Happy Cinco de Mayo! I planned this post for today as Mexico plays a role for two of the characters but now that I’ve read it, none of the women are actually Mexican so bear with the fact that it doesn’t really make sense for today (best laid plans right?). Either way – Viva Mexico!
I’m not sure I’ve ever been drawn into a story so quickly, from page one I was so invested in these women and their stories. There’s always a risk when you have multiple characters and time points that there will be one that is just hard to connect with as a reader, but in this case, I found all of the women resonated with me.
Garcia beautifully illustrates the impact of generational poverty, political turmoil, domestic abuse, addiction and the raw truths of the immigrant’s story. Seeing Cuba in post colonial times was enchanting, the scenes in the tobacco factory and how the people got their news was amazing. But the thing that really got me throughout each story was the interwoven messages of resilience and strength of the women. Faced with the worst circumstances, they each make impossible decisions to protect themselves and their children.
The writing is beautiful and I appreciated the short chapters that alternated between the women and the timepoints. This may be one of my favorite stories of the year. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thanks to Booksparks for a copy of this novel. All opinions above are my own.
Are you doing anything to celebrate Cinco de Mayo today?
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