I loved this novel. It hooked me from the start and I read it from start to finish like I couldn’t read it fast enough.

It follows the story of Ana, a young girl living in Acapulco in the Dominican Republic whose family have little money.. Looking to better Ana’s life as well as their own, they accept a marriage proposal for her from one of the local Ruiz brothers, an older man called Juan. He brings her to live with him in New York and soon we realise that life for Ana is not going to be the dream that her family imagined for her.

Ana’s story was so heart wrenching. I felt so heart broken for her, pulled from her family and having to marry someone she didn’t love. When she does eventually find it, you want her to run with it as fast as she can, only to be brought down to earth again with a bang. Her strength of character was what kept me reading until the end and I’d highly recommend this read. Loved it!

Ana stripped of a childhood, in a new country with out any friends or family just her husband at 15yrs and very quickly pregnant 15yr old girl has to become woman. Taking care of the home and her husband and his guests. Struggles of a new country when home is at war, Ana wants her
parents to join here and life to be simple. A sow has alsostarter but easy to

Other than a brief prologue, the book is set in 1965 and written in a simple first person present tense, the narrator a fifteen year old (Ana) from a family in the Dominican countryside. Her older sister already hooked up to a local without prospects, Ana accepts her mother’s instructions to accept a proposal of marriage from Juan (who with his brothers is something of a local big-shot – with connections, a nascent restaurant in the Capital and with frequent trips to New York).

Ana’s mother’s has a clear strategy for Ana: move to New York where she will join Juan in his more prosperous life there; insist, using her feminine wiles and determination, on education, the opportunity to start her own business, money to send back to her family; pave the way for the rest of the family to join her and live the American dream.

The reality is somewhat different – both in Juan’s circumstances (he lives in a run-down apartment, flits between various unsecure jobs and illegal moneymaking schemes) and in Ana’s ability to execute the plans (she is quickly cowed into a resentful submission by Juan’s forcefulness and by her own lack of confidence founded around her inability to speak English and lack of knowledge of American society and New York geography – an inability and lack of knowledge Juan is keen to maintain as it gives him greater power over her).

When Juan’s force turns to violence, Ana who has been finding ways to save small amounts of money herself plans an escape back home, but is persuaded to stay by Juan’s darker-skinned, easy-going brother Cesar (particularly as they realise she is pregnant). Juan returns to the Dominican Republic to try to sort out his affairs leaving Ana finally free, with the encouragement of Cesar, to explore the City and learn the language and begin to form her own life as well as, more dangerously, her own attachment to Cesar.

Later Ana’s mother is able to travel to America and the strongest scenes of the book I think are when she first arrives and is cowed by unfamiliarity and her sadness as she realises the realities of Ana’s life in America and the sacrifices she has made.

All of this plays out against two backgrounds.

The first and most immediate is personal to Ana: her pregnancy, Juan’s trials in Dominica and the prospect of his return, and the increasing pressure from Ana’s mother to facilitate the wider family’s passage to American.

The second is events in the wider world:

The Assassination of Malcolm X (which rather coincidentally takes place almost on Ana’s doorstep) and the events leading up to and around the 1965 Civil Rights Act (this leads to the Dominicans discussing their own interactions with black rights activists – are they a fellow minority or in some ways interlopers on a historical struggle for freedom; as well as bringing out the racism inherent in Dominican society itself – the advancement of those like Juan with lighter skin)

The First American troops in Vietnam: this takes away the husband of Juan’s love, his relationship with her and her frequent calls to their home (silent when Ana answers) cast a poison over what Juan and Ana’s already limited relationship. Further of course the American controversy over their troops presence in Asia is contrasted with indifference to their presence in Dominica that year, intervening in the Civil War which calls of all Juan’s plans into doubt and claims the life of Ana’s younger brother
The Beatles first stadium concert, the Immigration bill stopping national quotas and the start of increased Hispanic migration, The New York World fair (where Ana and Cesar try and fail to make a fortune selling unofficial snacks but gain a glimpse of a future world), events in Baseball and the fall of a Dominican hero (https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/13463881/juan-marichal-hit-john-roseboro-bat-ugly-baseball-brawl-50-years-ago)

This is overall a fairly simple tale and in many ways a familiar one – its difference I think largely stemming from the concentration on Dominican immigrants, but still one which raises lots of interesting and timeless themes and would be ideal for a Book Group.

A young girl has a husband chosen for her by her mother who sees the marriage as a way for the family to enter the USA. This is how Ana finds herself 'married' to a man twice her age and living in New York at the age of 15. Ana has undergone a huge cultural shock and does not believe she can love her 'husband', who she finds herself afraid of.

