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A review by cora_hreads
Of Women and Salt by Gabriela Garcia
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- 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
4.75
From the start, I fell in love with Of Women and Salt. I loved the different timelines and how each character had a theme that eventually carried through to Ana's chapter at the end. I felt engulfed by the prose and descriptions that Garcia provided. Needless to say, Of Women and Salt is a book I'd recommend to the masses.
When I picked up this book and read the blurb on the back, I thought it'd be a deep slice-of-life story collection, doting on Latinx experiences in and outside of the US. Initially, my expectations were just to be informed of what I didn't know or understand about Latinx people, families, etc. I got so much more than that. What I got from Of Women and Salt was a deep, cutthroat dive into how Cuban and Salvadoran women tried to get to the best they could every day.
A workerlosing her husband in mid/late 1800s Cuba, and starting the family line of women who'd work until their bones were brittle to achieve what they needed to survive.
A housewife during the 1950s Cuban revolution, going through any means necessary(including murder) to get her children out of the war-ridden home.
A distressed mother and her drug-addicted/drug-recovering daughter, trying to salvage their relationship that was torn in the early 2000s.
All of these stories, these excerpts of lives, struck me in a way that truly made me feel. I was happy when Marìa was able to get out of the factory and start anew; discomfort was written across my face when Jeanette recounted her teenage sex-driven years and the highs and lows of her drug addictions, as well as her toxic relationship. I felt these different ways because of how Garcia varied her prose for each woman. Jeanette was heartfelt but inconsistent, like a constant train of desparate thought was running in her mind. Carmen seemed to be polished on the outisde, but little details crept out of her as you learned more about her. Ana was flat -- she had to steel herself up just to survive. I commend the prose to an incomprehensible extent.
The descriptions of the setting(s) were similar. As the characters moved about, you felt not only the prescence of the land, but also how it felt to each character. I could imagine the dingy, musty smell of the small Cuban town when Maydelis' car broke down -- I imagined bright, false-dream neon lights shining on a young Jeanette after ditching her hook-up. This book was so incredibly vivid; ultimately, it added to the overall appeal in an incredible way.
My only critique is the bluntness of Jeanette's ending -- which I think was intentional. The reader is alluded to it in her final chapter, but it's open ended at the actual last chapter.We know what led to Jeanette's death, but why? What caused the relapse? . I like that it leads me off to question what could've/might've been, like there's no firm ending as to why things happen -- just like in real life.
Overall, Of Women and Salt gets a 4.75/5 stars for its incredible characters, vivid descriptions, and attention to detail for the readers to consider even after reading.
When I picked up this book and read the blurb on the back, I thought it'd be a deep slice-of-life story collection, doting on Latinx experiences in and outside of the US. Initially, my expectations were just to be informed of what I didn't know or understand about Latinx people, families, etc. I got so much more than that. What I got from Of Women and Salt was a deep, cutthroat dive into how Cuban and Salvadoran women tried to get to the best they could every day.
A worker
A housewife during the 1950s Cuban revolution, going through any means necessary
A distressed mother and her drug-addicted/drug-recovering daughter, trying to salvage their relationship that was torn in the early 2000s.
All of these stories, these excerpts of lives, struck me in a way that truly made me feel. I was happy when Marìa was able to get out of the factory and start anew; discomfort was written across my face when Jeanette recounted her teenage sex-driven years and the highs and lows of her drug addictions, as well as her toxic relationship. I felt these different ways because of how Garcia varied her prose for each woman. Jeanette was heartfelt but inconsistent, like a constant train of desparate thought was running in her mind. Carmen seemed to be polished on the outisde, but little details crept out of her as you learned more about her. Ana was flat -- she had to steel herself up just to survive. I commend the prose to an incomprehensible extent.
The descriptions of the setting(s) were similar. As the characters moved about, you felt not only the prescence of the land, but also how it felt to each character. I could imagine the dingy, musty smell of the small Cuban town when Maydelis' car broke down -- I imagined bright, false-dream neon lights shining on a young Jeanette after ditching her hook-up. This book was so incredibly vivid; ultimately, it added to the overall appeal in an incredible way.
My only critique is the bluntness of Jeanette's ending -- which I think was intentional. The reader is alluded to it in her final chapter, but it's open ended at the actual last chapter.
Overall, Of Women and Salt gets a 4.75/5 stars for its incredible characters, vivid descriptions, and attention to detail for the readers to consider even after reading.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, War, Physical abuse, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Death and Sexual harassment