Dominicana: A Novel (BOTM edition) [B1203]

2019 HCDJ Book of the Month edition, in excellent condition. Shortlisted for the 2020 Women's Prize for Fiction. "An essential read for our times." -Cristina Garcia, author of Dreaming in Cuban. Fifteen-year-old Ana Cancion never dreamed of moving to America, the way the girls she grew up with in the Dominican countryside did. But when Juan Ruiz proposes and promises to take her to New York City, she has to say yes. It doesn't matter that he is twice her age, that there is no love between them. Their marriage is an opportunity for her entire close-knit family to eventually immigrate. So on New Year's Day, 1965, Ana leaves behind everything she knows and becomes Ana Ruiz, a wife confined to a cold six-floor walk-up in Washington Heights. Lonely and miserable, Ana hatches a reckless plan to escape. But at the bus terminal, she is stopped by Cesar, Juan's free-spirited younger brother, who convinces her to stay. As the Dominican Republic slides into political turmoil, Juan returns to protect his family's assets, leaving Cesar to take care of Ana. Suddenly, Ana is free to take English lessons at a local church, lie on the beach at Coney Island, see a movie at Radio City Music Hall, go dancing with Cesar, and imagine the possibility of a different kind of life in America. When Juan returns, Ana must decide once again between her heart and her duty to her family.

From recent Amazon/GoodReads reviews: "With immigration being such a hot topic now, and always it seems, it's stories like Dominicana that make me want to shout from the rooftops - read books! Read stories like these and put yourself in the shoes of someone who came before you, or who walks next to you. This story was inspired by the author's mother, which makes it even more special and important."; "I loved this book. Angie Cruz nailed this story, her mother's story, of a first generation immigrant family from the Dominican Republic. The struggles of survival, family relationships, fixed marriages, all of which showed sacrifices made and the hardships that sometimes made it almost impossible to bear. This book resonated with me more than most because of my wife's family being first generation immigrants from South Korea."; "This book was so captivating and really gave light and attention to the stories of so many Latin women. so So, so good."