Women of Light tells the story of one Indigenous Chicano family spanning five generations in the American West.

Women of Light seems like a moving story. Unfortunately for this reader, I could not connect to it and put it on my DNF pile.

Maybe It’s Me?

Sometimes, I feel like I have reading fatigue. But for some reason, connecting to some books is easier, which means moving on is easier for me.

Being a Mexican woman with a great-grandmother from the Sioux nation, I thought I would instantly connect to this novel. I know the stories of my family, so I felt a connection to the book’s premise.

Unfortunately, that was where the connection ended. I knew the story would span five generations, that Luz was the central character, and that her gift as a seer was meaningful. As the back of the book says, “There is one every generation—a seer who keeps the stories.”

I knew Women of Light would not be linear; that wasn’t a surprise. However, many of the transitions didn’t flow. Early on, I expected a stronger connection between the past and the present of the story, and maybe had I kept reading the story, I would have seen a stronger connection between the past and Luz’s seer abilities.

I understand that the author established the past, giving context and backstory before delving into the connection between the past and the present. Luz’s personality also felt very dry. I wanted more passion from her, and again, had I finished the book, I probably would have gotten that, but it wasn’t enough to hold me.

Final Thoughts

There is nothing wrong with the storytelling, ultimately. Woman of Light I think I will give a second chance to, but on a first read, it felt too dry. I wanted a stronger connection between the past and the present to tie together the family connection.