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A Place Where the Sea Remembers
Finalist for the Los Angeles Times book award and winner of the Minnesota Book Award, A Place Where the Sea Remembers is a timeless classic, a mesmerizing world filled with love, betrayal, tragedy, and hope.This rich and bewitching story is a bittersweet portrait of the people in Santiago, a Mexican village by the sea. Chayo, the flower seller, and her husband Candelario, the salad maker, are finally blessed with the child they thought they would never have. Their cause for happiness, however, triggers a chain of events that impact the lives of everyone in their world.The hopes, triumphs, failures, and shortcomings of the novel’s enchanting array of characters create a graceful picture of life that is both a universal portrait and an insider’s look at life in Latin America.
176 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1900
40 people are currently reading
718 people want to read
About the author
Sandra Benítez
19 books41 followersSandra Benitez was born in Sandy Ables, Washington D.C. and spent ten years of her childhood in El Salvador while her father was based there as a diplomat. She attended high school in Missouri from aged 14 and subsequently graduated with a B.S. (1962) and M.A. (1974) from Northeast Missouri State University.
In 1997 she was selected as the University of Minnesota Edelstein-Keller Distinguished Writer in Residence. In 1998 she did the Writers Community Residency for the YMCA National Writer’s Voice program. In the spring of 2001 she held the Knapp Chair in Humanities as Associate Professor of Creative Writing at the University of San Diego.
(from Wikipedia)
In 1997 she was selected as the University of Minnesota Edelstein-Keller Distinguished Writer in Residence. In 1998 she did the Writers Community Residency for the YMCA National Writer’s Voice program. In the spring of 2001 she held the Knapp Chair in Humanities as Associate Professor of Creative Writing at the University of San Diego.
(from Wikipedia)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 136 reviews
April 9, 2013
If not for its brevity, I would not have read this book. If not for the little discussion my sister and I had, I would not have given this book four stars (my initial rating was three).
I find this book very mysterious. To start, Remedios, la curandera, is enough to mystify any reader. And she seems to be unsatisfied with this initial mystification. She still has a lot of mystery in store as one flips the book towards the end. Well, it’s a Latin American book and the very first thought that came into my mind upon knowing the author’s nationality is Magic Realism. Mystery would then be out of the question.
Furthermore, I can say that this book is ‘jumpy’. The focus of the story shifts from chapter to chapter. Reading this book feels like reading an anthology of Latin American stories—stories about a Latin American’s experience with a gringo, poverty, magic, etc. Not just that: Events that seem to be very far from happening yet, miraculously happens in the next chapter, and so and so.
Saying these things, however, certainly will make a reader of this review question my four-star rating. Well, as I’ve said, my sister and I had a little discussion about the book. And, in so doing, I realized that this short tale’s utmost simplicity voices out its beauty. To mention some of my favourite parts after the little discussion, I really liked the story of Candelario and the story of Fulgencio. The salad-maker’s story, in my opinion, is a social commentary about people who pretend to be from high society and knows things like proper salad concoction. On the other hand, the story of el fotographo depicts how we have ‘mutual fear’ with our neighbors when there is no reason to feel so.
Now that I think of it, I believe I can say that this book is really worthy of being the recipient of the Minnesota Book Awards.
I find this book very mysterious. To start, Remedios, la curandera, is enough to mystify any reader. And she seems to be unsatisfied with this initial mystification. She still has a lot of mystery in store as one flips the book towards the end. Well, it’s a Latin American book and the very first thought that came into my mind upon knowing the author’s nationality is Magic Realism. Mystery would then be out of the question.
Furthermore, I can say that this book is ‘jumpy’. The focus of the story shifts from chapter to chapter. Reading this book feels like reading an anthology of Latin American stories—stories about a Latin American’s experience with a gringo, poverty, magic, etc. Not just that: Events that seem to be very far from happening yet, miraculously happens in the next chapter, and so and so.
Saying these things, however, certainly will make a reader of this review question my four-star rating. Well, as I’ve said, my sister and I had a little discussion about the book. And, in so doing, I realized that this short tale’s utmost simplicity voices out its beauty. To mention some of my favourite parts after the little discussion, I really liked the story of Candelario and the story of Fulgencio. The salad-maker’s story, in my opinion, is a social commentary about people who pretend to be from high society and knows things like proper salad concoction. On the other hand, the story of el fotographo depicts how we have ‘mutual fear’ with our neighbors when there is no reason to feel so.