I had a PDF version of this book which I read on my phone but... despite the formatting issues that this creates I found it extremely engaging and surprising.

The author interviewed generations of Dominicans and compiled this novel (for that's what this is) from bits and pieces of accounts that she picked up from family and friends of the family - so it is not entirely fiction.

The sacrifices that Ana makes to her family came as a shock to me - one that became more concerning when reading the final author's notes to explain the book.

I didn't love this book - because that feels like condoning the behaviour of everyone involved. I did find it fascinating and extremely disturbing. Well worth a read by anyone.

This has now been long listed for THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION 2020 and it's a book well worthy of going further.

It's not a huge tome so won't take forever to read but it's well written and powerful.

This book is extraordinary. Beautifully written, captivating and thought-provoking. Ana Cancion is 15 and forced into a marriage with 32 year old Juan Ruiz. She leaves her home in the Dominican Republic to move to New York, where her family hope she will gain an education and they will be provided for financially by her husband. Juin is controlling and violent and Ana is desperately lonely and unhappy. But as political tensions spill over into civil war, Juin is forced to return home and she is left in New York with his brother Cesar. Ana relishes the freedom she gains with Juin gone. She embarks on English lessons and spends time with Cesar having fun and living life to the full. She is falling in love with him and he with her. But she's pregnant with Juin's child. Cesar leaves New York for Boston and asks her to join him there once the child is born. But once her mother and brother join her in New York she is forced to choose between her family and her lover. The choice she makes is heartbreaking, but ultimately Ana becomes the hero of her own life and is no longer the scared and dependant girl she was when she first left home. She is a strong, independent woman who will succeed no matter what. An amazing story, inspired by the writer's own mother.

I loved this story of what the author's own mother thought was just a typical story and not interesting. Heart-wrenching and fascinating in equal parts, we root for Ana and hope she can push through from child bride to strong independent woman. Blog review to come at http://www.librofulltime.wordpress.com

The amazing thing about this book was the way in which the author connects you with the main character Ana. I felt immersed in Ana's thoughts and in her life. This is a powerful story of resilience, family and what it means to love. I was gripped from the outset and loved this glimpse into another life and another time in history (particularly when Ana sees the events happening outside the Audubon ballroom). The book is so vivid and joyful, but it has harrowing moments too. An important story to share.

This book was unputdownable. I could not wait to see what happens next.

The 15-year-old Ana forced, by her controlling mother, to marry a twice-her-age man in order to open a door for her family to move and settle in America. However, as an illlegal immigrant, she hasn't got much of a choice but to stay at home-cook, clean and completely depend on her husband, who she doesn't even love.. Throughout all the difficulties she faces, pregnant Ana becomes stronger and stronger...
Thanks #Netgalley.

This book is a heart rendering story of Ana, of coming of age, of leaving your family behind and making the best of the very worst of things. Ana inspires me. Read this story to feel her life within you. Thank you Angie for this book.

I really struggled to get into this book and I will try to revisit it at a later date. I hate not completing books.

Fifteen year old Ana lives on her family's land in the Dominican Republic, until her mother orchestrates a marriage to a local man in his 30s, who is to whisk her away to New York. Ana's family imagine a life of luxury for her, her cousins envious of the match. Yet we soon see the reality of Ana's life in the US and how it is not what she, or her family imagined.

Dominicana explores the story of a young woman immigrating during the 60s, and while this is one woman's fictional story, it is a tale that will reflect the lived experiences of many women, stories which haven't been heard in the mainstream until now. Angie Cruz brings a story that is so original and fresh, not to mention incredibly poignant. Not only is Ana essentially traded into marriage with a man twice her age, but she endures unimaginable suffering, is sexually assaulted, abused and left very much alone in an unfamiliar country where she doesn't speak the language. Despite the novel being set almost 60 years ago, there is much we can recognise in today, with a culture of fear and intolerance.

There are points when this novel could have fallen flat, where Ana spends days with her own thoughts, or even in the never-ending abuse she suffers, yet Cruz's prose and perspective grip the reader unrelentingly. Ana clings to small hopes, forging a path for survival despite her circumstances. Her story is heartbreaking, and you can't help but become emotionally invested, wishing a better life for her.

Alongside fresh and clear prose, Cruz creates a rich cast of characters who are larger than life, evokes an atmosphere of 1960s New York that is exciting, pulsing, vibrant, as well as terrifying. It would be easy to dismiss what happens to Ana as culturally ingrained sexism, which it is but Cruz also reflects the complexities of the situation, the decisions the characters make based on their resources, the potential consequences and gains. All of the characters are trying to survive and are striving for a better life.

