Bindle Punk Bruja: A White-Passing Bruja Battles Prejudice and Mobsters in the Roaring Twenties

Bindle Punk Bruja was a thoroughly enjoyable read! In her debut novel, author Desi Mesa delivered a lush, enjoyable world where mobsters and bootleggers mingled with working class men and women in Prohibition-era Kansas City. The author’s deft handling of culture and identity brought the city’s underworld to life in an explosion of jazz, booze and bruja magic. Ripe with historical detail and notable characters, the author managed to bring race, class and gender to the forefront of her book in a deft way that forced the main character, Rose, into a life-or-death struggle to save her career, her family, and, most importantly, herself from those who were determined to bring her down. From encounters with famous gangsters like Al Capone to the Ku Klux Klan itself, the book kept me guessing through all its twists and turns. In a time period where both immigrants and women were considered second-class citizens, Rose seemed an unlikely heroine. The odds at times seemed improbable as she was forced to confront some of the most brutal challenges that life could throw her way. But in the end, her story serves to remind us all that if we cannot embrace who we truly are, we are doomed to failure. As a Latinx author, it was a joy to read a novel that centers the story of so many of our struggles in a way that is both insightful and empowering. I highly recommend this book to those who love historical fiction and fantasy. Five stars.

This was an impulse buy so I had no idea what I was getting into: a gangster and liquor-running Kansas City complete with flappers, Latinx immigrants embued with earth magic, gangsters of all levels, and the Ku Klux Klan. Rosa (or Luna) has passed as white her entire life despite inheriting earth magic from her grandmother, and is both a columnist for the newspaper and the owner of a bootlegger club in a seedy part of town. She has to hide her sibling relationship to her bartender brother because he's too brown, she has to be careful with who she kisses (earth magic issues) and she's fighting off local gangsters who want a cut of her club. Then her house band hires a new piano player, Gio, just as her rich white friend Heck Kessler engages her to act as his fiancee to fool his family's trustees into believing he's given up his gay lifestyle. Lots of things going on, but things get worse, and more gangsters get involved when Gio's connections to high quality hooch mean Rose has a chance at a better, bigger, richer club. The frustration for me with this book is that the set up is soooooooo interesting. I loved the descriptions of shows at Rose's clubs, loved the disparity of the boxcar where Rose's family lived so full of magic, food, and love, intriqued by Heck and the way he had to live, intriqued by Gio and how Rose could reconcile her feelings for him in the context of the social expectations of the time and her desire to be her own boss, and the inner conflict Rose…

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 / 3.5 stars This was a solid debut novel. I picked this title based off the blurb, the cover, and the author's Mexican heritage. After reading the description, I felt this was going to be right up my alley. The roaring 20s with flapper dresses, mobsters, and speakeasies mixed with a little Mexican Bruja magic; what's not to love? The author did a great job of fleshing out her main characters though there were so many side characters that at times it was hard to keep them straight as they tended to be very similar. The pace in the beginning was okay, getting the characters and their backgrounds established. Towards the middle it seemed to slow way down and I could feel myself losing interest, but just as I felt I wasn't going to be able to re-engage it picked back up and I was invested once again. The narration for the audiobook is very well done and lent to that aire of the 20s vibe.

Bindle Punk Bruja has a lot going on for it. The author puts out crisscrossing arcs, a full cast of characters, and lots of danger, intrigue, and sexiness throughout. You’ll be brought back to the times of prohibition for a tale of magic, action, and love—most of which was unconventional for the time. One of my favorite things about this book aside from Rose, our main character and titular Bruja, is how queer relationships are shown during this time period. Mesa holds nothing back as her characters face bigotry and misogyny around every corner, but the love that refuses to be snubbed out under a boot heel shines thorough regardless of the time. Without anything too spoilery, BPB is full of everything that makes stories like these great. I was sucked in from the start, and the story refueled to let me go. I’ve recommended this book to a lot of people already, but if you’re thinking of getting yourself a copy, do it! It does not disappoint.

I'm typically not a fantasy reader because I find that these types of books are often bogged down by overwrought world building that leaves the characters to get lost in the mix. That was not the case with Bindle Punk Bruja. Sure, there is magic and lore but it never once feels overwhelming. The author made the wise move of making me fall in love with the characters and the time period while sprinkling in the magical elements. I really enjoyed the book and the main character's journey. My fingers are crossed that a sequel happens sooner than later.