LIZARDS HOLD THE SUN by Dani Trujillo
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
“Soil samples were stacked in the backseat. Once dry, they were an incredible shade of soft rust that was so similar to her desert. Calehan took her sample and matched it, so that the entirety of the artifacts would be nestled into a home reminiscent of the home they took breath in. People often forget that artifacts have spirits, too. They yearned to be home, the same as she did. Designing this museum with the tribe and keeping it on traditional lands would keep them at rest. The dirt-colored artifact platforms were an added touch.”
TITLE—Lizards Hold the Sun
AUTHOR—Dani Trujillo
PUBLISHED—2023
PUBLISHER—Sin Verguenzas
GENRE—contemporary romance
SETTING—Canada
MAIN THEMES/SUBJECTS—Apache-Mexican MC, archaeology, Indigenous heritage & culture, family, professional pressure & choices, museum design & curation, passionate romantic relationship bw the MCs (m/f), grief, death of a spouse, Xoloitzcuintli dog character, camping, close & supportive friendships, & sooo much food!
My thoughts:
PREMISE—★ ★ ★ ★ ★—the author explicitly says that she wrote this book “out of a deep seated desire to read light and fluffy romances with characters like” herself.
EXECUTION—★ ★ ★ ★ ★—beautifully done even if I did sob through the entire last ?15% of the book but it was more like a sympathetic “light & fluffy” kind of crying I guess…
WRITING STYLE—★ ★ ★ ★ ★—perfectly suited to the genre
CHARACTERS—★ ★ ★ ★ ★—I loved them *all*; this book featured a truly lovely cast of complex & relatable characters, with engaging dialogue & great friend & family dynamics.
STORY/PLOT—★ ★ ★—I liked the plot, my issue was with the pacing: all the conflict was in the last 10% of the book & then I felt like the ending was a bit rushed… I would have liked to have seen more from the two MCs in the end phase of their arc.
“Grabbing a warm tortilla, Xiomara loaded it with meat and veggies before slathering an entire spoonful of chiles on top. She finished it with a squirt of lime and a dusting of chopped cilantro and white onion before digging in. Spicy, sweet, fresh, crispy, everything at once. Perfecto.”
BONUS ELEMENT/S—Omg the foodddd! Things like: a mutton sandwich on a bannock bun, green chile chicken soup (spicy broth, green chunks of chiles, red corn, & shredded chicken. . . “The soup had arrived with fresh limes and cilantro with raw white onion”). . . .salsa with tomatillos & hatch green chiles, fresh roasted cumin, tamales, bowls of meat and peppers. . . “The chicken had gorgeous grill marks and was covered in red and orange spices.” . . .a bowl of grilled corn, peppers, & onions beside a terracotta tortilla warmer, cactus, agave, peppers. . . “We have plenty of cilantro. . .” ““It’s horchata. We make it from rice, cinnamon, and a Mexican sugar called piloncillo.” She handed him the frosty white drink and a straw. . .” “Do you like your marshmallows roasted or burnt?” Rosebud asked. Kate scoffed. “Just because it catches on fire doesn’t mean it’s burnt.” Xiomara’s marshmallow trio caught fire. “Blow it out!” she squeaked, gently bumping Xiomara’s shoulder. Xiomara laughed and shook her head no. She let it flame for a few more seconds before pulling it from the fire and blowing it out. She squished it between two extra large pieces of graham cracker, a slice of chocolate on top. . .” . . .a gamey deer stew with wild rice, turkey & huckleberry sandwiches, nopales, piloncillo, pemmican, “Dulce de calabaza. . .” I *literally* just sat there drooling the *entire* time. . . & now hopefully you are too. 😆
“. . .there was a nuance to Indigenous archaeology that was often lost on non-Natives. Xiomara found that people often forgot these sites, these artifacts, these remains, belonged to a people whose family still lives today. There was a level of respect and consideration she brought to all of her work that wasn’t even a thought amongst her non-Native peers. Xiomara swallowed as she remembered the callousness with which some archaeologists treated sites, as if they were not also a home.”
PHILOSOPHY—★ ★ ★ ★ ★—All the elements surrounding Indigenous-led & -centered archaeology was *chefs kiss.* I’ve literally been wanting to read a book from this perspective for like 15 years—ever since I dropped two different north american archaeology courses in college because they didn’t include any Indigenous perspectives in their syllabi. . . 🙃
I would recommend this book to readers who love thoughtful & spicy m/f allosexual romance novels with Indigenous themes, archaeology, wholesome family & found-family dynamics, & a beautiful northern setting. This book is best read while camping in the north woods.
Final note: Very excited to read her next book with the #IndigenousReadingCircle bookclub in December!
“Snooping?”
She shrugged, holding his eyeline. “I guess.”
“Find anything noteworthy?” Calehan rested his forehead on hers, rubbing their noses together.
“I’m not prepared to discuss my findings at this time.” Xiomara hooked her fingers in his belt loops. “I’m still gathering data.”
“I love it when you talk science to me,” Calehan groaned into her lips and kissed her.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
CW // grief—death of a loved one in a car accident
Spice level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️—although keep in mind that I’m not a big romance reader, so if you are, then this rating is not for you 🤣
Season: Summer / Fall
Music pairing: Redbone music
Further Reading—
WHEN STARS HAVE TEETH by Dani Trujillo—TBR (this is the one that the #IndigenousReadingCircle bookclub will be reading in December! can’t wait)
“Snakes are Born in the Dark,” by DH (Dani) Trujillo in NEVER WHISTLE AT NIGHT—this story was one of my favorites from this collection.
THE GRASS DANCER by Mona Susan Power
SOLAR STORMS by Linda Hogan
BRAIDING SWEETGRASS by Robin Wall Kimmerer
STONEFISH by Keri Hulme (out of print, sorryyy)
PALESTINIAN WALKS by Raja Shehadeh
EVEN IF WE’RE BROKEN by AM Weald
“In Quinhagak,” in SURFACING by Kathleen Jaime
RIVER KINGS by Cat Jarman
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