The struggle between family sacrifice and personal success. José Antonio Delgadillo examines his life and his faith in this revolutionary fictional memoir. Delgadillo creates an alternative self, Pablo Colmena, who experiences financial success at a heavy cost. Through Pablo's writings, Delgadillo explores themes of identity and devotion while also chronicling and celebrating the city of his birth - Los Angeles.
Pablo is the son of an immigrant Catholic family. His relationship with his father has always been troubled, culminating in an incident in which his investments cost his father his job. Pablo keeps his involvement a secret and carries around shame and guilt that further distance him from his father.
At the same time, Pablo questions his devotion to the Catholic church. His uncertainties about religion only serve to drive a wedge between him and the rest of the family. Pablo strives to leave his impoverished childhood behind him, but his experiences will make him realize just how much his parents gave up to offer him a better life.
Delgadillo's work shows the enduring power of family and argues that money and success don't necessarily buy happiness and contentment.
About the Author: José Antonio Delgadillo was born in Willowbrook in south Los Angeles, California, and spent his childhood in Compton, California.
Delgadillo's parents emigrated from Mexico to give their children a better life, and Delgadillo pursued this opportunity with a college education. After receiving bachelor's degrees in economics and political science from the University of Southern California, he received his master's degree in business administration from the UCLA Anderson School of Management.
His career in finance took him to downtown Los Angeles, where he would reflect on the drastic differences in the neighborhoods he saw as he commuted. Delgadillo now works in talent acquisition. He lives in southeast Los Angeles with his wife and two children.
