As a kid, Rob was his uncle Pablo’s favorite, and the whole family knew it. Pablo’s only flaw was his wife, Mara, whom everyone called idiosyncratic—or plain crazy—and their son, Pablito, who took after her. But they all loved Pablo, so they put up with his wife and son and lived by the Golden Family Rule: no serious quarrels, no harboring of resentments, no anger, no grudges.
Many years later, Pablito brings an accusation against Rob that punctures the harmony. If they ignore it, will it simply go away? Does anyone even believe Pablito? Gossip and whispers swirl, unleashing doubts, paranoia and betrayal, while Rob embarks on a desperate quest to clear his name.
They Hold Grudges is a riveting exploration of the lines we draw between loyalty and truth. With layered, taut prose, it examines what we’re willing to sacrifice to keep the peace, and what remains if the truth is buried.
Praise for They Hold Grudges:
“Sharp and keenly observed, They Hold Grudges is a page-turner, voice-driven gem. Diana Rojas writes with fearless honesty, prodding us to question and examine the power those closest to us hold over our lives. Rojas captures the beautiful and the ugly in our midst with propulsiveness, humor, and intensity. Layered and intelligent, this novel is worth your time.”–Annell López, PEN/Robert Bingham Award Finalist and author of I’ll Give You a Reason
“A riveting multi-generational story of a family’s descent into lies and deceit. A troubled cousin and his mother upend a close-knit Latino family based in Providence, Rhode Island, in this vivid and masterfully told story of how gossip and innuendo make all question what the truth is. While the possibility of forgiveness is there, it’s the obsession with revenge that makes this novel a thrilling read.”—Caroline Bock, author of The Other Beautiful People
“They Hold Grudges is a book about the ways we are betrayed, and the ways we betray ourselves. Rojas is a spellbinding storyteller who is at her best in this story of deceit, murder and the weight and complexity of familial obligations. This book is immersive, intimate and will keep you rapt until the final page.”
—Andrew Bertaina, author of The Body Is a Temporary Gathering Place
“Diana Rojas creates an unsettling world where chisme is a double-edged sword and family is both a comfort and a strain. Bolstered by the philosophical musings of Søren Kierkegaard, Rojas weaves tense family drama with humor and humanity. They Hold Grudges will keep you guessing, engaging and meditating on its twists and turns.”—Estella Gonzales, author of Huizache Women
“What happens when fact and faith and family don’t align? In They Hold Grudges, Diana Rojas has crafted a taut family drama where truth and loyalty come undone in the wake of a possibly prescient dream. This is an insightful look at the slippery slope of self and how one’s very identity can be sent sliding by causes both within and without. Overall, it’s a wonderful and thought-provoking novel!”–Zach Powers, author of The Migraine Diaries
“With unerring prose, Diana Rojas traces the way family dramas can seem dreamlike but leave real wounds. A tremendous novel that defied my expectations at every twist.”—Samuel Ashworth, author of The Death and Life of August Sweeney
“We all know that chisme has the power to bind us together and pull us apart, but in the hands of Diana Rojas, it has been transformed into a force of nature. They Hold Grudges is a page-turning interrogation of family dreams and secrets and the simmering, transformative power of all that goes said and unsaid. A book that will keep you guessing until the very end!”—Francisco Cantú, New York Times-bestselling author of The Line Becomes a River
DIANA ROJAS is the author of Litany of Saints: A Triptych (Arte Público Press, 2024) and the forthcoming bilingual children’s book, Clara’s Big Green Coat (Piñata Books, 2027). Her essays have appeared in Grit & Gravity, The Washington Independent Review of Books, Barrelhouse Magazine and the WWPH anthology America’s Future. She serves on the Board of Directors of the PEN/Faulkner Foundation and lives in Washington, DC.
