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The Five Wounds

Kirstin Valdez Quade

Start date: October 1, 2022

Finish date: October 20, 2022

Why we're reading this: The Five Wounds is South Side Book Discussion's October selection! This book club will be held in person …more
[close] The Five Wounds is South Side Book Discussion's October selection! This book club will be held in person at South Side Library on Thursday, 10/20 at 2:00 PM. Visit our website or call 515-283-4152 for more details.

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Apr 30, 2022 Andy rated it really liked it · review of another edition

In “The Five Wounds,” an impressive debut novel by Kirstin Valdez Quade, we follow a year in the life of the Padilla family as they experience a series of monumental changes that will drastically change their lives and relationships.

My husband devoured this novel during a beach vacation and practically demanded that I read it immediately. For that reason, I expected this to have more moments of levity and hope.

If that’s what you’re looking for, it is not this story. It starts with a simulated c In “The Five Wounds,” an impressive debut novel by Kirstin Valdez Quade, we follow a year in the life of the Padilla family as they experience a series of monumental changes that will drastically change their lives and relationships.

My husband devoured this novel during a beach vacation and practically demanded that I read it immediately. For that reason, I expected this to have more moments of levity and hope.

If that’s what you’re looking for, it is not this story. It starts with a simulated crucifixion – yes, a crucifixion – and that honestly sets the tone for the pain and torment these people will go through.

As an incredibly slow burn character study, you truly begin to feel like you know Amadeo and Angel, specifically, to the point I was frequently muttering “no, no, no” in response to their actions.

That should give you the clue that every single character is frustrating – yet Quade never vilifies them or plays up missteps for melodrama. While A LOT happens over the course of the year, it felt organic and plausible.

The last few chapters were tense and breathtaking, both in the literal sense (that car ride!) and in the way Quade wrapped up the story. For not having many works under her belt, she showed a mastery of giving the reader what they want – a little hope – while staying true to the tone.

Aside from the pacing, which dragged in a few places, my other complaint is that Quade bit off more than she could chew with ancillary characters that were given lots of page time before completely fading into the background.

Even with those criticisms, I’d still recommend this to fans of multi-generational family sagas. There were enough new ideas brought into common tropes to keep you engaged, many driven by the New Mexico setting.

Narrated by Gary Tiedmann, the audiobook was a solid but unremarkable effort. Writing this review a week after finishing the novel, there’s nothing that sticks out to me – good or bad – about his performance. ...more

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Oct 17, 2021 Elizabeth rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, library, diversiverse, 2021, bookriot2021

This is a fantastic novel. The author writes characters that are so rich, and she gives them so much space - to love, to regret, to make bad decisions, to pick themselves back up - that it becomes so rewarding for the reader to spend time with them. I absolutely loved walking with this family through a year in their lives.

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Aug 04, 2021 Joe rated it liked it · review of another edition

I don’t know how to rate this. It was well written, the characters felt real, it mostly stayed away from cliche and only a couple times did characters say the obvious thing. But it also always felt just an inch away from someone saying, “We are a FAMILY!” It would be unfair to say I didn’t care what happened, because I finished it, but also, stakes never felt that high? It’s fine. If you like family dramas, I would recommend it.

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Aug 10, 2021 CL rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook, fiction

I would have loved dissecting this in Jose Amaya’s American Lit class. I disliked most of the characters, but also found them sympathetic enough to be invested.

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