Yo!

by Julia Alvarez

ALA Notable Book. Yolanda Garcia has managed to put herself at the center of many lives. Each part of this novel is told from the viewpoint of one of those first tangled in her web and now frozen in the spotlight her literary fame has generated. While everybody from her three sisters to her third husband attempts to sort out Yo's character, motivations, and behavior, Yo herself never speaks on her own behalf, even though, in her native Spanish, her nickname means "I." "A literary dance . . .lively and engaging."--Los Angeles Times Book Review. A QUALITY PAPERBACK BOOK CLUB SELECTION.

Genres: Fiction, Latinx, Novels, Contemporary, Latino, Literary Fiction, Literature

337 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

Julia Alvarez left the Dominican Republic for the United States in 1960 at the age of ten. She is the author of six novels, three books of nonfiction, three collections of poetry, and eleven books for children and young adults. She has taught and mentored writers in schools and communities across America and, until her retirement in 2016, was a writer-in-residence at Middlebury College. Her work has garnered wide recognition, including a Latina Leader Award in Literature from the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, the Hispanic Heritage Award in Literature, the Woman of the Year by Latina magazine, and inclusion in the New York Public Library’s program “The Hand of the Poet: Original Manuscripts by 100 Masters, from John Donne to Julia Alvarez.” In the Time of the Butterflies, with over one million copies in print, was selected by the National Endowment for the Arts for its national Big Read program, and in 2013 President Obama awarded Alvarez the National Medal of Arts in recognition of her extraordinary storytelling.

Photo copyright by Brandon Cruz González
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Reviews

[Brina · Rating 5 out of 5]

The sequel to How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accent, Julia Alvarez continues Yolanda's journey into American culture and how she changes from Domican Yolanda to American Yo and all of the struggles to maintain a balance between the two cultures. As expected this book was not as quite as good as the predecessor because I already knew the characters but still has Alvarez amazing prose so I enjoyed it all the same. Highly recommended.

[N · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book!

Brimming with moments of bursting hilarity, tragicomic and hot headed love affairs, "!Yo" is one of the rare sequels that really lives up to the original, yet having read this- this is not a true continuation or even sequel to Professor Alvarez's immortal "How the Garcia Girls Lost their Accents". I would even deem this novel a "semi-sequel" because there are new characters that weave in and out of the narrative that recall their relationship with Yolanda Garcia.

Yolanda is a graduate student, writer, professor, wife, friend, confessor, someone who sabotages chances in life, chances in love. She is maddening to those who know her, but even though they might feel negatively towards her, she always has redeeming qualities that remind them of what a charismatic woman she is. I certainly felt like I knew her- and I loved how Alvarez expands others' points of view on Yolanda.

Some standout vignettes that turned out to be truly touching and even a bit sentimental, but that is fine with me- I am a sucker for a good, emotional story.

Some highlights are:

"The Teacher" is about Jordan Garfield who recognizes Yolanda's talent for literature, and recommends her to the graduate program at Harvard. Only Yolanda is super preoccupied with her personal life that she forgets to apply, and living vicariously through her ends up falling apart.

However, in an unexpected twist of fate, he finds love after years of a miserable marriage to his wife with a former male student, and Jordan is now gay. Jordan cares for his lover until he passes of AIDS, and finds himself reminiscing of the mercurial student who walked in his path with amazement.

"The Cousin" is about Lucinda, in attempt in moving to America from the Dominican Republic, is sent back because of her confessions to Yolanda that in turn got written in a journal that aired the family's dirty laundry.

But Lucinda becomes a successful career woman at the DR, and though she knows she might be more successful than Cousin Yolanda, she is still resentful at the chance of a life in Nueva York.

"The Maid's Daughter" centers on Sarita, who is often told to hang her head in shame because she's beneath the Garcia sisters- but ironically becomes a successful doctor, just like Lucinda has become a wealthy businesswoman.

“The Landlady" is a master in storytelling and characterization. It centers on Marie, Yolanda's abused landlady and of how she encourages Marie to muster up the courage to leave her abusive husband. It ends on a comedic yet tone of sad wistfulness of a relationship that went wrong.

