The Miraculous Day of Amalia Gomez

You get patterns and archetypes stuck in your mind when it comes to literature. So sometimes when a tale veers off from the expected path, I feel dissatisfied with the writing. I followed Amalia right to the last page with my expectations built, but Rechy ripped them out from under me. It took about three days before I let go of my fossilized ideas and fell in love with the ending of this novel the way I'd fallen in love with the first page. It's a tragicomedy, a dystopian American dream, full of the horror and violence of sexism and sexual abuse, racism, poverty, and crime, yet Amalia is a character in perpetual motion, wandering through her day, her memories, her neighborhood, her delusions, and her hopes like a juggernaut. I love, love, love this book. Has the beauty of this American gem been overshadowed by Rechy's more salacious best seller? This is a cultural portrait as well as deeply loving portrait.

A good book becomes a great book through subtext. Amalia Gomez tells the story of the life and struggle of the principle and of her family, in a single day. The subtext is faith and how it guides our actions (it is worth noting that the reader is not beaten over the head with subtext either). The Miraculous Day of Amalia Gomez is a great book. Some reviewers disliked it because it was dissimilar to City of Night. That is an entirely unreasonable stance to take and, judged on its own merit, Amalia is a near-flawless story. I highly recommend it (and City of Night also).

The characters were okay. The main character seemed a little stereotyped but I like the issues that were raised in the story like miscommunication, immigration, and gender. It would not be one of the more memorable books but it is a fine book.

If you’re familiar with Rechy’s writing style, you will enjoy this. It’s entertaining and a quick read. Definitely recommend.

A moving story, simply amazing. You really have to read it for yourself. Just the writing and everything about it is amazing

Heart touching story. So many people living in poverty can relate

My book was shipped and in quality condition as mentionedin its review.

Great book.