The Brick People is an historical novel that traces the growth of California from the nineteenth to the twentieth century by following the development of the Simons Brick Factory. The bricks that laid the foundation of modern California were manufactured by the people that ventured from Central Mexico to stoke the furnaces of industry. With an attention to historical reality blended with myth and legend, Morales recounts the epic struggle of a people who forge their destiny, along with California’s. In this fictional story rooted in factual history, two families are pitted against each other: the powerful Simons and the proud Revueltas clan. The Brick People provides an authentic portrayal of the history of California and those who built it.
“Morales eloquently fuses the fantastic and factual as he traces the growth of early California from 1892 to the late 1940s.”—-Publishers Weekly
The Brick People “will engross almost anyone with a curiosity about northern Mexico, southern California and their history.” -The Nation
“This book is worth reading… it fills a gap in the history of the Chicano worker. Recommended for public and academic libraries.” -Choice
ALEJANDRO MORALES is the author of several novels published in the United States and Mexico, including Little Nation and Other Stories (Arte Público Press, 2014), River of Angels (Arte Público Press, 2014), Hombres de ladrillo (Arte Público Press, 2010), The Brick People (Arte Público Press, 1992),The Rag Doll Plagues (Arte Público Press, 1992) and River of Angels (Arte Público Press, 2014). The Captain of All These Men of Death (2006) was published by Bilingual Review Press. Morales was born in Montebello, California. He received an AA degree from East Los Angeles College, a BA degree from California State University, Los Angeles, and an MA and doctoral degree in Spanish from Rutgers University. He is now a professor in the Chicano/Latino Studies Program in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese at the University of California, Irvine. He lives in Santa Ana, California, with his family.
Learn more by visiting his faculty page.
