This was a great novel to end the year! Sylvester is able to weave a tapestry of time, secrets, and love in the Bravo family alongside Isabel, who marries into the family on the first page. And then her dead father-in-law shows up. Here, I'll just quote the great first sentence since I loved it so much:

"They were married on the Day of the Dead, el Día de los Muertos, which no one gave much thought to in all the months of planning, until the bride's deceased father-in-law showed up in the car following the ceremony."

WELL THEN. And the story never loses pace from there; it jumps between the past and present, the latter showing Isabel trying to understand her place in her new family, navigating the turmoils of marriage and relationships, and holding it together despite what the universe directs their way. In the past timeline, we see the events that molded her husband and his family, and several that they don't know about (and not knowing, that void of understanding, can be so shaping as well). The revelations are often heartbreaking. I loved this family and was sad to say goodbye to them as it ended. The end was bittersweet, but fitting.

Sylvester's prose is lyrical and poignant. I took my time reading this one because of the beautiful sentences. I'm looking forward to seeking out more Sylvester, and for more of her works in the future. I highly recommend this novel.