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Arribada
WINNER OF THE INTERNATIONAL LATINO BOOK AWARD AND THE EDMUND WHITE LGBT BOOK AWARD
Finalist, Louise Meriwether First Book Prize
Mariana Sánchez Celis has traveled the world as a pianist trained at the Juilliard School of Music. But when her mother has a stroke and her beloved uncle suddenly disappears, Mariana must put her life on hold to return to her home in Ayotlan, Mexico.
She soon discovers her town is no longer the place she remembers. Ayotlan's beaches, sea turtle colonies, and historic center are decimated under decades of neglect and abuse. What part did her late father have in this? And could it be related to her uncle's disappearance?
When Fernanda Lucero, a member of the indigenous Concáac people, convinces Mariana to join her sea turtle and architectural conservation projects, the deepening love between Mariana and Fernanda threatens to put them both further in harm's way. This, together with the web of secrets Mariana unravels, stands to radically transform her and her family's fate.
Arribada is the story of a well-to-do woman pushed to confront her role in environmental and social injustice. It is the saga of a family faced with the realization that their comfortable position rests, beyond a strong work ethic, on crimes against what they hold dearest: the natural world, their town, and their loved ones.
"Themes of environmental justice, queer love, and Indigenous rights intersect in González's mystery.
Mariana and Luisa Sánchez Celis, grew up in a household with a mother disabled by a stroke, their uncle Alonso, and caretaker Amalia. The novel, set in 1990 and 1991, filters the events of the story through the colorism, racism, and patriarchy of their society as 22-year-old Mariana falls in love with Fernanda, an Indigenous Seri woman who's passionate about protecting the turtles of the Sinaloa coast from extinction. After leaving Mexico to attend Juilliard, Mariana returns to find that Alonso has gone missing, and anti-poaching laws are harming local fisherman while industrial development hurts the wildlife and beaches. She, Luisa, Fernanda, and othersstart a business to preserve the livelihoods of locals while speaking up against powerful family friends. As the mystery of Alonso's disappearance is resolved, a truth about Mariana is revealed. The second part of the novel focuses on Clavel Celis Coulson, Luisa and Mariana's mother, as a high-society 16-year-old forced to marry a man twice her age; Amalia's dark past also comes to light. The final part ties up a mystery while exploring themes of family conflict and queer relationships. González's characters feel simultaneously archetypal and individual. On one level, they represent changing attitudes of various segments of Mexican society from the 1970s to the 2000s—enthusiastic, money-hungry land developers; an Indigenous conservationist; and an uncomfortable elite clinging to traditionalism. Yet the first-person perspectives of Mariana and Clavel showcase the specific desires, hopes, and dreams of each person as they try to find their place in a complex and dynamic social setting. González shines at exploring the effects of racist discrimination against Indigenous Mexicans without ever reducing characters to mere pawns. Her prose style is simple yet poignant and emotive, particularly when describing human desire and natural beauty: "Nothing relaxed me more than Bach combined with the aromas of the ocean and the sight of beauty. If only music could bend life to its rules." González's closing notes provide the story's critical real-world origins.
A suspenseful but tender tale that exemplifies the power of intersectionality"-- Starred Kirkus Review
"Arribada is romantic, poetic, elegiac, and fascinating. Gonzalez has created a whole world of love and mystery. Word to word, event to event, this novel is beautiful. It begs to be savored."--SANDRA SCOFIELD, author of Swim: Stories of the Sixties, and The Last Draft.
"Arribada is a novel about how even the most painful truths can bring power and freedom."--EILEEN GONZALEZ, Foreword Reviews
In Arribada "North Americans who travel to Mexico to enjoy its beaches and nightlife may be unaware of the destructive histories and effects of the resorts they enjoy. This novel will open their eyes." --AMY HOFFMAN, author of The Off Season" and Lies About My Family
Finalist, Louise Meriwether First Book Prize
Mariana Sánchez Celis has traveled the world as a pianist trained at the Juilliard School of Music. But when her mother has a stroke and her beloved uncle suddenly disappears, Mariana must put her life on hold to return to her home in Ayotlan, Mexico.
