---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When 'The Hummingbird's Daughter' came…"
description: "\"When 'The Hummingbird's Daughter' came out, there was a certain backlash - 'Well, this isn't 'The Devil's Highway.'' That's just the way it goes.\" — Lu..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/584/luis-alberto-urrea-7854_backlash_when-the-hummingbird-s-daughter-came-out_2689072.jpg"
---

#  When 'The Hummingbird's Daughter' came out, there was a…

![“When 'The Hummingbird's Daughter' came out, there was a certain backlash - 'Well, this isn't 'The Devil's Highway.'' That's just the way it goes.” quote by Luis Alberto Urrea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/584/luis-alberto-urrea-7854_backlash_when-the-hummingbird-s-daughter-came-out_2689072.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/584/luis-alberto-urrea-7854_backlash_when-the-hummingbird-s-daughter-came-out_2689072.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/584/luis-alberto-urrea-7854_backlash_when-the-hummingbird-s-daughter-came-out_2689072.jpg)

> “When 'The Hummingbird's Daughter' came out, there was a certain backlash - 'Well, this isn't 'The Devil's Highway.'' That's just the way it goes.”

[Luis Alberto Urrea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-alberto-urrea/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Notes criticism comparing a work to another, illustrating how expectations shape reception.

**In simple terms:** Backlash compares it to another book.

Key Takeaway

Understand context, avoid unfair comparisons.

Themes

literature criticism expectations comparisons

Mood

critical analytical

Type

literary social

When to use this quote

- book reviews
- reader expectations
- literary discourse

Key Concepts

cultural perception authorial intent

Questions to Reflect On

- Why do readers compare new works?
- How does criticism affect authors?

A Different Perspective

Comparisons can stifle originality.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Daughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/daughter/) [Devil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devil/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Hummingbird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hummingbird/)

## Related quotes

> ['The Hummingbird's Daughter' took 20 years to write.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-alberto-urrea/the-hummingbird-s-daughter-took-20-years-to-write/)

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> [Even of if a certain backlash is unavoidable, we must make the most of the momentous chance with which history has presented us so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moshe-sharett/even-of-if-a-certain-backlash-is-unavoidable-we-must-make-the-most-of/)

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> [The tone of 'Into the Beautiful North' is really the way I write. 'Hummingbird's Daughter' was the anomaly. It was a once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-alberto-urrea/the-tone-of-into-the-beautiful-north-is-really-the-way-i-write/)

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> [It became really important to me if I was going to write 'Hummingbird's Daughter' to try to do honor to women.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-alberto-urrea/it-became-really-important-to-me-if-i-was-going-to-write-hummingbird/)

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> [“A hummingbird cake, she decided as she turned on the kitchen light. It was made with bananas and pineapples and pecans and had a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-addison-allen/a-hummingbird-cake-she-decided-as-she-turned-on-the-kitchen-light-it/)

[Sarah Addison Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-addison-allen/)

> [“We don't kill for no reason. As he spoke, the hummingbird pulsed between his palms like a heartbeat, whirred into the air and flew.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madison-smartt-bell/we-don-t-kill-for-no-reason-as-he-spoke-the-hummingbird-pulsed/)

[Madison Smartt Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madison-smartt-bell/)

> [I'm more of a culture hummingbird.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jai-rodriguez/i-m-more-of-a-culture-hummingbird/)

[Jai Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jai-rodriguez/)

> [I had the metabolism of a hummingbird on crack.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilona-andrews/i-had-the-metabolism-of-a-hummingbird-on-crack/)

[Ilona Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilona-andrews/)

> [“I wanted to be a hummingbird. It made sense to long for rapid wings and the ability to hover always— to be Huitzilopochtli taming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ada-limon/i-wanted-to-be-a-hummingbird-it-made-sense-to-long-for-rapid-wings/)

[Ada Limon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ada-limon/)

> [“If love were an animal, what species would it be and could you train it? Love would be two animals: a hummingbird and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/if-love-were-an-animal-what-species-would-it-be-and-could-you-train/)

[Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/)

> [Across the downs a hummingbird Came dipping through the bowers, He pivoted on emptiness To scrutinize the flowers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathalia-crane/across-the-downs-a-hummingbird-came-dipping-through-the-bowers-he/)

[Nathalia Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathalia-crane/)

> [“You’re flightier than a hummingbird on crack.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-harper/you-re-flightier-than-a-hummingbird-on-crack/)

[Lou Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-harper/)

> [“The daily hummingbird assaults existence with improbability.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/the-daily-hummingbird-assaults-existence-with-improbability/)

[Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/)

> [“from the poem Hum, Hum The resurrection of the morning. The mystery of the night. The hummingbird's wings. The excitement of thunder. The rainbow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-oliver/from-the-poem-hum-hum-the-resurrection-of-the-morning-the-mystery-of/)

[Mary Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-oliver/)

> [I'd like to be like a hummingbird. You see them every now and then. You don't see them everywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shailene-woodley/i-d-like-to-be-like-a-hummingbird-you-see-them-every-now-and-then-you/)

[Shailene Woodley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shailene-woodley/)

## More by Luis Alberto Urrea

> [I'm interested in the eternal soul. That's what I write about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-alberto-urrea/i-m-interested-in-the-eternal-soul-that-s-what-i-write-about/)

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> [“Aztlán (“The Place of the Reeds”) was the traditional home of the Aztecs, a possibly mythical motherland from which the tribe ventured forth on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-alberto-urrea/aztl-n-the-place-of-the-reeds-was-the-traditional-home-of-the-aztecs/)

[Luis Alberto Urrea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-alberto-urrea/)

> [With a name like Luis Alberto Urrea, it's political no matter what I do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-alberto-urrea/with-a-name-like-luis-alberto-urrea-it-s-political-no-matter-what-i-do/)

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> [During grade school, we moved to a white, working-class suburb in San Diego, and there were no Mexicans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-alberto-urrea/during-grade-school-we-moved-to-a-white-working-class-suburb-in-san/)

[Luis Alberto Urrea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-alberto-urrea/)

> [I've been told not to tour down in Mexico. I am too well-known now. The kidnappers may think that my publisher will pay a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-alberto-urrea/i-ve-been-told-not-to-tour-down-in-mexico-i-am-too-well-known-now-the/)

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> [“Braulio rises and extends his hands, making peace. " No hay pedo ," he says, the absurd lower-class slang for "There's no trouble here,"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-alberto-urrea/braulio-rises-and-extends-his-hands-making-peace-no-hay-pedo-he-says/)

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[Explore all 86 Luis Alberto Urrea quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-alberto-urrea/)

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[Magic Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magic-johnson/)

> [Yes, I do realize that men in sports media also face criticism and backlash, but the vitriol that is directed at women, especially women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jemele-hill/yes-i-do-realize-that-men-in-sports-media-also-face-criticism-and/)

[Jemele Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jemele-hill/)

> [You can be the outcast or be the backlash of somebody's lack of love. Or you can start speaking up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-bareilles/you-can-be-the-outcast-or-be-the-backlash-of-somebody-s-lack-of-love/)

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> [I get so much backlash in Hollywood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-nash/i-get-so-much-backlash-in-hollywood/)

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