"The Best Friend" is a story ahead of its time- about a woman refusing to acknowledge Yolanda's possible queerness and asexuality as something not normal.

The final word goes to Dr. Garcia, when he states "sometimes, I get confused as to what exactly happened. I don't think it is only because I have read the story of those years over and over as Yo has written it, and I know I've substituted her fiction for my facts here and there" (Alvarez 299).

Life with its ups and downs, of its blurred lines between reality and fiction are so prevalent in this book, but whatever it is, Yolanda's story, and her creator, Julia Alvarez have truly cemented themselves in this wonderful, big hearted novel.

[Fabian · Rating 5 out of 5]

"What did he and this lady think? That money could buy the only thing the poor could have for free, their own children?" (255)

Emerging as an actual very bright, very original, very nostalgi-romanti-storic. A bona fide portrait of a woman with many haters and lovers, a writer one easily begins to think is Alvarez herself. (Also, that she's written--to my knowledge, since I still have some exploring of her entire body of work--at least 3 novels about 4 sisters, about the table that requires sturdy legs as much as a good novel necessitates glimmers of humor and pathos, and original voices all masters of their section, all ingeniously (and aptly) titled. This book is about what happens when instead of quiet and complacent angels, the Garcia sisters become fiery and disobedient: a theme I've encountered in her two books Ive read previously, In the Time of the Butterflies and her most recent Afterlife.This is up there with "Olive Kitteridge", but strikes louder with me as I knew a couple of fabulous people from the DR whose voice I remember upon reading this.

When the characters return in a different characters anecdote, or section, or chapter, it truly is a joyous occasion. The title of the novel is insistent upon itself, it is an ode to the sister (or it could be us, ME=YO). The inverted exclamation point is uniquely Spanish; it is also a greeting between two friends. Love her or hate her, Yolanda Garcia sure does make an impression--and yet has no time of her own in the narrative: splashes, impressions,

[Emma Deplores Goodreads Censorship · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun read, in large part because of the format. Each chapter is told by a different character, revolving around one Yolanda Garcia (Yo for short), a writer whom we get to know in a delightful variety of ways: from her sister, her college professor, one of her several husbands, the caretaker of her cousin’s estate in the Dominican Republic, even her creepy stalker. The stories jump around in place and time – some take place in the U.S., some in the D.R. – and feature characters from many walks of life, who have a wide variety of opinions about Yo. She is a complex, colorful character, and it’s fun to see the similarities and differences in the other characters’ portrayals.

Overall, this is a light contemporary read, though there are some forays into darker material (such as the family’s fleeing the D.R. during the Trujillo regime, when Yo and her sisters are children). Alvarez seems to have a good understanding of her own limitations, often missing in authors who attempt multiple narrators; some stories are told in first person and some in third, but she wisely sticks to the third person for characters likely further from her own experience and more difficult to render credibly in first person (a Dominican peasant woman who seeks Yo’s assistance in writing an important letter to her daughter, for instance). It’s a very readable book, and my only real complaint involves the occasionally over-the-top metaphors; the honking of a flight of geese is described as “a cross between a human cry and the trumpets of those angels that are going to descend on the last day to sort out of the good and bad souls like laundry.” I understand the use of figurative language to highlight a character’s background, but that’s a bit much. Leaving Yo in a dangerous place in what seems to be the last story chronologically isn’t my favorite choice either. Nevertheless, I enjoyed this book and think it would be a good book club pick.

[Lorna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yo!: A Novel was the delightful sequel by Julia Alvarez to her much loved book, How the Garcia Girls Lost their Accent. The Garcia girls are back, most notably Yolanda, who has become a writer, setting the family in turmoil because, although Yo has stressed in her many national interviews, the book is fiction, each one sees themselves in her words. How could she? Yo has become the object of much bitterness and resentment in the family.