This is an utterly beautiful tale and a necessary read in today's climate, to begin to understand those stories that haven't yet been told.

The story of Ana, a very young Dominican girl moved to New York by her family is well written, but for some reason it did not maintain my interest as I had hoped it would. So much of the story is told from the perspective of Ana herself, therefore I feel that it comes across as quite immature.
There is nothing much which happens to keep the narrative engaging. Perhaps it is the style of writing, which is not to my personal taste, which meant that I did not enjoy it as much as I expected.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my advance copy of this book.

Phew, this is a powerful and heart wrenching read that left me feeling all of the emotions.

It’s the mid-60s and Ana is a 15-year-old girl from the Dominican Republic newlywed to an older guy in order to move to New York. We follow Anna not only on her journey in life as an immigrant, but also her pursuit for self-discovery and growing up.
I loved Ana as a character. I found her to be so endearing, and I thought her development into this amazingly strong and independent woman was written perfectly. Her cooking had me drooling as I read, and it’s made me want to try all the things mentioned.

Overall this is a fantastic, gritty representation of an immigrant story. The writing was beautiful and I thoroughly enjoyed the reading experience.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

This is a compelling story based on the experiences of the Author’s Mother moving from the Dominican Republic to New York in 1965. The young Ana is 15 when she is married to Juan Ruiz and flown to New York and begins her new life trying to navigate a new relationship, a new language and a complex world of war, human rights (Malcolm X is murdered close-by) and ingrained racism. Ana’s loveless and violent marriage is the catalyst for her as she creates her own community and finds her own voice.

Thanks to Netgalley and John Murray Press for a review copy.

Ana is only 15 when she has to marry Juan and leave the Dominican Republic for New York. He's twice her age and she doesn't love him, but it's a unique opportunity for her whole family to obtain visas and escape a life of poverty., They're counting on her, even if that means sacrificing her own personal happiness - a happiness that could take the shape of Cesar, Juan's younger brother...

In this beautifully written novel, Angie Cruz tells the story of New York as shaped by its inhabitants - from all horizons. It is a story of immigration and political trouble, but also a story of hope and disillusionment. Life is supposed to be so much better in America - but life is what you make of it!

I was emotionally involved with Ana while she learned this lesson, suffering an awful husband just to please her family. Finding New York cold and violent (Malcolm X's murder) when she expected wealth and joy. Loneliness, hard work... but also friendship and novelty.

The short chapters are very easy to read and the cultural differences well described. I was immersed in the novel and just couldn't put it down! I was not surprised to learn that Angie Cruz took inspiration from her own mother's history: this story feels so accurate and personal. A brilliant book.

Similar to:
- The Poet X (Elizabeth Acevedo)
- Americanah (Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie)

Wow, this book was an eye opener. The story follows 15 year old Ana from the Dominican Republic, who has just married a man double her age and arrived in New York City to start her new life. This is her big shot and her family at home are depending on her. The novel details how Ana copes in a new city where she knows no one and the isolation that she feels.

This book was so authentic and I really felt like I was given a small insight to the harsh reality of life as a female immigrant. The fact that it is an Own Voices author no doubt aids in the authenticity. Really enjoyed this book, I urge everyone to pick it up and give it a read!

5 stars.

A free ebook of Dominicana was provided to me by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this story of Ana, a young girl from Dominican Republic who marries aged just 15, to make a better life for the rest of her family in New York. Set at the start of the 1960s, we see her dreams, her potential, and her disappointments. Ana felt like such a real character - you see her growing, finding her feet, finding a way to survive in a city she doesn’t know, amongst people whose language she doesn’t speak, if only... Beautiful, sad and somehow still hopeful.

Based on her mother’s story, I’d love to read more by Angie Cruz.
TW: Domestic violence
Thanks to #Netgalley for the ARC. This came out in the UK late last month.

