Scan barcode
citymouse's review against another edition
I hate literary fiction, why did I think this would be any different??
bookish_riz's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
sofi0518's review against another edition
3.0
I didn't love it but I didn't hate it either.
The story moved very slow in the beginning and picked up towards the end. I found the ending to be anti-climactic. Just okay.
The story moved very slow in the beginning and picked up towards the end. I found the ending to be anti-climactic. Just okay.
lauramariewheeler's review against another edition
5.0
My favorite genre/trope at the moment is the multi generation perspective family story. Just love it. I really enjoyed this. I loved the setting and the characters. It really brought to life a time/place/experience I had never explored before. Honestly I wanted more. I feel like the story arc could have gone further but overall still really enjoyed
dustyroses's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
katiecaytonholland's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
meghanallis's review against another edition
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
mersell's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this book overall, but finished it somewhat dissatisfied. Fajardo-Anstine can write. Her descriptions are beautiful and original, and her dialogue is natural. This book has many compelling elements: 1930s Denver, magical visions, sharp-shooting grandmother, etc. But it's almost like the author was trying to do too much in 300 pages. The story spans multiple generations of an Indigenous Chicano family in Colorado, with leaps across several different time periods, each one interesting in its own right. But sometimes it feels like a generational novel, sometimes it feels like a legal activism novel, sometimes it feels like a coming-of-age novel, and these different elements don't quite weave together enough to feel cohesive.
I gave this four stars because it *is* good reading. Interesting characters and settings and poetic descriptions (though I could do with less "he/she/it smelled of..."). But the promise of the novel is never quite fulfilled.
I gave this four stars because it *is* good reading. Interesting characters and settings and poetic descriptions (though I could do with less "he/she/it smelled of..."). But the promise of the novel is never quite fulfilled.
karenleagermain's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I create themed book boxes and I chose this book for a Colorado box. I have lived in Colorado for nearly five years and as much as I know of the Denver area, I'm still learning. Woman of Light is very much rooted in Denver and it was exciting to encounter familiar locations.
I work at a local bookstore and I've heard to much love for Fajardo-Anstine. I understand. Her writing is marvelous, especially her vivid character development. This story follows many members of an extended family and each had a strong personality. Although there is much heart break during the story, the characters also have a lot of love for one another. It's a beautiful family saga for fans of historical fiction.
I work at a local bookstore and I've heard to much love for Fajardo-Anstine. I understand. Her writing is marvelous, especially her vivid character development. This story follows many members of an extended family and each had a strong personality. Although there is much heart break during the story, the characters also have a lot of love for one another. It's a beautiful family saga for fans of historical fiction.
kelly_inthe419's review against another edition
3.0
I read the Woman of Light during Hispanic American Heritage Month and although the writing and timeline transitions seemed a bit uneven, I learned a lot about a community and time period I really knew nothing about. I would round this up to 3.5 stars.
Woman of Light opens in the late 1800s with the birth of a baby boy, Pidre, who is abandoned in a Moses-like passage and is rescued and raised by the Sleepy Prophet of the tiny pueblo, Pardona. As timelines shift, we follow the journey through generations of an Indigenous Hispanic family. The primary focus, however, is Luz and her urban life in the Denver of the 1930s, and it seemed to be more about Luz's coming of age in a time where prejudice against Hispanic and Indigenous cultures abounded. But these were the people - as happens in many cultures across time - who kept the upper class afloat with their skilled work, farming assistance and sewing and mending.
As tea leaf reader who inherited mystical traits from her grandmother, Luz is torn between wanting to help her family and to be and do more with her life. Luz lives with her brother and their aunt Maria Josie, a remarkably strong woman who recognizes and is unafraid to confront the harsh realities of life. When her brother is attacked by an angry group of white men, he flees to California, leaving Luz heartbroken. The treatment of Hispanic and Indigenous families of the time in Denver, was appalling although it probably shouldn't be surprising. I was surprised at the strong presence of the Ku Klux Klan and like fanatical groups. It must have been terrifying to be non-white and see the hordes of white clad men and women coming down the street!
I admired Luz's quest for a better life, but I also felt like she made several questionable decisions. Understanding she's young, her taste in men seemed reckless especially if her goal was to find a man who will protect her from other men. Although Pidre is ostensibly the patriarch of the family, strong women seem to be the backbone of this family. I felt Luz could have been a stronger character having descended from strong women like her aunt and grandmother.
I read this on audiobook and felt the narration could have been better as well. It just seemed flat at times for such an emotional and dramatic story. Thank you to Libro.FM and Penguin Random House Audio for my complimentary copy.
Woman of Light opens in the late 1800s with the birth of a baby boy, Pidre, who is abandoned in a Moses-like passage and is rescued and raised by the Sleepy Prophet of the tiny pueblo, Pardona. As timelines shift, we follow the journey through generations of an Indigenous Hispanic family. The primary focus, however, is Luz and her urban life in the Denver of the 1930s, and it seemed to be more about Luz's coming of age in a time where prejudice against Hispanic and Indigenous cultures abounded. But these were the people - as happens in many cultures across time - who kept the upper class afloat with their skilled work, farming assistance and sewing and mending.
As tea leaf reader who inherited mystical traits from her grandmother, Luz is torn between wanting to help her family and to be and do more with her life. Luz lives with her brother and their aunt Maria Josie, a remarkably strong woman who recognizes and is unafraid to confront the harsh realities of life. When her brother is attacked by an angry group of white men, he flees to California, leaving Luz heartbroken. The treatment of Hispanic and Indigenous families of the time in Denver, was appalling although it probably shouldn't be surprising. I was surprised at the strong presence of the Ku Klux Klan and like fanatical groups. It must have been terrifying to be non-white and see the hordes of white clad men and women coming down the street!
I admired Luz's quest for a better life, but I also felt like she made several questionable decisions. Understanding she's young, her taste in men seemed reckless especially if her goal was to find a man who will protect her from other men. Although Pidre is ostensibly the patriarch of the family, strong women seem to be the backbone of this family. I felt Luz could have been a stronger character having descended from strong women like her aunt and grandmother.
I read this on audiobook and felt the narration could have been better as well. It just seemed flat at times for such an emotional and dramatic story. Thank you to Libro.FM and Penguin Random House Audio for my complimentary copy.