The Affairs of the Falcóns
“A beautiful, serious and life-affirming book.” - The Washington Post
Cover photograph © Robbie Lawrence
Cover design by Allison Saltzman
Buy Now
Winner, 2019 New American Voices Award * Winner, 2020 International Latino Book Award * Longlisted for The PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel, The Center for Fiction First Novel Prize, and The Aspen Words Literary Prize * A Best or Recommended Book of the Year: The New York Post · Real Simple · Southern Living · Buzzfeed · The Huffington Post · Bustle · Fierce · Hip Latina · Ms. Magazine · Alma · Library Journal · The Rumpus · The Millions · Refinery29 · Electric Literature
A stunning debut novel about a young undocumented Peruvian woman fighting to keep her family afloat in New York City
Ana and her husband Lucho, along with their two young children, have fled the economic and political strife of Peru for a chance at a new life in New York City in the 1990s. Being undocumented, however, has significantly curtailed the family’s opportunities: Ana is indebted to a loan shark who calls herself Mama, and is stretched thin by unceasing shifts at her factory job. To make matters worse, Ana must also battle both criticism from Lucho’s cousin—who has made it obvious the family is not welcome to stay in her spare room for much longer—and escalating and unwanted attention from Mama’s husband.
As the pressure builds, Ana becomes increasingly desperate. While Lucho dreams of returning to Peru, Ana is deeply haunted by the demons she left behind and determined to persevere in this new country. But how many sacrifices is she willing to make before admitting defeat and returning to Peru? And what lines is she willing to cross in order to protect her family?
The Affairs of the Falcóns is a beautiful, deeply urgent novel about the lengths one woman is willing to go to build a new life, and a vivid rendering of the American immigrant experience.
Diseño e ilustración de la cubierta:
Adalis Martinez
Compralo YÁ
Una impresionante novela debut sobre la lucha de una joven madre peruana indocumentada que está dispuesta a darlo todo por su familia y su nueva vida en Nueva York.
Ana Falcón, junto con su esposo Lucho y sus dos hijos pequeños, huyeron de la lucha económica y política del Perú en busca de una nueva vida en la ciudad de Nueva York en la década de los 90. Sin embargo, al ser una inmigrante indocumentada, sus oportunidades se ven reducidas. En poco tiempo, Ana se encuentra endeudada con una prestamista que se hace llamar Mamá, y sus largos turnos de trabajo en la fábrica son cada vez más extenuantes. Para empeorar las cosas, Ana también debe soportar las incesantes críticas de Valeria, la prima de Lucho, quien ha dejado en claro que la familia de Ana no está bienvenida a quedarse mucho tiempo más en su pequeña habitación de huéspedes.
A medida que aumenta la tensión, Ana cae cada vez más en desesperación. Mientras Lucho sueña con regresar a Perú, Ana se encuentra profundamente atormentada por los demonios que dejó atrás en su país natal, y está decidida a perseverar en su nuevo hogar. ¿Pero cuántos sacrificios estará dispuesta a hacer antes de admitir la derrota y regresar a Perú? ¿Y qué líneas estará dispuesta a cruzar para proteger a su familia?
PRAISE
“Rivero’s talent for storytelling and sympathetic portrayal of many characters propels this novel above the melodrama of the telenovelas that play in the background on Valeria’s television. Book groups will thoroughly enjoy this vivid, inspired debut, a valuable addition to immigration literature.” - Library Journal (Starred Review)
“A nuanced look at the human cost of immigration policy.... This is, obviously, a book that has a lot to say to our current moment, but it also has an emotional appeal that is timeless and universal. Thoughtful and eye-opening, this is an admirable debut.” - Kirkus Reviews
“Timely and beautifully rendered.... Rivero succeeds in drawing to light the challenges many new immigrants face.... A complex and compelling portrait of Latin American immigrants and the experience of undocumented families.” - Booklist
“At a time when the United States is wracked with debates about what constitutes a ‘real’ American, this rendering of the immigrant experience couldn’t be more important.” - Refinery 29
"Melissa Rivero writes about love with all of its beauty, fierceness, and complications: of motherhood and hard choices, the bonds of family and homeland, and the sacrifices made for survival and a better future. Ana is an unforgettable character and a necessary American hero." - Lisa Ko, Author of the THE LEAVERS
“An unsparing look at the world of the undocumented through the life of Peruvian immigrant Ana and her family. …Struggling to navigate the traumas of the past with the betrayals and exploitations of the present, Melissa Rivero’s The Affairs of the Falcóns does poetic justice to this riveting tale of identity, belonging, and transformation.” - Cristina García, Author of DREAMING IN CUBAN and HERE IN BERLIN
"Melissa Rivero is a gifted writer with a clear view of the human heart. This novel shows us new things. It's a winner.” - Luis Alberto Urrea, Author of THE HOUSE OF BROKEN ANGELS and THE DEVIL’S HIGHWAY
“Melissa Rivero’s beautiful debut works its magic by finding the personal in the political. The theme is immigration, but at heart, this is a story about family—the long-standing tensions, the profound bonds, the depth of spousal, parental and filial love. It’s at once a timeless work and a book we urgently need now.” - Rumaan Alam, Author of LEAVE THE WORLD BEHIND
"The Affairs of the Falcóns is a powerfully honest testament to the strength of immigrant mothers. May we all see them, honor them, and fight for them in the way Melissa Rivero sees, honors, and fights for Ana, free of judgement and full of love." - Natalia Sylvester, Author of EVERYONE KNOWS YOU GO HOME and BREATHE AND COUNT BACK FROM TEN