The cover of this book is bright and dynamic, much like the story inside. A coming of age tale set in the 1960's Dominican Republic and New York.
Ana is 15 and her family dream of her getting out of the Dominican Republic and moving to America and taking them all with her. Juan, a man in his thirties, but who has always had his eye on Ana, proposes and promises her a better life in New York. Ana isn't interested, but that doesn't stop her parents accepting the offer and within a few days she is married and travelling to New York. She doesn't speak the language, and she's in the big city for the first time. No longer is she a child, she is someone's wife with a home to keep and responsibilities. And a whole family back home relying on her. It tells a realistic immigrant story.
Ana is a brilliant character who I was rooting for throughout. Her husband Juan is violent and controlling. When he returns to the Dominican Republic for a few months, Ana sees this as her escape and starts to find herself and become independent. There are beautiful moments when she finds joy in earning her own money and taking English lessons. And a love affair blossoms between herself and Juan's younger charming brother Cesar.
Ana is thrown into a world she is unfamiliar with, the vibrant buzz of New York city set against the backdrop of the Vietnam war protests and assassination of Malcolm X. I felt I was there with her and sharing her journey. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I thought this was absolutely brilliant. The writing style took a few pages to get used to, I'm not used to there not being speech marks but I think it made sense. It was also a good indicator that although I was reading in English, they weren't speaking English. This really helped demonstrate the life that Ana was living.

It's fascinating to see New York in the '60s through Ana's eyes, we get a real sense of just how overwhelmed she is. But despite that, even when afraid she refuses to be cowed by it. She was married off in exchange for land by her parents and in order to help her whole family move to New York but she still manages to make her life her own. She has difficulties but she claims ownership of her life and is inspirational from that point of view.

“The first time Juan Ruiz proposes, I’m eleven years old, skinny and flat-chested.” This is the opening line of this powerful novel telling the story of Ana, sold off to Juan in marriage at the age of 15 in the mid-60s and expected to use her marriage to provide for her extensive family and give them a way out of Los Guayacanes. Juan, 17 years older than Ana and one of five ambitious brothers, is based in New York but has dreams of opening a restaurant in the Dominican Republic. He wants to buy land from Ana’s father and offers marriage and a move to New York as an incentive, with the promise of arranging visas for the rest of Ana’s family to follow.

The novel is narrated by Ana in the first person, and she is an utterly believable character, mature beyond her years and initially stoic in the face of her duty and her fate. Much is understated, but her bewilderment in New York, not knowing a word of English, scared by her husband into thinking she must never go out alone or open the door, submitting to his rough sexual advances and more than occasional casual violence - all this is the more powerful for being alluded to in a matter-of-fact way. Her world is small and contained, and world-shaking events like her assassination of Malcolm X right outside their apartment barely register - she does not know who he is, but observes how life resumes around the murder site while his widow and daughters continue to come and lay flowers for him. There are references to racial unrest, anti-Vietnam war protests and riots, but these are on the fringes of Ana’s more pressing domestic troubles. And meanwhile, in the Dominican Republic political unrest and violence also grow, fuelled by American interference, putting all Juan’s plans at risk.

As the weeks and months go by, Ana’s spirit refuses to be cowed. In collusion with her brother-in-law Cesar she starts to do a bit of work on the side and squirrels away some money to send back home, hiding it in her Dominicana, a hollow ceramic doll which “will keep all my secrets: she has no eyes, no lips, no mouth”. When Juan goes back home for a couple of months, Ana comes alive. She starts to attend the English lessons provided in the church down the road, starts a little business with Cesar selling Dominican food to the workers in the illicit factory where he works, goes out dancing with him and starts having a bit of fun, and falls in love with him. She briefly entertains a plan to run away with him to Boston but, pregnant now and with her mother and brother on the way thanks to the visas Juan has arranged for them, she understands this is not a viable option.

The men in Ana’s life do not come out well in the telling of this tale. Yet they are not portrayed as monsters - in a different way to Ana, they too are trapped by their upbringing, their perception in America, their culture. Juan loves the married Caridad and has married Ana to seal the deal on her father’s land, but having done so he takes his responsibilities to protect her and provide for her family seriously by his lights, and is thrilled when she falls pregnant. His casual violence is hard to witness, but it is driven in part by his frustration and feelings of powerlessness and Ana puts up with it for a while at least partly because it was culturally a part of her upbringing too. Cesar is the youngest brother, charming and carefree and impulsive but unreliable, and Ana recognises this. The strength in the hard lives shown here all lies with the women, who endure and rise above the inequalities and injustices to forge a new life and embrace the possibilities on offer.

The story is based on the tale of the author’s mother, and bears testament to the lives of many immigrants to the United States and elsewhere, then and undoubtedly still now. It is a story that bears witness to the strength of women throughout the ages, and deserves to be read widely. When Juan smashes Ana’s Dominicana, is violent towards her in the presence of his family and brings on a postpartum haemorrhage, we cheer when she moves beyond this with hope for the future, with her daughter and her mother by her side, leaving Juan behind.