Now that I think of it, I believe I can say that this book is really worthy of being the recipient of the Minnesota Book Awards.
January 10, 2014
I am still mesmerized by this novel -- in some ways a collection of intertwined stories about the people of Santiago, Mexico, a fishing village. Their hardships are undeniable and heart-rending, and yet they carry on with hope and respect. Benitez' writing is beautiful, but never gets in the way of the characters and their stories. This is a book which can easily be read in a day, and it will be difficult not to continue to the end.
April 22, 2018
4,5 stars
I marked no quotes; at first I couldn't get into the book that well, but then I was so intrigued I forgot to.
The story takes place in Santiago, a small village in Mexico. Every character has their own place in the narrative, their own occupation and their own part to fulfil. Each chapter is centred around one of them, and we follow each character battling their lives, struggling to meet the ends. It's not a short story book per se, but it feels like it. Some of the characters feature in each other's lives (Esperanza the nurse, Remedios the healer, Marta and Chayo the sisters...) but it's not really the point to figure out their relationship to one another.
The point, to me, is to experience the lives of these people, that the author manages to convey in a very limited number of pages. I felt their pain and anguish, could feel the weight of their mistakes. The characters are, however, supportive of each other. Lots of tragedies occur, but there's the hope that they'll get through it together. The reader also experiences their relief and excitement.
A large part of the book is also the belief in magic and rituals, sometimes a little superstitious. Most members of the community believe in curses, fortune cards and incarnation. I found the part Remedios played confusing in the narrative, I mostly skipped her pages on elements and remembering and being a bird or something.
The writing style is simple and strong, not too heavy on metaphors and descriptions, but nonetheless very atmospheric. It contains quite a lot of Mexican words and sentences, but they don't distract at all because they fit well in the context.
So a little heavy on the ritual magic for my taste, but otherwise a very powerful story, especially for its 160 pages. In a place where living is hard, it's refreshing to find the humanity of people. I strongly recommend it.
I marked no quotes; at first I couldn't get into the book that well, but then I was so intrigued I forgot to.
The story takes place in Santiago, a small village in Mexico. Every character has their own place in the narrative, their own occupation and their own part to fulfil. Each chapter is centred around one of them, and we follow each character battling their lives, struggling to meet the ends. It's not a short story book per se, but it feels like it. Some of the characters feature in each other's lives (Esperanza the nurse, Remedios the healer, Marta and Chayo the sisters...) but it's not really the point to figure out their relationship to one another.
The point, to me, is to experience the lives of these people, that the author manages to convey in a very limited number of pages. I felt their pain and anguish, could feel the weight of their mistakes. The characters are, however, supportive of each other. Lots of tragedies occur, but there's the hope that they'll get through it together. The reader also experiences their relief and excitement.
A large part of the book is also the belief in magic and rituals, sometimes a little superstitious. Most members of the community believe in curses, fortune cards and incarnation. I found the part Remedios played confusing in the narrative, I mostly skipped her pages on elements and remembering and being a bird or something.
The writing style is simple and strong, not too heavy on metaphors and descriptions, but nonetheless very atmospheric. It contains quite a lot of Mexican words and sentences, but they don't distract at all because they fit well in the context.
So a little heavy on the ritual magic for my taste, but otherwise a very powerful story, especially for its 160 pages. In a place where living is hard, it's refreshing to find the humanity of people. I strongly recommend it.
September 9, 2019
A great short novel that touches the heart. The book is a series of short stories interconnected by the fact that the stories are set in a small Mexican village. Each story shares the hopes, sorrows and struggles of a different person from the village. Some of the characters are related like the two who are sisters and others are acquaintances. The characters reappear in the background of each other's stories.
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January 28, 2019The book “A place Where the Sea Remembers” by Sandra Benitez is full of stories. In every chapter there are different stories of different characters, they live in the same place called Santiago. The stories in the book can be sad because it’s about how the people from Santiago suffer from different problems or occasions. I love the culture of the book, more because im from Mexico, so i relate to their culture. The book show how people are struggling through different situations, gives the audience a view in how people from Mexico are struggling comparing to other states.
In the state they live, is where i’m from, so i relate to it so much. In contrast with the United states, the Mexican culture has different type of music. They talk about what food they eat, which they like the spicy stuff. Here in the U.S. not a lot of people can handle the food they eat in Santiago for example the enchiladas. There’s a lot of flowers and they have different type of people, like the people who can use spells in others. It’s a dangerous place to probably more than the U.S. because of much people there is.
