Sno-Isle Reads Together is an annual program that encourages all adults in Snohomish and Island Counties to read the same book, inviting exploration of new ideas and providing opportunities to experience the joy of discovery.
2025 Sno-Isle Reads Together
Accordion Eulogies by Noé Álvarez
Searching, propulsive, and deeply spiritual, Accordion Eulogies is an odyssey to repair a severed family lineage, told through the surprising history of a musical instrument.
Growing up in Yakima, Washington, Noé Álvarez never knew his grandfather. Stories swirled around this mythologized, larger-than-life figure: that he had abandoned his family, and had possibly done something awful that put a curse on his descendants. About his grandfather, young Noé was sure of only one thing: that he had played the accordion. Now an adult, reckoning with the legacy of silence surrounding his family’s migration from Mexico, Álvarez resolves both to take up the instrument and to journey into Mexico to discover the grandfather he never knew.
Álvarez travels across the US with his accordion, meeting makers and players in cities that range from San Antonio to Boston. He uncovers the story of an instrument central to classic American genres that also played a critical role in indigenous Mexican history. Like the accordion itself, Álvarez feels trapped between his roots in Mexico and the U.S. As he tries to make sense of his place in the world—as a father, a son, a musician—he gets closer to uncovering the mystery of his origins.
About the Author
Noé Álvarez hails from a family of working-class Mexican immigrants. His debut memoir, Spirit Run: A 6,000-Mile Marathon Through North America's Stolen Land, chronicles his upbringing in Yakima, Washington, and his experience in the Peace and Dignity Journeys, a spiritual marathon that unites Indigenous runners across North America. The book was named an Editors’ Choice by the New York Times Book Review and was called a “literary tour de force” by Publishers Weekly.
Álvarez holds a degree in philosophy from Whitman College and a degree in creative writing from Emerson College. Accordion Eulogies is his second book.
Community Events
We’ve planned many fun and educational events to help you enjoy the book—or just have a great time even if you haven’t read it yet. Join us in person or online!
February Instant Access: 'Accordion Eulogies' by Noé Álvarez
Book Discussion Questions
Ready to talk about Accordion Eulogies? Here are some questions to get you started.
1. What does the accordion symbolize in the memoir, both culturally and personally, for Álvarez?
2. How does Álvarez’s exploration of his family’s migration from Mexico to Washington shape his understanding of his own identity?
3. How does Álvarez’s journey to learn how to play the accordion parallel his journey to understand his place in the world as a father, son and musician?
4. If the accordion were a character in the memoir, how would you describe its personality and influence on Álvarez’s life?
5. When Álvarez arrives in Mexico, he describes it as “a drop shock” and wonders how his life would have been different had he been born there. How does the memoir explore the tensions between embracing the culture of the United States and honoring the traditions of ancestors?
6. How does Álvarez reconcile the different narratives of his family's past as he pieces together their history?
7. What role does music play in Álvarez’s life as well as in the lives of marginalized communities?
8. When visiting his aunt upon returning from Mexico, she tells Noé, “Your grandfather is not who you think he is.” Everyone in the Álvarez family has their own stories about Noé’s grandfather. How does the memoir address the trauma of the past and the silence around it within the Álvarez family lineage?
9. A eulogy is a piece of writing that praises a person who has passed away. Consider the title of the memoir. Who or what is being “eulogized” in the story? Do you have a suggestion for an alternate title?
10. Álvarez uses music to connect with his past and better understand his family history. What connects you to your past and family history?
11. The book has three parts labeled Verse, Chorus and Bridge. In what ways does the structure and flow of Accordion Eulogies fit the style of a corrido?
12. Why do you think Álvarez describes Yakima as the “Palm Springs of Sadness” (page 73)?
13. Before reading Accordion Eulogies, were you familiar with corrido, zydeco and other genres of accordion music? Does the book inspire you to explore listening to or playing accordion music?
14. What music do you associate with your grandparents?
Learn More
Enjoyed reading Accordion Eulogies and want to learn more about music, migration and Mexico? Check out these books, playlists and resources recommended by library staff.
Listen to the Music
Enjoy the musical genres explored in Accordion Eulogies with this curated playlist of songs and artists referenced in the book.
Further Reading
Accordion Love
If You Liked "Accordion Eulogies"
Music Memoirs
Folk Music From Around the World
Accordion Love
If You Liked "Accordion Eulogies"
Music Memoirs
Folk Music From Around the World
Connect With the Latine Community
These organizations and resources support the Latine and immigrant communities in Washington:
- Sea Mar Community Health Centers, opens a new window: Provides comprehensive health, human, housing, educational, and cultural services to diverse communities, specializing in service to Latinos
- Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (NWIRP):, opens a new window NWIRP promotes justice by defending and advancing the rights of immigrants through direct legal services, systemic advocacy, and community education.
- Consejo Counseling and Referral Service, opens a new window: Provides behavioral health services to the Latino community in Washington State.
- Familias Unidas: Latino Resource Center:, opens a new window The first Latino Resource Center in Snohomish County. Provides bilingual services with a focus on the Hispanic Community in the area.
- Latino Educational Training Institute, opens a new window: Facilitates the personal and financial success of Spanish-speaking Latino immigrants and low-income individuals to pursue their dreams and become leaders in their communities.
Library Resources & Services
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