Reviews with content warning for Adult/minor relationship - Dominicana

This book made me feel a lot more than I was bargaining for...

This is the story of Ana, a 15 year old girl who is forced to marry an older man who will take her from the Dominican Republic to New York City for what her family believes is a better life and opportunities for the whole family.

In this book we see things from Ana's perspective for most of the book and we get to experience her fears, loneliness, confusion, and coming-of-age as she deals with an abusive husband, trying to take care of her family from far away, and trying to connect to people in this new country. The way that Cruz writes the story can be unsettling at times, touching on magical realism as Ana imagines things happening a different way than what lies before her. We also get some historical references relating to the political troubles happening both in the United States and the Dominican Republic.

I can't say I enjoyed reading this book because it really was painful at times. It reminded me of some things I experienced when I faced my own immigration story and culture shock, as well as reminded me of the stories that some family members have told me with respect to their own experiences when coming to the United States. I did appreciate that the story focuses on Ana's experience and highlights many of the struggles, both emotional, physical, and familial, that women face when moving (or when they are taken) to a new country in search of opportunity.

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annaem's review against another edition

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emotional sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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solouncapitulomas's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

4.7

“How many women get to choose who to marry and can truly dictate their own life? As God is my witness, my daughter will have choices.”

It is one thing to read a book about a culture you are learning about, a country you do not know and haven't even seen. It feels like fiction somehow and, to me, it is a way to escape. But this book, god, it felt so real...I know this places...even tho I've never been to New York I understood all the Dominican references, the fact that it was only last year when they finally prohibited child marriage in this country, the fact that there are many Ana's in this country, suffering with no one to tell their story makes this book such a jewel.

The talk about all the shit happening after Trujillos's death and April's battle, holy shit. It reminded of something I read form Neruda:
Cuarenta y cinco mil hijos de perra,
Bajaron con sus armas y sus cuentos,
Con ametralladoras y cuchillos
Con objetivos claros y concretos:
"Poner en libertad a los ladrones,
Y a los demás hay que meterlos presos". –Versainograma a Santo Domingo

I will truly recommend this book to everyone but specially if you grew up here in DR of if you grew in New York...give it a try

'kay, I'm out
Bye

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sophlw's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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? No

4.5

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ribbitingreads's review against another edition

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4.0

Dominicana by Angie Cruz was a beautifully yet painful story about a fifteen-year-old girl who has a chance to make a new life in New York. Ana Cancion, unlike her family members, never dreamed of going to America. However, when Juan Ruiz proposes and promises to take her away, she is forced to make a life for her and eventually the rest of her family.

This book made me anger a lot of the time. Sad some of the time, but I found Ana to be an incredible character. The man she married, a man she did not love and twice her age, was not the man her family thought he was. He was insecure. He took his anger out on her. He was pretending to fit in with the “whites”. But more importantly, it conveyed how far many immigrates go to create a good life for themselves here in United States. From taking free English classes to get an office job or breaking their backs in factories.

It showed glimpses of how war, specifically between the United States and Dominican Republic affect the countries. The reactions between the privileged American citizens and the dismay of the Dominicanos. This book made me think more about how we are all fighting the same battle at the end of the day. We all want a place to rest our head at without worry. Without wondering if our younger siblings and cousins end up in an early grave. Or that as women are only hope to a good life comes from marrying a man that is as old as our fathers. A chance for freedom.

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