It was a realistic book to me, because it’s the reality of life. When i was reading through it kept making me get flashbacks from my hometown. There was a chapter of when a kid lost his mom and little brothers, showing how his going through that pain with his dad, that chapter reminded me of my relationship with my own dad. The book contained beautiful stories, i liked it in so many ways. I would recommend it to other people
In the state they live, is where i’m from, so i relate to it so much. In contrast with the United states, the Mexican culture has different type of music. They talk about what food they eat, which they like the spicy stuff. Here in the U.S. not a lot of people can handle the food they eat in Santiago for example the enchiladas. There’s a lot of flowers and they have different type of people, like the people who can use spells in others. It’s a dangerous place to probably more than the U.S. because of much people there is.
It was a realistic book to me, because it’s the reality of life. When i was reading through it kept making me get flashbacks from my hometown. There was a chapter of when a kid lost his mom and little brothers, showing how his going through that pain with his dad, that chapter reminded me of my relationship with my own dad. The book contained beautiful stories, i liked it in so many ways. I would recommend it to other people
January 28, 2019
The main story is of a young woman named Chayo who works as a flower-seller has been trying to have a child with her husband, Candelario, without success. She soon learns that after all her trying, she has finally managed to become pregnant and is filled with joy. There are also many side stories telling about other character’s loses and how they all work together. Chayo is able to successfully have her child but because this causes trouble for her sister, she curses the baby. Characters begin to lose even more and despair arises.
I have never been to Mexico, but this book helps to give me a small perspective. Everyone works together and are more tightly knit then in the US. They speak spanish even though it is put in an english perspective. I get to learn about some of the culture is. From the food to the way they handle the dead, it gives me more of an insight of the country I live so close to.
I really enjoyed this book even though it was filled with so much sadness. I am half Mexican and this has helped me to see a little more of what I haven’t seen. I don’t interpret the entirety of Mexico like this, because it isn’t but it is what some looks like. It was a very strong story that touched my heart. I would recommend this to those who can handle strong emotions and conflict.
I have never been to Mexico, but this book helps to give me a small perspective. Everyone works together and are more tightly knit then in the US. They speak spanish even though it is put in an english perspective. I get to learn about some of the culture is. From the food to the way they handle the dead, it gives me more of an insight of the country I live so close to.
I really enjoyed this book even though it was filled with so much sadness. I am half Mexican and this has helped me to see a little more of what I haven’t seen. I don’t interpret the entirety of Mexico like this, because it isn’t but it is what some looks like. It was a very strong story that touched my heart. I would recommend this to those who can handle strong emotions and conflict.
December 16, 2019
Best 75 cents I've ever spent. Enchanting from cover to cover.
November 14, 2022
Lovely book that reads like a collection of short stories that intertwine. Really glad to have this on my bookshelf!
October 31, 2023
forced high school read- not really for me lol
June 23, 2007
I know it's been (over)done much as of late, but I still love interconnectivity in a text. This book takes you into a small, seaside Mexican village (some of you will understand my attraction to that in itself), and gives you a brief but powerful glimpse into individual lives of those who live there. I found the characters to be very real, and I felt like this book really glimpsed into the beauty and tragedy of humanity. As you go, the same characters make cameos in other stories, all coming together more intricately at the end. Granted the plot device that gets you into these stories is a bit contrived, but give it a whirl anyway.
October 8, 2018
The language is simple and powerful. The imagery and storytelling is compelling. The tales are difficult to read. It shows that there is goodness in life, but it shows much more of the pain; Pain of poverty, abuse, and death, which are all a part of life, but it doesn’t make it any easier to digest. But wow. This is one beautifully written work.
June 10, 2010
I read this for my Critical Analysis class and really enjoyed it. It is a quick read and has a lot of literary elements which made it perfect for analyzing. Takes place in Mexico and discusses many of the daily issues faced in that country, but also includes many things that any human faces during their life time. Death, love, dreams, trials and how we learn from those things.
March 10, 2011
What an incredible book. It's one of those books that calms with its mediocrity until it bowls the reader over with an ending that should have been seen from a mile away, but wasn't until it was too late to put the book down. It is also rich in animal and color symbolism, and its roots in the classic elements only deepen the book's meaning. Well worth the read.
