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bookforthought's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-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
4.0
Of Women and Salt was the perfect read around International Women's Day. Following five generations of Cuban women and a Salvadorean mother and daughter, this book takes us on a journey across space and time to witness the strength and tenacity of women who choose to keep fighting against all odds.
These women are the only protagonists here, their voices (often silenced in their daily life) rising prominently to shine a light on their truths, their struggles, their pain, and their hopes for a better future. The men in their lives lurk in the background, their viewpoint unimportant and their main contribution being bringing pain and tears - or being conspicuously absent. The women finally take centre stage and reclaim what is theirs, even if only for short stretches. The book's nonlinear narration, in fact, means that it often reads more like a series of short stories or vignettes linked by a common thread.
Don't let this book's size fool you: despite being quite short, it is packed with content and material for reflections. It also takes some dark turns, and I found I often had to stop to give myself time to absorb what I'd just read and digest some of the harder themes. Covering everything from domestic violence to drug abuse, sexual violence and the harsh reality of a modern-day US immigration detention centre, Of Women and Salt is as far as from a light read as possible. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed it, in its own way.
The writing was beautiful and lyrical, and it quickly drew me in. The characters were complex and portrayed excellently, even if we only spent a limited time with each of them. The thing I struggled with most was the non-linear narration, but that's something I know I often find hard to follow. Each time/location change was clearly marked at the beginning of the new section, but I still found I often had to go back to remind myself how far in the future or in the past we had moved compared to what had come before.
Overall, this is a powerful book and a really strong debut from the author, and I look forward to reading more of her works in the future. Of Women and Salt takes an honest look at the harsh reality of life for many women, restoring their voices and their dignity, and certainly made me wish for the day when for women everywhere stories like this will be just that - stories.
I received an e-arc of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book in any way.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Misogyny, Sexual violence, and Violence
Moderate: Child abuse, Murder, and Suicide
mezzarella's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-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
4.0
When I learned that Of Women and Salt was told through multiple generations and perspectives, I knew I had to read this book. This story is beautiful and intricately woven. Don't let this book's small size fool you: This book is long and requires your attention to appreciate how each character is connected.
Of Women and Salt focuses on several Latina women and how their lived experiences have been shaped by personal and political difficulties. At its highest moments, Garcia's work is engrossing and heart-wrenching. Although the pacing of the book itself is slow, I would also consider it a page turner. It was the characters and their challenges that keeps readers turning the pages. Because many of the chapters feel like short stories, when the ending arrives and connects all the histories together, it feels very much deserved.
At times, the narrative can be tangled and confusing. I believe this is intentional and also enhances the story. The women who are portrayed in this narrative are not simple and cannot live simple lives. Their past, present, and future will be untangled and touched by others, because they are simply the only ones capable of understanding the challenges each other has faced. Be warned while reading that this book has a slew of content warnings, such as pedophilia, sexual assault, death, addiction, deportation, and confinement. This book will likely be incredibly triggering for certain viewers, so please take care to look at the content warnings before reading this book.
Overall, it was the beautiful writing of Gabriella Garcia that really makes Of Women and Salt memorable. With it's release date right around the corner (April 6th), I'm thrilled to have had the chance to review this from NetGalley. Please make sure to preorder the book from your local bookstore.
Of Women and Salt focuses on several Latina women and how their lived experiences have been shaped by personal and political difficulties. At its highest moments, Garcia's work is engrossing and heart-wrenching. Although the pacing of the book itself is slow, I would also consider it a page turner. It was the characters and their challenges that keeps readers turning the pages. Because many of the chapters feel like short stories, when the ending arrives and connects all the histories together, it feels very much deserved.
At times, the narrative can be tangled and confusing. I believe this is intentional and also enhances the story. The women who are portrayed in this narrative are not simple and cannot live simple lives. Their past, present, and future will be untangled and touched by others, because they are simply the only ones capable of understanding the challenges each other has faced. Be warned while reading that this book has a slew of content warnings, such as pedophilia, sexual assault, death, addiction, deportation, and confinement. This book will likely be incredibly triggering for certain viewers, so please take care to look at the content warnings before reading this book.
Overall, it was the beautiful writing of Gabriella Garcia that really makes Of Women and Salt memorable. With it's release date right around the corner (April 6th), I'm thrilled to have had the chance to review this from NetGalley. Please make sure to preorder the book from your local bookstore.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Addiction, Death, Alcoholism, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Blood, and Trafficking
bookmaddie's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This meandering story follows a matrilineal group of women, going from Cuba in the late 1800s to modern day, and a mother and daughter pair who are trying to immigrate to the United States from El Salvador. While this book balances a variety of narratives, each one offers a glimpse into the universal struggle to find a home—a place to be secure, to succeed, and create a life for the next generation. The inclusion of two different family stories that are starkly different highlights the contrast in ideas of survival, and what it means for different people. I also thought it was interesting to be able to examine a character from multiple perspectives. It really helped create a full picture of each individual, where their faults and strengths were in clear view.
The storyline that follows generations of the same Cuban-American family explores politics, and grudges influenced by actions of those in generations past. It was interesting to view political divisions within the Cuban-American community within a single family, and see how those divisions impacted characters interactions with the larger Latinx immigrant community.
This was an enjoyable read, though I found the historical narrative and story of Gloria and Ana most compelling. A longer, more streamlined narrative, may have proved more successful, but regardless, this is a book worth reading. It's a story of women, family, sacrifice and survival, and what success and safety mean for different people. It explores hardship, small moments, joy, and figuring out who you are and what you want to be.
The storyline that follows generations of the same Cuban-American family explores politics, and grudges influenced by actions of those in generations past. It was interesting to view political divisions within the Cuban-American community within a single family, and see how those divisions impacted characters interactions with the larger Latinx immigrant community.
This was an enjoyable read, though I found the historical narrative and story of Gloria and Ana most compelling. A longer, more streamlined narrative, may have proved more successful, but regardless, this is a book worth reading. It's a story of women, family, sacrifice and survival, and what success and safety mean for different people. It explores hardship, small moments, joy, and figuring out who you are and what you want to be.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, and Violence
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