Faith and Fat Chances: A Novel

by Carla Trujillo

Finalist, 2012 PEN/Bellwether Prize for Socially Engaged Fiction Carla Trujillo brings to life another side of the fabled city of Santa Fe in this rollicking novel set in Dogtown, a dilapidated neighborhood on the outskirts of town. Home to a hardscrabble community of working people struggling to make a living on meager means, Dogtown is worlds apart from the tourists, artists, and upscale eateries just a stone’s throw away. The close-knit neighborhood thrives in its own way, until an entrepreneur arrives with a plan to cast out its occupants and construct a winery in its place.

Led by Dogtown’s unofficial mayor, Pepa Romero—an irreverent healer with old-world wisdom and new-age knowledge—the citizens of Dogtown revolt. Using everything at their disposal, including spying, supernatural powers, the law, and individual cunning, they set in motion a thrilling and at times hilarious chain of events that culminates in a storm of epic proportions. With an unforgettable cast of characters, Faith and Fat Chances illuminates the ingenuity and resilience of people fighting to preserve their way of life.

Genres: Magical Realism, Humor

296 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 30, 2015

Reviews

[Phyncke · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful book about gentrification and an ill-fated development project in the Dogtown neighborhood of Santa Fe. Vibrant characters and richly drawn plot make this a lively read- a real pleasure. The kind of book I hate to finish because I love being in it so much. A real gem of a story. Love this book. Diverse in all the right ways!

[Nikki Morse · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. Interesting story, but WAY overdrawn and pedantic. There were some interesting characters, but also inconsistent and 2 dimensional. The writing was not strong in general.

[Lida · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had some colorful characters placed in what could be an interesting neighborhood. I found the main conflict to be explored inadequately. I never knew the main motive of the antagonist, aside from greed, which is a pretty thin justification when working on a project that will lead to the eviction of a whole neighborhood, including his sister. There was a shadow story line that drew an obvious parallel, but was never fully connected nor written in a way to support the main story line. Also, the ending was hurried and, I felt, incomplete. I enjoyed reading this book and despite a little too much Spanish included for my easy comprehension (I feel there was another layer or specific connotations that I was missing), it was engaging.

[Lucy Bledsoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful cast of characters and energetic story-telling. Each of Trujillo's characters shine with their unique stories. Best of all, the community of characters are working together toward something bigger than themselves. I love novels that move beyond angst and dysfunction, and this one certainly does. A bright light in the novels of 2015!

[Ola Hol · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing. Has its moments due to humor, but in general an anti-gentrification manifesto rather than a piece of good literature. Important issue, however, sometimes lengthy predictable dialogues.

[Stefani · Rating 3 out of 5]

The subject of this book is so intriguing and important -- a community, at risk of getting pushed out for new development. And I loved a lot of the main female characters.

[Bridget]

She nails code-switching dialogue. I also love the hard truth of politics mixed with the magic of the curandera.