Moving from the Fresno barrio to Oregon in an effort to climb up the socio-economic ladder, a Latino family learns that its ethnicity presents unexpected obstacles.

As Chacon writes, This was the way it was supposed to be, a family that sings together, a family that laughs, like the Brady Bunch, a Chicano Brady Bunch." But this is not a novel about a Chicano Brady Bunch. Instead, it is the story of a Mexican American boy named Joey Molina, the youngest of three siblings, and the family that devours him; it is also the story of a father's inner monster and the destruction it causes. Joey and his family move from Fresno, CA, to the small-town white America of Oregon, where their race suddenly matters a great deal. Throughout, Chicano identity plays an important role, as it did in Chacon‘s previous collection of short stories (Chicano Chicanery), though here it takes a backseat to the story of family. Chacon emphasizes character, sensitively detailing the relationships within the family and Joey’s individual experiences. This first novel is ultimately a coming-of-age story, both touching and frightening.

Recommended.-Lyle Rosdahl, San Antonio P.L., TX