All praise for Candlelight Bridge
“In this stirring family saga set primarily in El Paso during the early 20th century, a multicultural family overcomes prejudice and adversity, but still struggles to remain intact.”
—Latino Book Review, Starred Review
“…Cara Lopez Lee has raised her novel to an impressive level of literary excellence. A deftly crafted, impressively original, and inherently interesting read from start to finish…”
—Midwest Book Review, Starred Review
“The literary prose delves into the innermost thoughts and secrets of the main characters. Many subplots contain surprising twists and turns right up to a cluster of life-changing decisions at the very end.”
—Historical Novel Society, Starred Review
“Cara Lopez Lee is a talented and audacious author. And CANDLELIGHT BRIDGE is a wonderful book, a book to savor and revisit.”
—Luis Alberto Urrea, author of Good Night, Irene and The Hummingbird’s Daughter
—Luis Alberto Urrea, author of Good Night, Irene and The Hummingbird’s Daughter
“CANDLELIGHT BRIDGE is a novel of tremendous heart. Cara Lopez Lee delivers a well-researched, moving, grand adventure of hope and sacrifice and of what it means to create and define the true meaning of home.”
—Kali Fajardo-Anstine, bestselling author of Woman of Light and Sabrina & Corina
—Kali Fajardo-Anstine, bestselling author of Woman of Light and Sabrina & Corina
“Sweeping yet intimate, CANDLELIGHT BRIDGE traces the epic journey of Candelaria and Yankee across China, Mexico and the borderlands of America. With these defiant and determined characters, Cara Lopez Lee powerfully portrays the costs of survival. Deeply moving.”
—Vanessa Hua, author of Forbidden City
—Vanessa Hua, author of Forbidden City
“CANDLELIGHT BRIDGE unflinchingly illustrates the sacrifices required to make a home in an unwelcoming place. With vivid prose, Cara Lopez Lee brings to life the story of two immigrants from opposite sides of the world who form an unlikely and surprising partnership. This is a gripping tale of resilience, redemption, and survival.”
—Tiffany Quay Tyson, author of The Past is Never
—Tiffany Quay Tyson, author of The Past is Never
“CANDLELIGHT BRIDGE poignantly portrays the journeys of Candelaria Rivera and Yankee Wong, fleeing violence and revolutions and heading toward each other in a new world. Impeccably researched, this heartfelt story offers no stereotypes, no cliches—only interconnected stories of life’s struggles and resilience.”
—Eleanor Parker Sapia, multi-award-winning author of A Decent Woman, a Novel and Tight Knots, Loose Threads, Poetry
—Eleanor Parker Sapia, multi-award-winning author of A Decent Woman, a Novel and Tight Knots, Loose Threads, Poetry
“In CANDLELIGHT BRIDGE, Cara Lopez Lee masterfully weaves together two compelling perspectives to explore geographical and emotional borderlands. Elegantly told, dazzling in its verisimilitude, and fascinating in its cultural complexity, this gorgeous novel shows just how far we are willing to go in our quest for home.”
—Erika Krouse, author of Tell Me Everything: The Story of a Private Investigation
—Erika Krouse, author of Tell Me Everything: The Story of a Private Investigation
“’As American a story as there is: two immigrants from different cultures escaping dangers and demons in their own lands, coming to the US to create better lives in a country that barely tolerates them. Highly recommended!”
—Lisa Brackmann, NYT best-selling author of Rock Paper Tiger and Black Swan Rising
—Lisa Brackmann, NYT best-selling author of Rock Paper Tiger and Black Swan Rising
“If Maxine Hong Kingston and Luis Alberto Urrea were to come together to write a masterpiece, I imagine it would read much like Cara Lopez Lee’s brilliant novel, CANDLELIGHT BRIDGE. Set amid the Mexican Revolution and the ramifications of the Chinese Exclusion Act in the U.S., her characters form an unlikely union in El Paso, Texas. At once heartrending and deeply human, this is a story you won’t forget.”
—Susan Blumberg-Kason, author of Bernardine’s Shanghai Saloon and Good Chinese Wife
—Susan Blumberg-Kason, author of Bernardine’s Shanghai Saloon and Good Chinese Wife
“From the very first sentence, readers are pulled into an epic, beautifully written, rich, and vivid story that leaves us breathless, hopeful, and excited for the sequel.”
—J.D. Mason, national bestselling author of The Real Mrs. Price and One Day I Saw A Black King
—J.D. Mason, national bestselling author of The Real Mrs. Price and One Day I Saw A Black King
“Set against the turbulent backdrop of the Mexican Revolution, the Riveras—an impoverished family escaping the long reach of war—head for what they hope is a better life in America. The story follows the oldest daughter, Candelaria, in an unexpected and sweeping saga that stretches from Mexico to China and into America… CANDLELIGHT BRIDGE delivers a profoundly moving story of one strong and determined woman.”
—Randi Samuelson-Brown, author of Market Street Madam and On The Fringes
—Randi Samuelson-Brown, author of Market Street Madam and On The Fringes