As a result, her mother and sisters, the cousins in the Dominican Republic, the maid’s daughter, her teachers, her lover, and her father each want to tell their side of the story. Thus the different format with sixteen chapters, each devoted to a different person in the life of Yolanda Garcia giving us a very different perspective of her life. In those sections, we flash back to Yolanda’s first years in America, and her school and college days when she exhibited the potential of one destined for a spectacular career. However, as the narrative progresses it becomes darker. We begin see Yolanda Garcia as an insecure woman who has lost her early promise. In addition to revealing the details of Yolanda’s complicated life, each chapter is a fully nuanced portrait of the varied narrators. Their voices and experiences range from the adventurous to quietly heart-wrenching. Though her sisters have become Americanized, Yolanda still finds herself between two countries, frequently spending her summers in the Dominican Republic. Julia Alvarez has a gift in her appraisals of the two contrasting cultures. The final chapter narrated by her father, the most beautiful part of this enchanting novel, and reflecting yet another dimension in the life of this complex heroine bringing it all together. I loved the book.

“And I’m shaking my head, no, no, because I don’t know what to believe anymore except that everyone in our family is lying.”

“And in the midst of this clamorous clan, this kaleidoscope of colors, wanders the bride herself, Yolanda Garcia in a gray tunic and pants. She seemed almost subdued amid this tintinnabulation and emotional commotion as if she were trying to put all these people together in her head, a quilting of lives, a collection of points of view.”

[Lara · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is another book that I didn't realize up front was a collection of short stories. They're all connected, all different peoples' stories and impressions of Yolanda Garcia, aka Yo. A couple of them I really liked (The teacher/romance; The caretakers/revelation), a few I really hated (The best friend/motivation; The wedding guests/point of view; The stalker/tone), but most of them I felt completely indifferent to. One of my problems with this collection is that, despite the fact that each story is told by a different character, those characters all sound too much alike for me to believe they are real, separate, distinct people. Even Yolanda never really came alive for me at all. It's possible that I would enjoy a more traditional approach from Alvarez, but after reading this, I'm not rushing out to try her other work.

[Athira (Reading on a Rainy Day) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yolanda Garcia, or Yo, has just released a new book that has triggered a lot of angry reactions in her family. Even though Yo claims that it is fiction, each family member can identify themselves in some character of the book. They are frustrated, understandably, because their friends and acquaintances keep asking them which character represents them. Yo's mother is threatening to sue her while her sisters are refusing to talk to her. Yo cannot understand why her family is reacting as such and she keeps insisting that her book is fiction. Since her family members and sundry other people she knows are unable to do anything but rail at their portrayal in the so-called-fictional story, they each get a chance to redeem themselves by telling their story, and saying exactly what they think of Yo.

This is one of the most unique books I've ever read. I started reading it in Denver, when I missed my flight and was stuck at the airport for more than 12 hours. It was a good thing that I had just the perfect read to tide me over. Yo! is divided into 16 chapters, each chapter written from the perspective of a different person - not all family members. At the outset, it seems strange that a particular person may even be associated with someone vibrant and so full of life as Yo, but the connection soon becomes evident, halfway through that chapter. While some of the characters talk all about Yo and their relationship, and how Yo influenced their lives, others talk more about their own lives with Yo making a guest appearance. As I kept reading the book and entered the lives of different people, I began to get more curious about how Yo was going to make her appearance in that chapter - as a savior or as a person to keep away from.

Some of the characters who have their own chapters include close family members such as a sister, a cousin, her mother and her father. But in addition, there are other prominent characters such as an ex-lover, a maid's daughter, a landlady, a student, and a stalker. Not all the narrators know that they might have been caricatured in Yo's book, but they all have things to tell about Yo's life, and writing habits. Despite the changing narrator, I never found the flow of the novel to be disruptive - it actually works really well for this book.

Since all we had was the family's word at the start of the book that Yo "fictionally victimized" them, we get to form our own judgement through the stories shared by the characters. And though we never have Yo making a direct appearance other than in the narratives of other characters, the author still manages to create a rich and vivid person in Yo. From a young age, Yo was witty and stubborn. She also loved writing stories about the people she knew. She had gotten into plenty of trouble for telling tales - some of which could have almost gotten her family into danger in war-torn Dominican Republic, where she grew up.