She soon discovers her town is no longer the place she remembers. Ayotlan's beaches, sea turtle colonies, and historic center are decimated under decades of neglect and abuse. What part did her late father have in this? And could it be related to her uncle's disappearance?
When Fernanda Lucero, a member of the indigenous Concáac people, convinces Mariana to join her sea turtle and architectural conservation projects, the deepening love between Mariana and Fernanda threatens to put them both further in harm's way. This, together with the web of secrets Mariana unravels, stands to radically transform her and her family's fate.
Arribada is the story of a well-to-do woman pushed to confront her role in environmental and social injustice. It is the saga of a family faced with the realization that their comfortable position rests, beyond a strong work ethic, on crimes against what they hold dearest: the natural world, their town, and their loved ones.
"Themes of environmental justice, queer love, and Indigenous rights intersect in González's mystery.
Mariana and Luisa Sánchez Celis, grew up in a household with a mother disabled by a stroke, their uncle Alonso, and caretaker Amalia. The novel, set in 1990 and 1991, filters the events of the story through the colorism, racism, and patriarchy of their society as 22-year-old Mariana falls in love with Fernanda, an Indigenous Seri woman who's passionate about protecting the turtles of the Sinaloa coast from extinction. After leaving Mexico to attend Juilliard, Mariana returns to find that Alonso has gone missing, and anti-poaching laws are harming local fisherman while industrial development hurts the wildlife and beaches. She, Luisa, Fernanda, and othersstart a business to preserve the livelihoods of locals while speaking up against powerful family friends. As the mystery of Alonso's disappearance is resolved, a truth about Mariana is revealed. The second part of the novel focuses on Clavel Celis Coulson, Luisa and Mariana's mother, as a high-society 16-year-old forced to marry a man twice her age; Amalia's dark past also comes to light. The final part ties up a mystery while exploring themes of family conflict and queer relationships. González's characters feel simultaneously archetypal and individual. On one level, they represent changing attitudes of various segments of Mexican society from the 1970s to the 2000s—enthusiastic, money-hungry land developers; an Indigenous conservationist; and an uncomfortable elite clinging to traditionalism. Yet the first-person perspectives of Mariana and Clavel showcase the specific desires, hopes, and dreams of each person as they try to find their place in a complex and dynamic social setting. González shines at exploring the effects of racist discrimination against Indigenous Mexicans without ever reducing characters to mere pawns. Her prose style is simple yet poignant and emotive, particularly when describing human desire and natural beauty: "Nothing relaxed me more than Bach combined with the aromas of the ocean and the sight of beauty. If only music could bend life to its rules." González's closing notes provide the story's critical real-world origins.
A suspenseful but tender tale that exemplifies the power of intersectionality"-- Starred Kirkus Review
"Arribada is romantic, poetic, elegiac, and fascinating. Gonzalez has created a whole world of love and mystery. Word to word, event to event, this novel is beautiful. It begs to be savored."--SANDRA SCOFIELD, author of Swim: Stories of the Sixties, and The Last Draft.
"Arribada is a novel about how even the most painful truths can bring power and freedom."--EILEEN GONZALEZ, Foreword Reviews
In Arribada "North Americans who travel to Mexico to enjoy its beaches and nightlife may be unaware of the destructive histories and effects of the resorts they enjoy. This novel will open their eyes." --AMY HOFFMAN, author of The Off Season" and Lies About My Family
230 pages, Hardcover
First published May 10, 2022
4 people are currently reading
125 people want to read
About the author
Estela González
9 books9 followersBinational writer Estela González tells stories in English and Spanish about race, class, gender, and environmental justice. Growing up in Mexico, Estela regularly visited her family in Mazatlán, where decades-long intensive development led to the demise of beaches and sea turtle colonies. Her research and support of migrants on both sides of the border, and of fishermen protecting sea turtles in the Sea of Cortés deepen her reflections on environmental justice, race relations, and sexuality.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
March 20, 2024
Mariana is a classical pianist touring the world when she’s called back to her coastal hometown in Mexico due to two family tragedies. Her fierce mother has had a stroke and her beloved uncle is missing under suspicious circumstances.
