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3.78 AVERAGE
3.78 AVERAGE
I did not connect to this story in print at all and was sufficiently frustrated that after I switched to audio I was still resistant overall. I do, however, think it’s a good and interesting book, very different than many I read.
informative
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
A story woven over the course of Dominican history, examining the past and the present. Where the ghosts of untold stories haunt authors (and others) and confronts us with several questions:
1. What happens to the stories we don’t get to tell that we take to the grave? Do they contribute to a loss of control as we approach death?
2. What stories should be told? What stories should stay untold?
3. Our memory and imagination—are they one and the same? What makes a story worthy of being told?
4. When we stay silent—do our stories truly die with us?
I really enjoyed the many layers of the story dealing with remembrance, memory, storytelling, and imagination, as well as learning more about the history of the DR and Trujillo.
However—the one thing I was surprised at, for such a complex and intertwined story—is how rushed the ending felt and how, at times, the main character was a bit opaque. However, still an enjoyable read!
1. What happens to the stories we don’t get to tell that we take to the grave? Do they contribute to a loss of control as we approach death?
2. What stories should be told? What stories should stay untold?
3. Our memory and imagination—are they one and the same? What makes a story worthy of being told?
4. When we stay silent—do our stories truly die with us?
I really enjoyed the many layers of the story dealing with remembrance, memory, storytelling, and imagination, as well as learning more about the history of the DR and Trujillo.
However—the one thing I was surprised at, for such a complex and intertwined story—is how rushed the ending felt and how, at times, the main character was a bit opaque. However, still an enjoyable read!
I’m a big fan of the storytelling of Ms Alvarez but I struggled a bit getting into how this story was organized. Great characters
"I was already a licensed medical doctor but los Americanos disrespected me, my accent, my brown skin, my foreign credentials. They who had been occupiers of my country, were now telling me to go back to where I had come from. I am hear because you were there, I'd curse them under my breath."
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
challenging
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
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
reflective
sad
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