The book reads more like a series of short stories than a complete book. Intertwined with each character's reminiscence of their relationship with Yo are snippets of their own life, as if they were caught in the middle of a household chore to sit in front of the interviewer. I loved how these little characters came to life and how no one appeared one-dimensional. The stories are in no particular chronological order. Although I wasn't initially sure of how things fell into place time-wise, before soon, I had a vague timeline in place. It is not until we reach almost two-thirds of the book that we really hear one person's experience of reading one of her books. Until then, I wasn't sure if Yo was just "inspired" by the stories in her life or whether there was more to it.

I have to admit that I was getting tired halfway through - reading so much about one person across 300 pages did wear me down a bit, but I'm glad that the focus on Yo's character shifts every few chapters, so that we don't hear the same thing over and over. Mostly, I'm impressed that you can write 300 pages about anyone in fiction, and without a plot. The whole story is set up for the reader to decide what they think of Yo, almost like a court case. The reader is the judge and the various characters with their own chapters are the witnesses. I loved the whole concept, and taking a stand on whether Yo did the right thing or not was not straightforward - by the end of the book, I learned so much about Yo, that I could only form an opinion but not slam the gavel. Overall, I truly enjoyed this very different read, and am eager to read more of Julia Alvarez's work.

[Alina · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of one girl's life, each chapter telling a non-chronological piece of her life from a different person's perspective. Sometimes a family member or another person who knew her well, sometimes someone who simply met her once.
I found this method of story-telling really fascinating. How can you really tell a story from one person's perspective and keep bias-free? You might as well show all sorts of biases, opinions, perspectives, whatever, and that will, perhaps, paint a fuller picture.
I loved the writing, and I also loved how Alvarez poked fun at Latin-American magic-realism tradition by revealing 'the truth' about it: it's not a style of writing, it is simply how things are down south. Too fun.

Definitely worth reading.

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book for all of its energy and contradicting stories but thought it kinda jumped off the rails in the final fifty pages or so. There are so many characters and perspectives that I started to lose track of who was who and then there's some inspired but confusing stream of consciousness chapters at the end that lost me completely. It's almost as if she is too good at writing different characters and it holds back some of the potential in a smaller cast. One student, in particular, has ten pages just to offer one somewhat redundant glimpse into Yolanda's character. It's well written and insightful, but then he's gone for the rest of the book.

But man, Alvarez can write! Lovely sentences and great characters. I'm a big fan. Looking forward to reading her other books.

[Jeanette De Jesus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like I said, I read one Julia Alvarez book and I was hooked. Yo! is the hilarious tale of a Dominican writer who uses her family as fodder for her first novel. As a person of hispanic descent I understand how major the issue of airing ones dirty laudry in public is. Yo (Yolanda) in deciding to use her family's story for her first novel, must not deal with their wrath as they attempt to set the record straight. I found myself connecting with all the characters at one point or another and feeling much sympathy and compassion for Yo who asked for it and got it:-)!

[Sandra Acosta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yo! is the skeleton key that opened me up to planet books. Even though at seventeen, I got Holden in The Catcher in the Rye; his cynical, maddening thought process. I truly resonated with big family, and lots of voices in Yo!. Thanks for opening the door.

[Allie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as good as in the time of butterflies, but a nice continuation about yo and the garcias.'light and easy read, interesting second to last story about the stalker (didn't see that one coming)!

[Yve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great Julia Alvarez book! It's kind of the literary equivalent of a concept album (is that even a thing?), in that all the stories revolving around Yolanda García are grouped in sections and each designated by some sort of literary concept - Part I is all genres, Part II plot elements, Part III abstract ideas. Reading the table of contents, it looks a little overwhelming or rigid or silly, but it works out. There is not much on any of the other sisters introduced in How the García Girls Lost Their Accents, but Alvarez shows many different sides of Yo: not all flattering, but all interesting. There were two parts that didn't really work for me: "The student" and the character of Yo's ex-boyfriend Dexter in "The suitor" and "The wedding guests." In both of these instances, Alvarez is adopting the viewpoint of American males, and in "The student" it feels very cliché jock and not in-depth (like, I could have written that for all I've observed the sports players on campus), while with Dexter she really lays it on way too thick with the "Southerner" thing. But for the most part I loved the book.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book about a writer from the Dominican Republic who faces the dilemma all writers of realistic fiction or family chronicles face - how do you deal with the emotions of family members or friends when the stories hit too close to home, because, to be effective, a writer must be brutally honest in delving beneath the surface, often exposing truths that others would prefer to keep hidden. In the words of the protagonist, "What is the point of shrouding yourself in silence? the grave will do that for you for all eternity." But then, truth is a subjective matter and Yo does not always see things the way others do. This book is told in the voices of various people in Yo's life, all of whom present a different view of this irrepressible woman.