A summary of this book is impossible to wrangle into words. The story is heavy with imagery. It’s not written in verse but it gives the same emotional kick and a dreamlike sensation which works for a story spanning generations as well as depicting the connection between humans and nature. Mariana rekindles her youthful crush on Fernanda, the brilliant Indigenous girl who is now the Ph.D. firebrand who leads a literal army to protect the turtles migrating to the beaches. Commercialism and corruption run rampant in the tourist town but people are fighting back.
Loss is a big theme in the book, both in the past and the present. The author unravels the mysteries of today by gradually revealing truths. Sometimes, the story feels too sad. But as I read on, the love of two sisters, Mariana and Luisa confirming their bond in the midst of heartbreak, Fernanda exulting in the joy of life itself, and everyone reaching out to grasp their part in the world make the book something special.
4.5 stars, only because the pov changes with each chapter and there is no heading to guide the reader. Took me a minute each time to figure out the new character’s voice. Otherwise, a pleasure to read.
A summary of this book is impossible to wrangle into words. The story is heavy with imagery. It’s not written in verse but it gives the same emotional kick and a dreamlike sensation which works for a story spanning generations as well as depicting the connection between humans and nature. Mariana rekindles her youthful crush on Fernanda, the brilliant Indigenous girl who is now the Ph.D. firebrand who leads a literal army to protect the turtles migrating to the beaches. Commercialism and corruption run rampant in the tourist town but people are fighting back.
Loss is a big theme in the book, both in the past and the present. The author unravels the mysteries of today by gradually revealing truths. Sometimes, the story feels too sad. But as I read on, the love of two sisters, Mariana and Luisa confirming their bond in the midst of heartbreak, Fernanda exulting in the joy of life itself, and everyone reaching out to grasp their part in the world make the book something special.
4.5 stars, only because the pov changes with each chapter and there is no heading to guide the reader. Took me a minute each time to figure out the new character’s voice. Otherwise, a pleasure to read.
November 29, 2025
⭐⭐⭐.5
This was an impulse grab in Libby. A story about a young woman returning home to Mexico to help her mom, who is sick, find her uncle, who is missing. This book tackles complicated aspects of family, youth, ecological irresponsibility by developing industry, and human cruelty to wild turtles.
Content Notes: extreme animal cruelty, gore, blood, viscera. If animal cruelty bothers you this book might turn your stomach.
I found an accessible digital copy of ARRIBADA by Estela Gonzáles in Libby.
This was an impulse grab in Libby. A story about a young woman returning home to Mexico to help her mom, who is sick, find her uncle, who is missing. This book tackles complicated aspects of family, youth, ecological irresponsibility by developing industry, and human cruelty to wild turtles.
Content Notes: extreme animal cruelty, gore, blood, viscera. If animal cruelty bothers you this book might turn your stomach.
I found an accessible digital copy of ARRIBADA by Estela Gonzáles in Libby.
May 1, 2022
A gorgeous examination into transformation, looking at the way we compel change in our environments both external and internal, and what it means to try to find your way home again to understand and perhaps to remedy the long tail of the choices of the past. This kaleidoscopic saga transports readers through space and time in lyrical and layered ways as we accompany Mariana's homecoming to a town that has replaced its history for disposable tourism dollars and all that comes with them. She's a fascinating character who doesn't shy from the truth in her family, her world, or within herself—and it's moving to see her relationship with Fernanda challenge and expand her awareness, resilience, and connection to her own past and her future agency.
The prose and dialogue in ARRIBADA sing, infused with a musicality that befits Mariana's life as a musician, and I found the cultural, artistic and environmental details entrancing. What a beautiful novel in every way even as the narrative wrestles with the dark effects of privilege, power, greed, comfort, neglect, selfishness, and short-sightedness.
The prose and dialogue in ARRIBADA sing, infused with a musicality that befits Mariana's life as a musician, and I found the cultural, artistic and environmental details entrancing. What a beautiful novel in every way even as the narrative wrestles with the dark effects of privilege, power, greed, comfort, neglect, selfishness, and short-sightedness.
