Three generations of fiercely strong and stubborn Mexican American women face grief head-on as they attempt to shed generational trauma and discover the true meaning of home in this “magical, haunting, and joyful” (Carolyn Huynh, author of The Fortunes of Jaded Women) novel that feels like “a grown-up Encanto with a Gilmore Girls twist” (Marissa Stapley, New York Times bestselling author).
For generations, the Olivares women have sought to control their daughters’ destinies, starting with their names. In life, Olvido constantly clashed with her carefree daughter. Then teenage Angustias discovered she was pregnant and left her mother’s home in search of her own. Ten years later, Felicitas finally meets her estranged grandmother and is terribly disappointed when Olvido is nothing like a grandmother should be. She is strict, cold, and…dead.
Now, Olvido is convinced the only way her spirit will cross over is if she resolves her unfinished business—to make sure Angustias is in a better place regarding family, job, husband, and God—and Felicitas is the only person who can see or hear her. Heartbroken about her mother’s passing and desperate to put Olvido’s tiny Texas home in her rearview mirror as quickly as possible, Angustias doesn’t understand why suddenly everyone in town seems to be conspiring to set her up with every eligible bachelor in town, offer her jobs, and invite her and Felicitas to church every Sunday.
As Olvido attempts to puppeteer her granddaughter to “fix” Angustias’s life from beyond the grave, Angustias tries desperately to find a better place for Felicitas, and Felicitas struggles to keep her ability to see the dead a secret from Angustias, all three Olivares girls are forced to learn how to actually listen to one another. “Incredibly written by Salgado Reyes, this is a spell-binding debut brimming with magic, secrets, and love that will stay with you long after the last page” (María Alejandra Barrios Vélez, author of The Waves Take You Home).
“There is something so charming and moving about the Olivares girls. My Mother Cursed My Name is an absorbing and magical debut about the bonds of family and forging one’s path in the world… even if that means more than a little guidance from the ancestors.”
“A beautiful story woven with care from the fierce yet tender bonds of familial love, this entrancing novel burrowed its way into my heart, leaving me thoroughly charmed by the characters, writing, and concept. Like a grown up Encanto with a Gilmore Girls twist—what could be better?”
"My Mother Cursed My Name is a warm, witty and magical read about healing in order to forgive and forgiving in order to heal. Three generations of wildly different and fierce mothers and daughters tumbling toward a greater understanding of each other and themselves.”
“A powerful meditation on love and forgiveness with a lyricism that kept me spellbound. This novel explores the power of names and Anamely Salgado Reyes is a name to remember.”