[Arlie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautifully crafted novel, Alvarez looks (once again) at the complexities of family relationships and the ways in which we live and are seen. Like all of us, Yo is a complex character - at times almost heroic, she can also be amazingly self-centered. Each chapter of the book is told from a different person's point of view - family members, friends, employees, strangers - we hear each of them tell about the ways in which they know Yo. Yo herself is silent, but the reader gets a very clear picture of who she is. The chapters each fill in a different colour, and Yo emerges, likeable, loving, passionate, and frustrating. It was a highly enjoyable read.

[Katon · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is simply brilliant !
julia alvarez created a masterpiece that is deep, at times dark, but extraordinarily engaging.
for me, it is the relate-able aspect of the story that draw me in. not to mention the splendid use of dominican culture throughout the whole book.
the setting spans from the luxurious and mesmerizing new england area in the 60s to the exotic, foreign and mystical land of hispaniola.
i would definitely recommend this to everyone. this is the kinda book that i will read over and over again just to re-experience all of these amazing feeling i get from reading this book.

[alexandra-marie figueroa · Rating 4 out of 5]

una colección de crónicas, ensayos, historias y memorias — la idea de las diferentes versiones de nosotres que caminan el mundo, independientemente de quiénes seamos en realidad. an overall great read.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read Alvarez's In the Time of the Butterflies numerous times and teach it in one of my courses, so I bought the buzz that it was by far her best (and only) excellent novel. Was I ever wrong! While Butterflies has its incredible lens of historical fiction in its focus on the inspirational Mariposa sisters, Yo is something altogether different and altogether marvelous.

Focusing on the character of Yolanda (Yo), a Dominican-born author who immigrates to the U.S. with her family during Trujillo's dictatorship, this novel reads more like a collection of short stories, each one told from the perspective of a different person in Yo's life: a professor, a roommate, a landlord, a third husband, a stalker, etc. The political climate of the DR is the backdrop, not the focus. Instead, relationships drive the narrative, as do central undercurrents that question the importance of story, problematize the concepts memory and point-of-view, and investigate cultural identity in diaspora.

Every chapter could exist on its own as a self-contained short story. Alvarez's sense of arc and unexpected yet oddly satisfying endings are exquisite. Yet the chapters move forward in time, making this seem a bit like a novel.

I loved the various ways that issues of class and gender morph between cultures and how Yo's well-meaning gestures in regard to each sometimes lead to unintended consequences. Her well-meaning interventions in others' lives and her commitment to writing down stories, regardless of her family and friends' concerns make her a sympathetic yet flawed protagonist.

I can't wait to check out more of Alvarez's work, now that I know that she is not only a skilled writer of historical fiction, but she is an all-around skilled writer. Period.

[bianca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really cool book. It’s about a character - Yolanda, or Yo — that never gets to speak for herself. Each chapter is written from a different perspective — her sister, mom, dad, bestie, stoner boyfriend, landlord, husband, stalker, etc. They all talk about Yo at different time periods stretching from childhood to older age, and manage to both drill down on the same frustrating characteristics and highlight different facets of her softness.

As I got deeper into the book, I really wanted to hear from Yo herself but the reader never gets to — it left me feeling slightly unsatisfied but mostly impressed. You end the book not really knowing how to feel about this person that you know so much about! Alvarez should be really, really proud of the research that went into this book and her ability to put herself in other’s shoes. The only chapter I really couldn’t stand was the one with Dustin Hayes or whatever his name was — he was too much of a caricature.

I’d recommend to anyone who wants to read a complex novel, has never read Alvarez’s work before, who likes stories about immigrants pulled between too cultures. The only thing I didn’t like was Alvarez’s translation of Spanish words and phrases into English, but then I realized this book was written in 1997. It reads awkwardly at times, but I understand that that translation was an expectation when this was published.

