Welcome to the The Sons of El Rey book discussion guide. Whether you're an enthusiastic reader, or approaching this book with curiosity, we invite you to explore Alex Espinoza's novel with us!
What you'll find in this guide:
“This is a knockout.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
One of the Today Show’s Most Anticipated Books of 2024 • One of Time’s New Books to Read this Summer • One of the Los Angeles Times’s Books You Need to Read this Summer
“A masterful exploration of a family reckoning with its most sacred secrets. Mesmerizing and unflinching, Espinoza’s luchadores will wrestle their way deep into your heart.” —Patricia Engel, New York Times bestselling author
A timeless, epic novel about a family of luchadores contending with forbidden love and secrets in Mexico City, Los Angeles, and beyond.
Ernesto Vega has lived many lives, from pig farmer to construction worker to famed luchador El Rey Coyote, yet he has always worn a mask. He was discovered by a local lucha libre trainer at a time when luchadores—Mexican wrestlers donning flamboyant masks and capes—were treated as daredevils or rock stars. Ernesto found fame, rapidly gaining name recognition across Mexico, but at great expense, nearly costing him his marriage to his wife Elena.
Years later, in East Los Angeles, his son, Freddy Vega, is struggling to save his father’s gym while Freddy’s own son, Julian, is searching for professional and romantic fulfillment as a Mexican American gay man refusing to be defined by stereotypes.
With alternating perspectives, Ernesto and Elena take you from the ranches of Michoacán to the makeshift colonias of Mexico City. Freddy describes life in the suburban streets of 1980s Los Angeles and the community their family built, as Julian descends deep into our present-day culture of hook-up apps, lucha burlesque shows, and the dark underbelly of West Hollywood. The Sons of El Rey is an intimate portrait of a family wading against time and legacy, yet always choosing the fight.
Alex Espinoza (he/him/his/they) is a queer writer with a disability. He was born in Tijuana, Mexico––on Kumeyaay original lands–– to Purepécha parents from the state of Michoacán and raised in Southern California, on Gabrieliño-Tongva land. His debut novel, Still Water Saints, was published to wide critical acclaim. His second novel, The Five Acts of Diego León, was the winner of a 2014 American Book Award from the Before Columbus Foundation. Other awards include fellowships from the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference, the National Endowment for the Arts, and Macdowell. He is the author of the nonfiction book Cruising: An Intimate History of a Radical Pastime and has written essays, reviews, and stories for the New York Times Sunday Magazine, Virginia Quarterly Review, the Los Angeles Times, LitHub, and NPR. His short story “Detainment” was selected for inclusion in the 2022 Best American Mystery and Suspense Stories. Alex lives in Los Angeles on Gabrieliño-Tongva land with his husband Kyle and teaches at the University of California, Riverside––within Tongva, Cahuilla, Luiseño & Serrano original lands––where he serves as the Tomás Rivera Endowed Chair and Professor of Creative Writing. His newest novel, The Sons of El Rey, was published in June, 2024 from Simon and Schuster.
Photograph by Cat Gwynn
The book selected for this discussion, The Sons of El Rey, contains material that may be sensitive or distressing to some readers. Sexual content and themes of racism, economic hardship, homophobia, and violence are present in the narrative. We advise participants to be mindful of these topics and encourage a respectful and considerate dialogue during the discussion. If you find any part of the discussion uncomfortable, you are welcome to step away or express your concerns.