Spanning from nineteenth-century Cuban cigar factories to a modern-day detention center in Texas, the narrative follows five generations of women linked by blood and migration. The story begins with Maria Isabel, the only woman working in a rolling factory during the independence war against Spain. Decades later in Miami, her descendant Carmen struggles to maintain a relationship with her daughter Jeanette, whose addiction recurs against the backdrop of their family’s silences. When Jeanette witnesses a neighbor’s deportation, she attempts to uncover the history of her grandmother, Dolores, who remained in Cuba.
Readers interested in the intersections of matrilineal legacy and immigration policy will find a stark examination of survival. The text serves those who study how state violence and displacement shape domestic life across borders. Readers finish the book with a specific understanding of how historical trauma dictates the choices of mothers and daughters. It provides a concrete look at the friction between those who leave their home countries and those who stay behind, detailing the physical and emotional costs of seeking asylum in the United States.
Inward-looking, contemplative and thought-provoking; a moderate read.
Best for readers like The Mindful Reader. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 2021
- Language
- EN
