina and Corina returns with a new fiction book. In a story spanning five generations of Coloradans, we see how the land changes and how stories can be lost to time. It takes a brave woman to remember for future generations.

It starts with an orphan in the forgotten territory. An Indigenous baby is abandoned, and an old woman finds it and raises it as her own. At ten, he must set out for the city and his future. Fast forward to Paz. She works at the carnival and can tell your future. It is not just a vague future but a highly detailed one that can reveal horrors. When her brother dates a white woman, he is severely beaten and must leave for the Lost TErritory. Paz also has to leave and find a job in Denver for a layer. The lawyer is the defender of the broken down and poor. But does he fight for them or only for himself?

Stories of the West are too often from a single perspective. It isn't focused on the people who already populated Colorado before settlers came. Fajardo-Anstine tells the story of the people here and those pushed to the sidelines by white settlers. They make up the west and Colorado too.

I loved going through the generations of this family. As Mexican-Americans in the early 1900s Wild West, they have many forces going against them (the Depression, the KKK and racism, white settlers and segregation, the past) but the never lose the importance of family. Heartbreaking at times, this book highlights not only the power of love over hate, but the power of women in times of hardship.

The author does switch back and forth in times which can sometimes be confusing, but I found she did it well. I was able slowly see how the past stories were influencing the present. She shows how the past is more influential then we realize in our present and future lives.

I could easily picture the settings and characters, engrossing me in the book and story.

This story told across generations of a family really tugs at the heart strings. I feel in love with the characters and was totally engrossed, I did not want to leave the family behind as the story came to an end. I would have loved to have a whole novel on just the grandparent's storyline.

Clairvoyant and mystical. Sharp and full of wonder with an incredible narrative. There is a richness in history that should not be overlooked.

Ok I have tried to get through this book 3 times now. It starts off well enough, but then it loses my attention. I feel like there is a lull in the first 3rd of the book that if I can get past I will like the story, maybe? I think in part it's the charecters and place names, maybe it's my complete ignorance of the history and place of reference. Which is frankly my issue. I will come back to this, mainly iut of stubbornness because I want to like it.

A very likeable story! The focus of the strength of women and their gifts. How they withstood prejudice. I enjoyed the read and the depiction of Colorado. I would definitely recommend this book!

I wasn't sure what to expect with this one, but I was pleasantly surprised. While I usually don't like books with intertwined timelines, this one however really worked since it explained the story of the family fully. I do wish there was a bit more to the ending. I felt that it ended rather quickly.

This multigenerational story of an Indigenous-Chicano family started out in the 1880s when an abandoned baby is found and raised by a family in the West. It quickly moves to Colorado in the 1930s where we follow the lives of Luz (Little Light), who is a tea leaf reader, laundress (with her cousin Lizette), and her brother Diego, a snake charmer, who live with their gay Aunt Maria-Josie.
The author described their lives and made the characters colorful and interesting, and brings into play the prejudices, racism and injustices brought against them - all parts of Colorado history that I was unaware of.
The author alternates the 1930s story with glimpses of the earlier generation's story but I found that to be confusing as I was following the story with the characters that were coping with various issues, when suddenly, I'm back in the 1800s picking up something completely unrelated to the latter day story. For me, I thought that there was a lot of backstory missing which would have enriched the latter day events and characters.
I felt that the romance was contrived and not in keeping with the overall feel of the book. The book ended abruptly, and it was rushed- I wanted a little more follow up.
I received an eARC of Woman of Light from NetGalley and Random House and the opinions are my own.

I think this was a good read, but it was not for me. The plot was my downfall and I couldn't get into it all the way. The characters are well written and I liked the synopsis of the story. I think others will definitely enjoy resdimg this book

This has everything I want from a multigenerational story. Powerful, dynamic matriarchs, sumptuous writing, and a most delectable touch of magic.