[Tati · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't read How the García Girls Lost Their Accents, so I feel like I'm probably missing some of the nuance here. I bought it beaus I thought it would be interesting and I'd move through it pretty quickly-- well I was right!

It was good! And the most accurate representation of Latino family dynamics that I have read which was personally refreshing to me as there were finally aspects of a family drama that I could relate to. But as always, Hailey Dightman (please comment when you read this) was right, it wasn't the book for me. I definitely like the idea of the narrative structure way more than I actually liked the book. A collection of short stories all depicting the same women, who kind of a wild. I'm almost a little annoyed I don't actually like her considering she is a sort of alter ego to Alvarez.

[Suzanne Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yolanda "Yo" is one of the Garcia girls we first met in "How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accent". She is definitely the black sheep of the family: spunky, bohemian, flighty, compassionate, passionate, creative, emotional and oh so Dominican.
Julia Alvarez brings the reader along on an investigative journey of Yolanda's life. Each chapter is a story told by a different narrator....and each provides a different view of a very complex woman. Woven together, they tell a poignant story and bring Yo to life.
We never hear Yo's voice, so we form our own opinion about her based on the opinions of others. It worked for me and got me thinking: "If there was a book like this written about ME, who would the various narrators be and what would they recall?"
The book is dense and not a quick read, but worth the effort.

[Kara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely brilliant.

I was so impressed by the authors use of outside perspective to depict such a fascinating main character. I feel like the picture of Yo was painted so vivdly by means of so many people that come and go from one's life. I was very sad upon finishing, especially after the chapter from the dad's point of view. It rounded itself out with Yo being a child crying, and Yo as a middle age woman crying. Dunno why but something about that was pretty powerful. Definitely a good read.

*The wedding guest chapter was phenomenal. Beautifully written.

[Angie Ede · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

I loved that each chapter was from the perspective of a different character in Yo’s life - especially the wedding where you got to piece together how different stories ended.

There were several chapters in the middle of the book that dragged because the character’s relation to Yo wasn’t that exciting but they all proved important in the end.

While it took me longer than usual to complete this book I ended up appreciating the portrayal of culture, the many dimensions depicted of one character, and the complicated journey of Yo’s life.

[Christopher Flynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun, likable book, large autobiographical, about going back home to the Dominican Republic after growing up in the U.S. from the age of 10 (or so) on. Alvarez is an engaging writer. No particularly deep thoughts, but a lot of resonant experiences, combined with a nicely developed sympathy for the characters. I heard her read some of this several years ago and got this book autographed, one of the few signed copies I have. She was very pleasant to talk to.

[Jenny Hawley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I generally enjoy all of Julia Alvarez's books, and I certainly enjoyed this one. It was more like a book of short stories rather than a novel with an extended narrative, which is why I only gave it four stars as I am not a huge fan of short stories. However since the title character runs through all the stories, there was at least a central focus for the book.

[Julia Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fun premise + weaving together of many different voices and points of view + almost offhand bits of social/political/historical commentary (and of what-is-life-about melancholy) that almost sneak up on the reader all added up to a vacation read that drew me in right away.

[Ana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book by an amazing author! Julia Alvarez is one of the best authors of our time!!

[Lydia · Rating 4 out of 5]

The different perspectives in the book made it very interesting to read!

[Kitty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Someone sent me this in an anonymous book exchange and I really loved it :)

[Courtney Ferriter · Rating 3 out of 5]

** 3 stars **

This is a collection of stories that all feature Alvarez's character Yolanda Garcia in some way, and we learn more about her with each subsequent story. (Yolanda previously appeared in Alverez's novel How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents.) When this worked, it really worked - for example, "The Sisters," "The Teacher," "The Landlady," "The Night Watchman," and "The Father" were all standouts for me. But I struggled with some of the other stories, especially those where Yolanda is not as involved in the central action/plot. For this reason, it took me quite a while to finish this book.

Would recommend if you have an interest in short stories, Latine American writers, contemporary fiction, or if you read Alverez's debut novel and enjoyed Yolanda's character.