Book Review: A Haunting in Hialeah Gardens by Raul Palma

Rating: 3.5⭐

After the demise of his wife Meli, Hugo Contreras finds himself drowning in debt from her medical expenses. Hugo works at the Miami Botanica & Spa and though he doesn’t quite believe in the practice, has perfected the art of putting on an elaborate act of a Babaláwo ( priest of Ifá), decked in his tunic, his ceremonial orisha hat and his beaded amulets, learning much of what he knows from his employer Lourdes who is well-versed in spiritual practices and respected for her knowledge. When Alexi Ramirez, the debt collector who is pursuing Hugo’s case, offers to clear Hugo’s debt if he can cleanse his house of the spirit who is haunting his home, Hugo takes him up on his offer. Unbeknownst to him the spirit haunting Alexi and his family has a deep connection to Hugo and his past in Bolivia and it will take more than Hugo’s signature trickery to keep everyone safe and he will be compelled to embark on a very personal journey, take stock of his life and confront the traumatic memories that have haunted him throughout his life.

I found the premise of A Haunting in Hialeah Gardens by Raul Palma to be remarkably interesting. The novel is well-written., tight-knit and well-paced and I liked how Hugo’s backstory was incorporated into the narrative. The author touches upon several important themes including colonialism, migration, discrimination, family trauma and how debt- both monetary and emotional - can wreak havoc on a person’s life. The author injects a healthy dose of humor to balance the depressing and traumatic events described in the novel. Hugo is an interesting protagonist and though I did not quite like him as a person, I did sympathize with his plight. Though I enjoyed the descriptions of the spiritual and supernatural aspects mentioned in the narrative I feel that the author could have incorporated more information on the traditions and rituals referenced in the story. I was also more than a tad disappointed with the ending, which left me with several questions, which is why I could not give this novel a higher rating.

I did feel that footnotes and/or an index for the Spanish words/phrases used in the novel would have made the reading experience smoother for those not fluent in the language.

Many thanks to Penguin Group Dutton and NetGalley for the digital review copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.