May 27, 2022
In Arribada, a novel by Estela Gonzales, vivid descriptions, taut prose, and deeply developed characters weave through a story set in a Mexican village as it transforms from a cultural community to a dying tourist destination. The novel begins when a young girl returns to her home to face two family tragedies. Drama unfolds as she grapples with loss, family relationships, and gender orientation. Ultimately, she learns what is important, who and what are worth fighting for. At the heart of the novel are multiple issues including socio-economic entitlement, sexism, racism, and environmental destruction and redemption. Ms. Gonzalas artfully balances these multiple themes into one compelling story told from the perspectives of different members of one family. The result is a cohesive, suspenseful, unpredictable, and deeply satisfying story of forgiveness, acceptance, and activism.
May 2, 2022
Arribada is a beautifully written book. I feel completely in love with it. It really drew me in and took me somewhere else. The message behind it: of protecting the environment and the damage humans do it an important one, but it is not preachy.
Arribada leaves you thinking while also astounding you with its beauty. I feel the sun on my face and the sand on my feet. This is also a novel of returning home and confronting how we change. It makes us question our privilege and our place in the world.
Arribada leaves you thinking while also astounding you with its beauty. I feel the sun on my face and the sand on my feet. This is also a novel of returning home and confronting how we change. It makes us question our privilege and our place in the world.
June 5, 2022
Lyrical, heartbreaking, and insightful, reading Arribada was like watching a sad and wonderful movie. It is a bleak yet musical (appropriate because the main character is a musician) commentary on our times, on issues of social justice, and the havoc we wreak on the environment-- knowingly or without awareness.
It also speaks of strong women: the privileged, immensely talented, conflicted, Mariana, the passionate environmentalist Fernanda, and the powerful, yet deeply flawed, Clavel.
The relationship between Mariana and Fernanda is the one bright spot in a situation beset by tumultuous family relationships, external dangers, and internal tug-of-war.
The setting comes alive, with the sun and the sand, the nostalgia and the devastation, and a love of nature that is in direct opposition to the way it is exploited.
Resorts all over the world exact a terrible price on the environment, and González provides eye-opening observations into the toll inflicted on nature.
Privilege comes at a price. Once we're aware of the cost, we're forced to wonder whether it is one we can, or should afford.
Much like the protagonist Mariana, who must confront unpleasant truths about her own privilege, about her family, and ultimately, about human greed and myopia--Arribada leaves us readers wondering about our role in this world, and the ways in which we all affect this planet we call home.
It also speaks of strong women: the privileged, immensely talented, conflicted, Mariana, the passionate environmentalist Fernanda, and the powerful, yet deeply flawed, Clavel.
The relationship between Mariana and Fernanda is the one bright spot in a situation beset by tumultuous family relationships, external dangers, and internal tug-of-war.
The setting comes alive, with the sun and the sand, the nostalgia and the devastation, and a love of nature that is in direct opposition to the way it is exploited.
Resorts all over the world exact a terrible price on the environment, and González provides eye-opening observations into the toll inflicted on nature.
Privilege comes at a price. Once we're aware of the cost, we're forced to wonder whether it is one we can, or should afford.
Much like the protagonist Mariana, who must confront unpleasant truths about her own privilege, about her family, and ultimately, about human greed and myopia--Arribada leaves us readers wondering about our role in this world, and the ways in which we all affect this planet we call home.
May 2, 2022
I immensely enjoyed this book : A page turner as well as a very good portrait of Mexican (family) culture. Historical background as well as the many complex problems that are part of the comunity of many coastal towns in Mexico are clevery and thoughtfully woven in. Last but not least, Estela González writes in a lively, yet at times very poetic style that draws you into her writing.
August 2, 2022
"Tourism brought the goods. Other things, too."
"Arribada" is an intense, evocative melange of themes and stories: a coming of age, a rediscovery of youth, a lyrical elegy for the impact of economic growth on nature, a love story, a mystery.
Estela Gonzalez writes with an assured, mature style, blending threats from business interests, the beauty and legends of turtles and tender scenes of love and discovery into a fable for our times. How can we enjoy the wealth we crave without destroying the nature we love? How to balance the needs of indigenous peoples with the wants of economic elites and those they employ?
The novel subverts stereotypes - Fernanda, the indigenous woman, is also a PhD. Mexico City becomes the source not of violence or crime but environmental legislation and order. At times tough, at times tender, "Arribada" is consistently intriguing and surprising.
