Review of 'Woman of Light'

There is one every generation, a seer who keeps the stories.

Luz “Little Light” Lopez, a tea leaf reader and laundress, is left to fend for herself after her older brother, Diego, a snake charmer and factory worker, is run out of town by a violent white mob. As Luz navigates 1930s Denver, she begins to have visions that transport her to her Indigenous homeland in the nearby Lost Territory. Luz recollects her ancestors’ origins, how her family flourished, and how they were threatened. She bears witness to the sinister forces that have devastated her people and their homelands for generations. In the end, it is up to Luz to save her family stories from disappearing into oblivion.

Written in Kali Fajardo-Anstine’s singular voice, the wildly entertaining and complex lives of the Lopez family fill the pages of this multigenerational western saga. Woman of Light is a transfixing novel about survival, family secrets, and love—filled with an unforgettable cast of characters, all of whom are just as special, memorable, and complicated as our beloved heroine, Luz.

Review

Women of Light seems like a moving story. Unfortunately for this reader, I could not connect to it and put it on my DNF pile.

Maybe It’s Me?

Sometimes, I feel like I have reading fatigue. But for some reason, connecting to some books is easier, which means moving on is easier for me.

Being a Mexican woman with a great-grandmother from the Sioux nation, I thought I would instantly connect to this novel. I know the stories of my family, so I felt a connection to the book’s premise.

Unfortunately, that was where the connection ended. I knew the story would span five generations, that Luz was the central character, and that her gift as a seer was meaningful. As the back of the book says, “There is one every generation—a seer who keeps the stories.”

So, I knew the story would not be linear; that wasn’t a surprise. However, many of the transitions didn’t flow. Early on, I expected a stronger connection between the past and the present of the story, and maybe had I kept reading the story, I would have seen a stronger connection between the past and Luz’s seer abilities.

I understand that the author established the past, giving context and backstory before delving into the connection between the past and the present. I also felt like Luz’s personality was dry. I wanted more passion from her, and again, had I finished the book, I probably would have gotten that, but it wasn’t enough to hold me.

Final Thoughts

There is nothing wrong with the storytelling, ultimately. This is a novel I think I will give a second chance to, but on a first read, it felt too dry. I wanted a stronger connection between the past and the present to tie together the family connection.

• Writing Quality : -/10
• Character Development : -/10
• "Couldn't Put It Down"-ness : -/10
• Intellectual Depth: -/10
• Originality: -/10
• Overall Rating: 2 out of 5.

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About the Author

Cynthia Bujnicki graduated from Emerson College with a BA in Writing, Literature and Publishing. She has always loved to read since she was a child. A contributing writer for YA Fantasy Addicts, she is also the Editor-in-Chief for Cyn's Workshop. She lives in sunny South Florida with her husband, son and daughter and their two cats.