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leslie_overbookedsocialworker's review
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Murder, Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug use, Domestic abuse, Deportation, Drug abuse, and Child abuse
Moderate: Terminal illness, Death, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Infidelity, Murder, Racial slurs, Emotional abuse, Grief, Racism, Self harm, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Trafficking, and Death of parent
kaddictwithapen's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Torture, Drug use, Murder, Addiction, Misogyny, Abandonment, Child abuse, Confinement, Trafficking, Sexual assault, Rape, Drug abuse, Death of parent, Sexual violence, and Violence
Moderate: Xenophobia, Racial slurs, War, Racism, Alcohol, Blood, Cancer, Addiction, and Alcoholism
Minor: Suicide, Grief, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Police brutality, and Classism
taliaalongi's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Drug abuse, Cancer, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, War, Violence, and Addiction
saracatalyst's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Addiction, War, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Violence
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Trafficking, Abandonment, Cancer, Child death, and Death of parent
Minor: Alcoholism
maregred's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Confinement, Xenophobia, Trafficking, Drug use, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, and Death of parent
Moderate: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Cancer, Racism, Sexual assault, War, and Xenophobia
kelly_e's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Author: Gabriela Garcia
Genre: Literary Fiction
Rating: 4.25
Pub Date: March 30 2021
T H R E E • W O R D S
Poetic • Heartbreaking • Powerful
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Jeanette is battling the grips of addiction, and is endlessly determined to learn more about her family's history. When on a whim Jeanette takes in the daughter of a neighbor detained by ICE, her mother, Carmen, is resistant. Carmen continues to wrestle with the trauma of displacement, her complicated relationship with her own mother, and raising a wayward daughter. In a quest to understand, Jeanette travels to Cuba to visit her grandmother and discovers a host of secrets from the past.
Spanning 19th century cigar factories to modern detention centers, from Cuba to Mexico, Of Women and Salt is a kaleidoscopic portrait of betrayal that have shaped the lives of these women.
💭 T H O U G H T S
In 2021 I decided to make my way through the GMA book club selections. Of Women and Salt was one I knew I wanted to prioritize. Maybe I was drawn to the historical aspect and/or the beautiful cover, but I knew little more than that going in. And I definitely didn't know it was so short.
What immediately struck me was Gabriela Garcia's spellbinding language. This novel is beautifully written, with so much emotion captured in the words. The non-linear structure, seeming more like a collection of short stories, was different but worked perfectly in this narrative even though it took me awhile to figure out who was who (thank goodness for the family trees at the beginning). Featuring three generation of Cuban/Cuban-American women, each fully fleshed out and equally flawed, and exploring themes of motherhood, intergenerational trauma, addiction, abuse, immigration and oppression.
I enjoyed this generational saga, and the historical interconnectedness of the characters is something I gravitate towards in books. I appreciated how the ending came full circle in a satisfying way.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• literary fiction lovers
• readers looking for an immigration story
• fans of generational sagas
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"I believe family is whoever we point to. I did not just have you. You did not simply happen to me. I chose. I saw the possibilities and I chose and I would not judge the woman who chooses differently. I decided I would be your mother and family and you would be of me."
"We are more than we think we are. There was always more."
Graphic: Drug abuse, Addiction, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Drug use, Violence, Murder, Death, and Death of parent
Moderate: Alcoholism, Racism, Misogyny, and Pedophilia
Minor: Cancer
overdosebookish_baker_'s review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Violence, War, Death, Domestic abuse, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Alcoholism, Injury/Injury detail, Addiction, Blood, Racial slurs, Confinement, and Racism
forthe_girlwhowaited's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Drug use, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Child abuse, Gore, Addiction, Confinement, Physical abuse, Alcoholism, and Drug abuse
coderedkira's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Addiction
Moderate: War, Drug use, and Drug abuse
Minor: Alcoholism, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Racism, and Cancer
lolasherwin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Physical abuse, Drug use, Alcoholism, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, and Drug abuse
Moderate: Incest, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, and Sexual assault