"An honest, unflinching narrative that captures the misery, messiness, and marvel of departing from a homeland and making yourself and your family anew . . . Every single character is vibrant, in such a way that all of us longing to belong will find in the novel something that might teach us a bit more about ourselves, and our possibilities. . . . A generation of writers were empowered to pick up their pens after they first picked up this book. . . . [Alvarez] proved that our shared island and the people we come from have rich and nuanced stories that deserve to be told." ―
Elizabeth Acevedo, from the Foreword "Powerful . . . Poignant . . . Beautifully captures the threshold experience of the new immigrant."
–The New York Times Book Review "A clear-eyed look at the insecurity and yearning for a sense of belonging that are a part of the immigrant experience . . . Movingly told." –
The Washington Post Book World "Extraordinary." –
The Bloomsbury Review "Simply wonderful." –
Los Angeles Times "[A] tender, charming book . . . There is a charge to Alvarez's writing, a poetic intensity, that is truly original." –
The Miami Herald "A joy to read." –
The Cleveland Plain Dealer
"The Hispanic
Joy Luck Club . . . A luminous poem, rich and dreamy as a slow samba. A+." –
Entertainment Weekly "Delightful." –
Cosmopolitan "Subtle . . . Powerful . . . Reveals the intricacies of family, the impact of culture and place, and the profound power of language." –
The San Diego Tribune "Lovely and intimate." –
The Houston Post "Brilliant . . . A tour de force." –
Commonweal "One of the most delightful novels of the year." –
San Francisco Chronicle "Surprises us with vivid, poetic language." –
The Philadelphia Inquirer "Elegant and earthy . . . A distinctive new voice." –
McCall's "Heartwarming . . . It is a pleasure to read about these high-spirited Caribbean women." –
San Antonio Express-News "Refreshing . . . A remarkable climb up a family tree." –
Baltimore City Paper "[Alvarez] enchants the reader while spinning her web of wonder." –
Richmond Times-Dispatch "A warm and believable family portrait . . . Often hilarious." –
Arkansas Gazette "Spirited." –
The Nation "Exquisite . . . Alvarez makes magic and art of the human odyssey, finding wonder and faith amid the world's confusion and ignorance." –
The Virginian-Pilot and Ledger-Star "Delightful, original." –
The Washington Times "A kind of Dominican-American
Little Women." –
The Raleigh News and Observer "An impressive talent . . . A tragicomic voice whose accent is happily her very own." –
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel "Alvarez writes with compassion, sensitivity and humor." –
Roanoke Times and World-News "Powerfully bittersweet." –
The Arizona Daily Star "Poignant and intimate . . . Alvarez delineates the two cultures with insight, humor and skill." –
Albany Sunday Times Union "Alvarez's prose is straightforward yet possesses an inner fire touched with poetry and a finely tuned sense of irony and quiet revelation." –
The Memphis Commercial Appeal "An expertly witnessed and daringly constructed novel." –
The Tampa Tribune-Times "Bright, entertaining and full-bodied." –
The Oklahoma City Sunday Oklahoman "The voices that reveal this world are honest, clear, and rich." –
Winston-Salem Journal "Alvarez manages to bring to attention many of the issues–serious and light–that immigrant families face, portraying them with sensitivity and, at times, an enjoyable, mischievous sense." –
Kirkus Reviews "This unique coming-of-age tale is a feast of stories that will enchant and captivate readers." –
School Library Journal