A review by knkoch
Dominicana by Angie Cruz

adventurous dark emotional hopeful reflective 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

3.75

This was a rather resonant portrait of womanhood and immigration, set in a coming-of-age format. There were some very lovely and emotional parts, as well as great hardship, pain, and fear. I learned in the acknowledgements that this is loosely based on the author's mother and her story of immigrating to New York, with detail from other Dominican folks the author interviewed, as well. 

The story was well told and realistic. All the characters were well realized and carried through the entire novel, giving me a great window into a life I have not lived. I especially felt grounded in the sense of place (the farm, the apartment, the neighborhood, and all the small commercial areas nearby) and sense of food. Ana spends a great deal of time in one place, and I could really feel the sort of hyperattention to detail that comes from great observation of one's surroundings. Especially after some time spent in quarantine this year, I relate to that. The sensory experience of food was also rich. I felt I could taste all these dishes I'd never heard of before. 

Be mindful of my content warnings, however. 
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