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Jesse Pérez is a middle-aged widower who lives in California with his ten-year-old son Matthew. Matthew has some mild autism and is highly intelligent. Jesse's husband, David, passed away from cancer six months prior to the story's beginning. One night, Jesse's fifteen-year-old niece, Gloria, knocks on his door unexpectedly. She has run away from her home in Lubbock, Texas, because she is pregnant and seeking an abortion in California. Jesse allows her to stay with him and have the procedure but insists, as she manifests terror, that she inform her parents where she is.
Gloria's father arrives, hurling epithets at "sinful" Jesse and emotional and physical abuse at Gloria, finally forcing her to return home and sequestering her from her school, best friend, and Jesse. A custody battle ensues that evinces several of the situations that society faces today: abuse, homophobia, extremism to promote control and subservience, racism, and, ultimately, the healing power of love, acceptance, and inclusion.
This story has lessons for every era. The reader sees rational behavior and compassion in some authority figures, such as a judge, some social service workers, lawyers, and a police officer. These are also seen in Jesse, Matthew, a caretaker of Matthew's, and Gloria. The narrative also shows the corruption that hatred and ignorance engender in several members of Jesse's family and a member of the police force in Lubbock, as well as the traumas that haunt Jesse and Gloria. The author’s book is written with warmth, humor, and enough plot twists to keep the reader from becoming complacent. The narrative makes it easy to admire and enjoy the attitudes of the protagonists and root for what is good in individuals and society.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review