"Arribada" is an intense, evocative melange of themes and stories: a coming of age, a rediscovery of youth, a lyrical elegy for the impact of economic growth on nature, a love story, a mystery.
Estela Gonzalez writes with an assured, mature style, blending threats from business interests, the beauty and legends of turtles and tender scenes of love and discovery into a fable for our times. How can we enjoy the wealth we crave without destroying the nature we love? How to balance the needs of indigenous peoples with the wants of economic elites and those they employ?
The novel subverts stereotypes - Fernanda, the indigenous woman, is also a PhD. Mexico City becomes the source not of violence or crime but environmental legislation and order. At times tough, at times tender, "Arribada" is consistently intriguing and surprising.
June 20, 2022
Returning to our roots after obtaining wisdom and maturity, we often see through a different lens.
Told through the voice of Mariana, Estela Gonzalez’s book Arribada is a harrowing story of family, coming of age, and mystery, all set in the magnificent and ever-changing oceanside town of Ayotlan, Mexico. Immersed in solid culture and written at varying time points, a well-to-do family revered in the town of yesterday may not be today as we see the destruction and repercussions of their status with the mystery of an uncle who disappeared possibly because of it.
Love, grief, mystery, and change intersect as Mariana finds her way in it all and struggles to come to terms with the dark pathways of life and, ultimately oneself. Gonzalez’s poetic writing style is unique as she takes you on a journey relevant to today’s environmental concerns while examining the past and how we got here.
–A brilliant read by a masterful author. Thank you for the journey.
Told through the voice of Mariana, Estela Gonzalez’s book Arribada is a harrowing story of family, coming of age, and mystery, all set in the magnificent and ever-changing oceanside town of Ayotlan, Mexico. Immersed in solid culture and written at varying time points, a well-to-do family revered in the town of yesterday may not be today as we see the destruction and repercussions of their status with the mystery of an uncle who disappeared possibly because of it.
Love, grief, mystery, and change intersect as Mariana finds her way in it all and struggles to come to terms with the dark pathways of life and, ultimately oneself. Gonzalez’s poetic writing style is unique as she takes you on a journey relevant to today’s environmental concerns while examining the past and how we got here.
–A brilliant read by a masterful author. Thank you for the journey.
January 2, 2023
González takes on a number of pressing issues in this slim novel—the erosion of beach, ecosystems, and culture as Mexico is developed for tourism; indigenous culture and racism; social rank based on skin color; corruption and crime; discrimination against homosexual couples; rape, sexist norms, classism… the list is long.
I admire González’s ambition and desire to bring attention to all of these important issues. But because there are so many, and because there are as many characters narrating from various points of view, this reader found it hard to be emotionally invested in the plot or characters. I would have preferred a deep dive from Mariana’s perspective as she uncovers her family history and takes decisive action.
I admire González’s ambition and desire to bring attention to all of these important issues. But because there are so many, and because there are as many characters narrating from various points of view, this reader found it hard to be emotionally invested in the plot or characters. I would have preferred a deep dive from Mariana’s perspective as she uncovers her family history and takes decisive action.
December 11, 2022
¡Me encantó esta novela! Reconocí a mi ciudad en ella y me gustó la manera como entrelaza dramas familiares y descubrimientos personales con los cambios sociales que suceden en una comunidad. Me mantuvo intrigada hasta el final mientras fui descubriendo la vida y la historia de cada uno de los personajes. ¡Se las recomiendo!
I loved this novel! I recognized my hometown in it and enjoyed the way it intertwines family dramas with personal discoveries and the social changes that happen within a community. I was intrigued until the end, as I discovered the life and story of each of the characters. I definitely recommend it!
I loved this novel! I recognized my hometown in it and enjoyed the way it intertwines family dramas with personal discoveries and the social changes that happen within a community. I was intrigued until the end, as I discovered the life and story of each of the characters. I definitely recommend it!
June 11, 2024
Me encantó este libro!
July 22, 2024
This novel effortlessly flows between different characters, different viewpoints to weave the story of a changing community. At times violent (a bit pedantic) but beautiful writing.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews