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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
The concept was interesting and I was invested in the character's lives/stories. The writing style took some getting used to, the lack of quotation makes made it hard to tell what was conversation and what was internal thinking. Even though Alma is the catalyst for the cemetery, her story was the least interesting to me.
reflective
medium-paced
medium-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
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This was so sad.
The besties annotations kept me going. BUT SAD. The storytelling and concept of stories being alive was gorgeous.
The besties annotations kept me going. BUT SAD. The storytelling and concept of stories being alive was gorgeous.
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Is art a kind of violence, the writer ravaging the lives of people around her to create characters and stories?
At the age of seventy, Dominican-American author Alma packs up the rough drafts of her unfinished manuscripts, returns to the Dominican Republic where she has inherited land, and buries the boxes under sculptures created by an artist friend. But her characters refuse to stay buried. They tell their stories to Filomena (the neighbor Alma hires to care for her “cemetery”), to each other, and ultimately to Alma too. This dose of magical realism along with a taste of Dominican culture, tantalizing plots, and fascinating, complex characters made this a fun read.
And it sums up one of the reasons I love books: “Listening to all these stories has opened up so many windows in Filomena’s life. … So much sadness, so much wonder, so much joy. Her heart is messy with feelings, her mind with possibilities, twists and turns. It was simpler before. And yet, she would not go back. Now there is room in her heart for everyone, or most everyone.”
This is my first book by Julia Alvarez, and I’m excited now to read In the Time of Butterflies.
At the age of seventy, Dominican-American author Alma packs up the rough drafts of her unfinished manuscripts, returns to the Dominican Republic where she has inherited land, and buries the boxes under sculptures created by an artist friend. But her characters refuse to stay buried. They tell their stories to Filomena (the neighbor Alma hires to care for her “cemetery”), to each other, and ultimately to Alma too. This dose of magical realism along with a taste of Dominican culture, tantalizing plots, and fascinating, complex characters made this a fun read.
And it sums up one of the reasons I love books: “Listening to all these stories has opened up so many windows in Filomena’s life. … So much sadness, so much wonder, so much joy. Her heart is messy with feelings, her mind with possibilities, twists and turns. It was simpler before. And yet, she would not go back. Now there is room in her heart for everyone, or most everyone.”
This is my first book by Julia Alvarez, and I’m excited now to read In the Time of Butterflies.
3.5 stars
I really enjoyed In the Time of the Butterflies so was excited to read this one. There were many mentions and the stories were interconnected in some ways which I enjoyed.
This novel took some time to figure out the ways in which the different storylines connected. I think the connection was great and the stories really spoke to me but the present day and the logistics was a little confusing and not as compelling to me. The large number of POVs was quite confusing for a lot of the book so I wasn’t a huge fan. But overall it was very sweet and I liked it but it wasn’t life changing.
I really enjoyed In the Time of the Butterflies so was excited to read this one. There were many mentions and the stories were interconnected in some ways which I enjoyed.
This novel took some time to figure out the ways in which the different storylines connected. I think the connection was great and the stories really spoke to me but the present day and the logistics was a little confusing and not as compelling to me. The large number of POVs was quite confusing for a lot of the book so I wasn’t a huge fan. But overall it was very sweet and I liked it but it wasn’t life changing.
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated