"Reyes had an atypical Latino immigrant experience that provides ample material for this entertaining and stirring memoir. He bares his soul—readers may occasionally feel they are Reyes's psychiatrist—as he tells his story of growing up in Chile, fatherless but with his father's name, and of his journey to Los Angeles, all the while coping with sexuality and body issues. But more than his own coming-of-age, this is the story of his mother, Maria, and her struggles, at times unconventionally approached, to provide a better life for her son. Reyes's recountings of his mother's and her family's adventures are the glue that holds this story together while he writes of shaping his own identity and finding his voice as a writer."—Library Journal

“Reyes, an accomplished playwright and theater professor, bares his soul with searing candor in this graceful memoir about growing up as a Chilean immigrant in America. . . .The author's honesty about coming to terms with his fears is expressed with a compelling combination of poignant honesty and rueful wit, a tone that infuses this spirited life story.”—Richard Labonte, Book Marks

“Reyes introduces readers to Chilean culture and history, the power of anxiety disorder, and the feelings of marginalization that accompany status as an immigrant and a gay man. . . .Madre & I is more than a coming-of-age story; it is a testament to coming to terms with the myriad labels placed on Reyes and moving beyond them to define who he is as a singular individual.”—ForeWord