I’m kicking myself for not finishing this sooner, but I’m also extremely thankful I waited for just the right moment in my life to fully immerse myself in this story. It is a mesmerizing account on finding oneself, on knowing oneself, and a sharp reflection on the stories that shape us, and our knowledge of them (or lack thereof) as we move through our own chapters in our family histories. And it is undeniable that this novel’s roots in Indigenous Chicano history is what gives it its clarity of voice.

The characters are exceptionally compelling (though, like many, I too am not entirely convinced by Luz’s characterization/arc) and the prose is something I want to drown in.

The synopsis of this was so intriguing! I love generational sagas and throw in a little bit of magical realism and it's probably going to be my favorite thing! Unfortunately for me, I didn't love this as much as I thought I would. The matriarchs of this family were dynamic, but I felt that we could've spent a little bit more time with each of them and have their characters developed a little bit more. Also, the time jumps were a little bit jarring. Going back to such exciting moments in the past to come back to a present that was a little all over the place. And it also felt like whenever we were about to focus on something, we'd quickly pivot to something else completely unrelated or that held little interest to me. I really enjoyed the beautiful writing and even the characters and setting were interesting, but ultimately it just did not live up to what I was hoping it would be.

It took me a lot longer to finish "Woman of Light" then it should have. I originally started by listening to the audiobook, but I had a hard time keeping track of the time line. I tried multiple times, but because it jumps around I found reading the physical book was much better. I did tend to enjoy some time lines more than others.

The main story of Luz is really moving, even though it is also heartbreaking. I felt like it ends with some unanswered questions, or maybe the reader is supposed to make assumptions about what happened, but I wish there had been a little more. Whether that "more" is for Luz who I felt like just came in herself at the end or more of that plot line, I just wanted "more."

Thank you NetGalley for the Advance Reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

A tale of history repeating itself, a tale that has to be reclaimed, and a family holding itself together in spite of forces that purposely seek to destroy and erase.

Wow, this was a very complex saga that is told across three separate generations. I absolutely loved the characters though and I couldn't get enough of their stories, which is why sometimes the time skips irked me a little because I really wanted to know more about certain characters such as Liz's grandparents and I really didn't get that. Still even with that this was a very intriguing story.

A multigenerational story. It taps into the treatment of native peoples in the turn of the century west. The title character Luz is a tea-reader. A profession revered by her people. The characters in this story have a depth that goes beyond the obvious. Ordinary people with a light and strength that the author captures well. It’s a modern day western complete with an unlikely romantic triangle.

3.5
1930's, Denver, CO we are given a multi-generational story. We follow Luz, a Mexican American, who works as a laundress, is able to read tea leaves and also sees visions of her ancestors. We travel with her as her ancestors stories are told. We meet Lizette her best friend, Diego her brother, and her aunt Maria Josie were all such likable characters. The shifts in her storytelling of her family is not orderly or organized and it did feel a bit jarring at times, but I did love her voice and seeing her family through her.

Thank you to Random House Publishing and NetGalley for the advance e-book.

Woman of Light follows an Indigenous & Mexican, mixed race family across multiple generations. Luz, who the story is centered around is trying to figure out her place in the world as she toes that fine line between childhood and adulthood.

I loved the touches of magical realism in this story as well as the way the past, present and future were interwoven throughout to the point where time almost seemed irrelevant. I enjoyed how dynamic each of these characters were and also getting a glimpse into the lives of those who were “other” at this time in Denver.

Overall, this was a beautifully written novel although I will say it took me quite a few chapters to really get into it but by the time we hit the midpoint through to the end I was invested. If you like magical realism, multigenerational
Stories through the eyes of a diverse community this is the story for you.

Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC! This story was beautiful, haunting, sad and everything in between. Most importantly it told the story of BOLD women who carved their own path even if they lost their way at first.

P.S I need an origin novella about Simodecea Salazar-Smith. She was definitely my favorite

P.P.S the vigilante rattlesnakes made my whole day 😂

Rating: 3.5