The Guardians: A Novel

The Guardians: A Novel

• Used Book in Good Condition

From American Book Award-winning author Ana Castillo comes a suspenseful, moving novel about a sensuous, smart, and fiercely independent woman. Eking out a living as a teacher€s aide in a small New Mexican border town, T­a Regina is also raising her teenage nephew, Gabo, a hardworking boy who has entered the country illegally and aspires to the priesthood. When Gabo€s father, Rafa, disappears while crossing over from Mexico, Regina fears the worst. <br><br>After several days of waiting and with an ominous phone call from a woman who may be connected to a smuggling ring, Regina and Gabo resolve to find Rafa. Help arrives in the form of Miguel, an amorous, recently divorced history teacher; Miguel€s gregarious abuelo Milton; a couple of Gabo€s gangbanger classmates; and a priest of wayward faith. Though their journey is rife with challenges and danger, it will serve as a remarkable testament to family bonds, cultural pride, and the human experience<br><br><b><u>Praise for <i>The Guardians</i></u></b><br><br>NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY <i>THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE</i><br><br>€œAn always skilled storyteller, [Castillo] grounds her writing in . . . humor, love, suspense and heartache€“that draw the reader in.€<br>€“<i>Chicago Sunday Sun-Times</i><br><br>€œA rollicking read, with jokes and suspense and joy rides and hearts breaking . . . This smart, passionate novel deserves a wide audience.€ <br><i>€“Los Angeles Times</i><br><br>€œWhat drives the novel is its chorus of characters, all, in their own way, witnesses and guardian angels. In the end, Castillo€s unmistakable voice€“earthy, impassioned, weaving a €˜hybrid vocabulary for a hybrid people€€“is the book€s greatest revelation.€<br><i>€“Time Out New York</i><br><br>€œA wonderful novel . . . Castillo€s most important accomplishment in <i>The Guardians</i> is to give a unique literary voice to questions about what makes up a €˜family.€ €<br><i>€“El Paso Times</i><br><br>€œA moving book that is both intimate and epic in its narrative.€ <br>€“Oscar Hijuelos, author of <i>The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love </i>