Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Thank you, Net Galley, Federico Erebia, and Levine Querido for the advanced copy. I recommend Pedro and Daniel to all looking for a power-packed look at the lives of two incredibly admirable men. It is also heart wrenching yet uplifting. This is basically a story of survival and hope.

Though both Pedro and Daniel are gay, there is no romance in this story. It was difficult to read about Pedro and Daniel’s tumultuous upbringing, yet I found it so inspirational how the brothers stuck together and protected each other and how they were able to use humor in the form of Mexican “dichos” (sayings) to cope. With strong, lyrical writing, the author addresses many topics, including colorism, childhood abuse, the seamy side of the Catholic church, homophobia, and the HIV pandemic. Erebia is writing about the unbreakable bond between himself and his brother, it did not surprise me that this debut novel is amazingly realistic. Federico Erebia and is closely based on his relationship with his real-life brother Daniel. This powerhouse of a book is written by Dr. Daniel is precocious, carefree, mischievous, religious, and unguarded.ĬW/TW: References to domestic violence, child abuse, homophobia, colorism, racism, clergy abuse, suicidality, sex, and death. They are different: Pedro is darker-skinned, oppressed, repressed, introverted, and agnostic. They are similar: gay, neurodivergent Latinos in love with all things Mexico. While Pedro suffers more at home, Daniel is particularly susceptible to the malevolence of the outside world. Their resilience and special bond help the boys face one evil after another. Together they endure an abusive home life, coming out, first loves, first jobs, and the AIDS pandemic, in a coming-of-age story unlike any other.ĭespite everything, there is much joy in the stories in the book. Pedro & Daniel is a sweeping and deeply personal novel that spans from childhood, through their teen years, and into adulthood. They are alike, but they are dissimilar in their struggles, their dreams, their approach to life. Their mother resents that Pedro is a spitting image of their darker-skinned father that Daniel likes dolls that neither boy plays sports. Pedro and Daniel are Mexican American brothers growing up in 1970s Ohio.

Pedro & Daniel by Federico Erebia