Angie Cruz

At the age of 15, Ana is the hope of her family in the Dominican Republic. El Jefe has just died, and her Papa sells land to the Ruiz brothers - and as part of the deal, Juan Ruiz and Ana marry and go to New York. Mama is determined she will send them money and eventually the family will migrate as well. But Ana finds herself alone in a strange place where she doesn't know the language and her husband, in love with someone else, suddenly doesn't seem all that interested in helping her family.

Author Angie Cruz tells a story inspired by her own mother and others who had similar experiences moving from the Dominican Republic to Washington Heights. Ana is a strong character and really grows into her own as she becomes pregnant and carves out a life for herself. Her experiences and that of her family are sometimes hard to read about it, but it's realistic and still allows glimpses of hope.… (mere)

I picked this book up after being in a reading slump, and remembering how much I loved Angie Cruz’s, Dominicana. Now that I have finished this book I have so many mixed feelings.

First off, Angie Cruz is the first author I have read to not use quotations, and in this particular story I found it hard to follow what was dialogue vs thoughts with all the characters.

Secondly, I felt like there was so much going on that a lot of the turning points in the plot were rushed and ended with so many unanswered questions.

Lastly, I wish there was more character development. I thought there was hope for Esperanza, one of the main characters, but even to the very last chapter she hasn’t learned to appreciate her homeland and can only think about making it all go away.

However, as in Dominicana, the representation is one of my favorite things. I have read several Latinx novels and they always seem to come off very stereo typical and forced. However twice now Angie Cruz has given me a read that felt real and authentic especially of those leaving their home country and seeking a better life in the states.

So while this may not be my favorite, I still shed tears (several times), was able to empathize with most of the characters, and wished there was more so I could know how they all moved on in life.… (mere)