The Five Wounds (novel)

The Five Wounds is the debut novel by Kirstin Valdez Quade, published by W. W. Norton & Company on March 30, 2021.[1] It is an expansion of Quade's short story of the same name, which was first published in The New Yorker and later collected in her debut short story collection, Night at the Fiestas (2015).[2] The Five Holy Wounds suffered by Jesus Christ during the crucifixion is used as a metaphor in the novel.[3]

The Five Wounds
First edition cover
AuthorKirstin Valdez Quade
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Set inLas Penas, New Mexico
PublisherW. W. Norton & Company
Publication date
March 30, 2021
Media typePrint (hardback), e-book, audiobook
Pages432
ISBN978-0-393-24283-6 (First edition hardback)
OCLC1156993141

Premise

Amadeo Padilla, a struggling alcoholic, lives with his pregnant daughter, Angel, and ailing mother, Yolanda, in Las Penas, New Mexico. He is selected to portray Jesus Christ in the town's annual play which reenacts the Passion of Jesus, and is organized by the Roman Catholic lay group Los Hermanos Penitentes.

Reception

In a starred review, Publishers Weekly wrote that the "well-developed characters convey palpable emotion" and concluded, "Quade's rendering of a singular community is pitch perfect."[3]

In The New York Times, Alexandra Chang wrote, "Quade has created a world bristling with compassion and humanity. The characters and the challenges they face are wholly realized and moving; their journeys span a wide spectrum of emotion and it is impossible not to root for all three."[4]

The novel was awarded the 2021 Center for Fiction First Novel Prize.[5] It was also shortlisted for the 2022 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction.[6] It was named one of the best books of the year by NPR[7] and Publishers Weekly.[8]

References
  1. "The Five Wounds: A Novel by Kirstin Valdez Quade". W. W. Norton & Company. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
  2. Welch, Michael (April 8, 2021). "The Possibility of Change and Movement in "The Five Wounds"". Chicago Review of Books. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
  3. "Fiction Book Review: The Five Wounds by Kirstin Valdez Quade. Norton, $26.95 (428p) ISBN 978-0-3932-4283-6". Publishers Weekly. December 17, 2020. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
  4. Chang, Alexandra (May 4, 2021). "From Spain to Sydney to Small-Town New Mexico, 3 Debuts Anchored by a Strong Sense of Place". The New York Times. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
  5. "Kirstin Valdez Quade Wins The Center for Fiction 2021 First Novel Prize for The Five Wounds". Center for Fiction. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  6. "2022 Winners". American Library Association. 17 October 2021. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
  7. "Best Books 2021: Books We Love". NPR. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
  8. "Best Books 2021: Publishers Weekly". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
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