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4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
“No matter how old we get, we all need our mothers to take care of us again at some point.”
When We Were Widows by Annette Chavez Macias
It’s quite rare that a book grabs hold of me so fully that I finish it in a day, but this book did just that for me. Once the story really started going I just couldn’t put it down. When We Were Widows follows three generations of widows in the same family as they are forced to confront their pasts, their secrets, and their grief. This novel examines how grief can create chasms within families, especially in Latin (and in this novel specifically, Mexican) ones. It is ingrained in us to keep our heads down and keep pushing, not stopping to realize that we don’t have to handle everything alone. Macias does a wonderful job at exploring this theme, and I really enjoyed the mother-daughter dynamics in this book. Although the story follows three women, it is a dual POV between Ana and Yesica which allowed for Mama Melda’s character to be a more omniscient presence. All of the women’s individual traumas inform how they navigate these complex relationships, and Macias writes about such heavy topics with extreme care. Even though this can be a tough read emotionally, it is also incredibly hopeful. We get to see these women start to come out the other side and take control of their lives once more. I really felt like I knew these women and truly, I am them!
Thank you Hear Our Voices Tours for the e-Arc!
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A beautiful heartfelt story about the complexities of the relationship between mothers and daughters. The story deals with grief and how each woman dealt with it differently. The writing was amazing and I loved the character development of each woman especially Ana and Yesica. I definitely recommend this book.
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
📖When We Were Widows by Annette Chavez Macias 💞📖
Wow this book! I always say when a book makes you feel all sorts of emotions then it’s a good book!
Annette Chavez Macias did a great job describing the emotions of each of these women, Ana, Yesica & Mama Melda.
They each had the same experience of grief but also in their own way.
Their relationship with one another was complicated & in my experience living together is not easy & typically not a good way to fix a mother-daughter relationship.
But with Ana and Yesica it was exactly what they needed.
I also loved how Annette added the History of Chavez Ravine. It was so sad what happened & I am looking forward to learning more about It through my own research.
Its funny how as we grow up we don't want to be like our parents & especially
daughters dont want to be like their mothers. But in the end we are more similar than we think. Ana & Yesica & even Mama Melda had many similarities to one another! Even when they hadn't realized it on their own.
Thank you to @hearourvoicestours and @authorannette for the e-arc and allowing me to participate in this tour! & thank you @fablesandtalesco for the cute stickers.
#HearOurVoicesTours #HearOurVoices #WhenWeWereWidows #BookTour #BookTok #Bookstagram #LatinaBookstagramer #LatineStories #DiverseBooks #DiverseBooks
emotional
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
emotional
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
“When a spouse dies, most people wonder if they'll come back to visit them as a ghost. I would bet, however, that most people don't expect the ghosts to be the people who are still living.”
When We Were Widows is a beautiful story about grief, mother-daughter relationships, resilience, and healing. It tells the story of three generations of Latina women, all whom became widows in life changing and horrible ways. I really loved the three stubborn women. They each lived through some horrible things and kept their scarred pasts secret for too long. I loved that it wasn’t until they opened up and shared their hurt with each other that they were finally able to heal.
Even though this is so much more than a romance book, the romance that finds Yessica and Ana was sweet. And Mama Melda’s past and the truth of what happened at Chavez Ravine was eye opening.
This is a wonderful and tender book that tugs at the heartstrings and has readers cheering on these three women to the very end.
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Beautifully written story about Love, loss and familia! Annette managed to capture the nuanced and often complicated relationships between Latina mothers and daughters. She also sheds light on the often forgotten & buried history of Chicanos in the US and the lasting impact of those traumas. The women were so complex full of depth and authenticity I could see bits of myself, my sisters and tias in them. Most importantly Annette highlights the power of forgiveness, growth and self-grace. I HIGHLY recommend!
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
🥹🌟♾️ INFINITY STARS
A daughter, mother and grandmother on different grief journeys that have to live together for a few months due to home renovations. The daughter and mother have a rocky relationship that is talked about from both povs which i understood both sides but at times became frustrated with them bcuz i wish they’d just talk it out, even tho i know there’s bound to be miscommunication bcuz of the way we grow up bottling everything in, especially mothers trying their best to raise kids on their own and not wanting them to worry 🥲 everything they go through mold them and their parenting style which got me thinking about my mom and grandma. I loved the Chicano history that was mentioned and also about how the LA Dodgers came about, bcuz a lot of latines don’t know and I myself learned a couple years ago too! The grief talks hit so hard and I love the way it just puts some of my thoughts and feelings into words when i can’t most times. The racism she faced during her marriage & the shitty situation she was left in, I felt no remorse for that man dying 🖕🏼fuck him and his mom oh and her dad too. The grandma was my favorite character for sure🥹 and I loved that there was romance🤭🥹 made me so giddy for the mom especially!!
⚠️TW: grief, infertility, miscarriage, displacement, cancer (leukemia), dementia
A daughter, mother and grandmother on different grief journeys that have to live together for a few months due to home renovations. The daughter and mother have a rocky relationship that is talked about from both povs which i understood both sides but at times became frustrated with them bcuz i wish they’d just talk it out, even tho i know there’s bound to be miscommunication bcuz of the way we grow up bottling everything in, especially mothers trying their best to raise kids on their own and not wanting them to worry 🥲 everything they go through mold them and their parenting style which got me thinking about my mom and grandma. I loved the Chicano history that was mentioned and also about how the LA Dodgers came about, bcuz a lot of latines don’t know and I myself learned a couple years ago too! The grief talks hit so hard and I love the way it just puts some of my thoughts and feelings into words when i can’t most times. The racism she faced during her marriage & the shitty situation she was left in, I felt no remorse for that man dying 🖕🏼fuck him and his mom oh and her dad too. The grandma was my favorite character for sure🥹 and I loved that there was romance🤭🥹 made me so giddy for the mom especially!!
⚠️TW: grief, infertility, miscarriage, displacement, cancer (leukemia), dementia