Thank you to Atria Books for sending me a copy of My Mother Cursed My Name in exchange for an honest review.
The Olivares women have always tried to control their daughters’ destinies, starting with their names. After teenage Angustias gets pregnant, her mother Olvido kicks her out of the house. 10 years later, Angustias’ daughter Felicitas meets her grandmother for the first time. She is strict, cold and dead.
Olvido believes her spirit will cross over only if she resolves her unfinished business of improving Angustias’s life. Unfortunately, Felicitas is the only one who can see or hear her. As Olvido tries to orchestrate Angustias’s life from beyond, Angustias grapples with the town’s sudden efforts to help her. Meanwhile, Felicitas must hide her ability to see the dead. Ultimately, all three women must learn to truly listen to each other and overcome generational mistakes to understand the true meaning of home.
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My Mother Cursed My Name is both a coming-of-age story and an exploration of generational trauma. Anamely Salgado Reyes faces grief and family issues head on in a truly powerful and talented debut.
I particularly loved the exploration of the way names have power. Each of the Olivares women tries to influence her daughter’s destiny through her name. Despite their efforts, however, the opposite happened. Angustias grew up carefree and lighthearted in spite of her name, while Felicitas was born with a dark cloud over her head. It’s an interesting take on the way your name defines you.
One of my favorite elements of magical realism is that the strange and paranormal are almost always completely accepted. In My Mother Cursed My Name, each of the three narrators has an ability they never discuss with their family. Olvido can influence people to share their truth through her cooking, Angustias can see emotions and Felicitas can speak with the dead. The fact that no one in the family knows about the others’ gifts deftly illustrates their lack of communication and connection. At one point, everyone in town knows that Felicitas is speaking with Olvido – except her own mother.
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This fact in particular illustrates the main focus of the novel; speaking your truth to those you care about. It can be difficult to say something you know may hurt your loved ones. Sometimes, it’s easier to let things fester until you just can’t handle it anymore. Reyes demonstrates how this affects families in a beautiful and humorous way.
If you’re looking for a clever and unusual story of generational trauma with elements of magical realism, check out My Mother Cursed My Name. It’s a powerful debut, and I’m looking forward to whatever Reyes writes next.
My Mother Cursed My Name comes out on July 30 and is available for preorder from your local independent bookstore or Bookshop.org.
TW: abandonment, death, generational trauma, pregnancy
https://www.geekgirlauthority.com/new-book-releases-july-23-2024/
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