MIJO: We Bend, Not Break Paperback

Some inherit wealth. Others inherit silence. Three generations of men must decide which legacy to pass on.

From the sun-scorched fields of Michoacán to the crowded kitchens of California, Mijo, We Bend, Not Break traces the Martínez family’s struggle to survive, love, and redefine what strength really means. Joaquín grows up under a father whose distance teaches him that tenderness is weakness. Alejandro, his son, becomes a father himself-determined to be different, yet haunted by the weight of inherited silence. And Gabriel, the grandson, comes of age in a world where unspoken pain destroys families, daring to imagine a new way forward.

Spanning border crossings, economic upheaval, earthquakes, and a global pandemic, this sweeping novel captures both the private and public moments that shape generations. With searing honesty and lyrical grace, Francisco Castillo tells a story that is at once intimate and universal: the cost of silence, the power of vulnerability, and the courage it takes for men to finally say what they were never taught to speak.

Unforgettable, heart-wrenching, and ultimately hopeful, Mijo, We Bend, Not Break is a testament to resilience and the healing that becomes possible when families choose connection over silence.