L.A. Weather

Starred review from July 12, 2021
Escandón (González & Daughter Trucking Co.) returns with a rollicking and hilarious family drama of telenovela-esque proportions that doubles as a fiery love letter to Los Angeles. The story follows the Alvarados, a wealthy Mexican-American family, and all the turmoil that exists beneath the sheen of their Instagram-perfect lives. Oscar, the patriarch, is a descendant of a once-influential California ranching family, and his wife, Keila, is an acclaimed artist who still has roots in the art scene of her hometown of Mexico City. Together, they have three lovely, successful daughters: Claudia, a celebrity chef; Olivia, an architect; and Patricia, a social media consultant for large brands. When Keila shares with her family that she intends on divorcing Oscar, the shock sends the entire cast on an emotional roller coaster as the daughters all begin to question how happy they are in their own marriages and Keila develops an attraction to a gallery owner. Beyond the juicy plot, Escandón is a pro at capturing the socioeconomic geography of L.A.; even scenes of mundane life such as a trip to get ice cream provide occasions for the characters to comment on the shifting fortunes of acquaintances after being priced out of up-and-came east side neighborhoods. This is by far one of the most endearing L.A. novels in recent memory. Agent: Betsy Amster, Betsy Amster Literary Enterprises.

July 15, 2021
Twelve pivotal months in the life of a Jewish and Catholic Mexican American family in West Los Angeles. It's 2016. Three-year-old twins miraculously survive drowning in the first scene, setting the tone of melodrama cut with comedy that Escand�n maintains throughout her homage to Mexican telenovelas. Expect financial and medical catastrophes, marital discord, sexual passion, brand name dropping, and mouthwatering meals. At center are the Alvarados. Oscar's ancestors became landowners in California while it was still part of Mexico; artist Keila's Jewish parents escaped the Holocaust by fleeing to Mexico as children. Their heritages have merged into a seemingly idyllic marriage for almost 40 years. But recently, Oscar has retreated from involvement with his family, becoming obsessed with The Weather Channel instead. Frustrated and furious, Keila announces she wants a divorce, but the grown Alvarado daughters convince their parents to work on the marriage for one year. Meanwhile, all three daughters hide their own private problems and marital issues. Celebrity chef Claudia has a little stealing habit. Architect Olivia, who conceived her twins through in vitro fertilization, is fighting with her cartoonishly awful husband about the remaining embryos. Despite a husband in San Francisco, social media maven Patricia still lives with her parents along with the son who was conceived when she was raped at 14. As the Alvarados fight and unite repeatedly, the plot incorporates broader issues including climate change, gender politics, immigration, and a presidential election. A warmhearted domestic drama with political undercurrents makes for fun reading.

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July 30, 2021

Keila Alvarado is fed up with her husband's inattention to anything but the weather reports for drought-ridden Southern California. Instead of helping her babysit their twin granddaughters, Oscar is derailed by his obsessive nature, depression, and fear over a secret he is keeping from his wife, which leads to a near tragedy. When Keila announces her intention to divorce Oscar, their three adult daughters convince them to go to couples therapy for one year before giving up on their 39-year marriage. During that year, the three sisters, Claudia, Olivia and Patricia, discover the cracks in their own marriages as secrets are unearthed. With each new drama that pummels the Alvarado family, their love and support for one another are tested. VERDICT Novelist and screenwriter Escand�n (Esperanza's Box of Saints) depicts many cultural layers of Los Angeles through its variety of food, unique architecture, and rich local history. Broader topics of immigration, climate change, gender identity, and the effects of gentrification come up throughout the novel. Most of all, Escand�n celebrates family: sometimes joyous, sometimes infuriating, but always bonding together to meet life's tempestuous challenges.--Joy Gunn, Paseo Verde Lib., Henderson, NV

Copyright 2021 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2021
Oscar Alvarado is a multigenerational Angeleno Mexican American; his wife Keila was a high-school exchange student from Mexico City. They lovingly raised three daughters. Thirty-nine years later, their three-year-old twin granddaughters almost drown in their neglected pool. The accident fuels Keila's marital discontent and emboldens her announcement that she wants a divorce. Family shock ensues. By the end of the year, the entire family will be back under one roof. The kleptomaniacal eldest daughter will wake from a medically induced coma and excise her cheating spouse. The architect middle daughter will dump her useless partner but steal their remaining embryos. The youngest, who still lives at home with her child born of rape when she was 14, will, well, most amicably follow suit. As for the titular weather, it proves to be most crucial for the Happy Crunch Almond Orchard. Telenovela anyone? Why, yes, bestselling Escand�n (Gonzalez & Daughter Trucking Co., 2005) also works in film and TV. so, naturally, the Alvarados are getting the Hollywood treatment. If the print version is any indication, the forecast sure looks promising for screen success.

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