December 14, 2012
Sandra Benitez has written a beautiful book of loosely interconnected short stories about the people and their lives in Santiago, Mexico, a small village on the Pacific Coast. The poverty of these peoples' lives was excruciating, but despite that, the love they had for each other was evident. Their humanity shines through making them all very easy to empathize with.
August 19, 2010
I thoroughly enjoyed this first novel from Sandra Benitez. I had read one of her other books, but I so enjoyed the format and the stories of this one. Very easy going style and is a book you can easily read again and again.
July 12, 2015
I love the voice this story is written in. It is also interesting how it jumps from person to person in the small village. It jumps through time too. I've come to love the people in the village, and I wish them well.
January 29, 2019
This book takes place in a little town called Santiago, Mexico. The book focuses on a family, which is also what that family is focused on they are very unified and strong as a unit. Chayo is a flower seller, and her sister Marta is a chambermaid, live in a poverty-stricken village by the sea. Marta was at a young age and at 15 years old she was raped and became pregnant. And another women, Candelario, agree to take the child. But as the book progresses Chayo became pregnant as well. The soon found out it was because of a curse, a curse from “El Brujo”. Marta does not tell Chayo that there was a curse until they both have their children and plan to be released from the curse by the “Curandera” but to them does not succeed. With the curse, Chayo child almost dies from being bitten from a lot of fire ants. The book soon finishes with a hurt relationship between both sisters of distrust and hatred for the events that happened to them both. One of the main attributes of the book culture is that they care about their family a lot. In the beginning, they relied on each other because they were both going through hard trials and tried to overcome them together. I think that this point of view is very different from the United States because many people in Latin American rely on their family a lot, and like in the book they try to help each other but many people are easily offended when they are helped. I think that the way that the author created insight into another culture was really successful because, I being from Latin America, learned more about culture and harmonious relationships. I liked that in this novel they, in the beginning, relied on family. When they were both pregnant they helped each other. Not only their family but also Candelario because she was not able to bear children of her own. What I also liked from this book is that description when the author used words in Spanish. She did a good job of using then where it wouldn’t confuse the reader and add more value and more finesse to the story. Another thing that I liked from this book is that it gave an insight into another culture, and me being from a Latin American culture, I saw some similarities and differences which I was in awe with how good they were described to such length that you could imagine it in real life, right in front of you.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 29, 2019
The book starts out with a character named Remidios a healer who is waiting for a body to wash up that is the very first chapter! The beginning was really confusing because of how the book is written. It is written so every character only get one chapter from their perspective that sort of main people in the story are Candelario who had a job as a salad maker, and his wife Chayo who make beautiful paper flowers and sells them to tourists. So Candelario and Chayo had been married for a while and they couldn't have children so they gave up hope of ever having kids. They were going to take in Chayo's sister Marta's baby but then discover that Chayo was pregnant and then Candelario lost his job as a salad maker. So they couldn't take Marta's baby anymore and that made Marta angry so she cursed their baby. That is the beginning part of the story.
The culture in the book was very different from what I have experienced in America. The people in the book struggle to make a living and not all of them get to go to school. Most of the jobs are for cooking or cleaning or taking pictures. It also showed how girls and women are there they don't get to go to school and get married really young one of the character was only fourteen and married and her husband beat her which was really sad. The book was a really great representation of what it is like for some of those people living in Mexico. I really liked how it showed how happy they were too. It wasn't like oh the poor Mexicans it showed the good and the bad.
The book was really good I at first found the switching perspectives really annoying and confusing and found myself wondering how the author was going to make a story out of it but she did. The characters were so real and even though you only got one chapter with each of them you got to know them so well and you felt like you knew their whole story. The story was so sad. The characters were put through so much but what really amazed me was how she showed the growth of each character without you actually reading about that exact character. The book overall was very good and made you think a lot about how different the culture of Chayo and Candelario was from our American culture.
The culture in the book was very different from what I have experienced in America. The people in the book struggle to make a living and not all of them get to go to school. Most of the jobs are for cooking or cleaning or taking pictures. It also showed how girls and women are there they don't get to go to school and get married really young one of the character was only fourteen and married and her husband beat her which was really sad. The book was a really great representation of what it is like for some of those people living in Mexico. I really liked how it showed how happy they were too. It wasn't like oh the poor Mexicans it showed the good and the bad.
The book was really good I at first found the switching perspectives really annoying and confusing and found myself wondering how the author was going to make a story out of it but she did. The characters were so real and even though you only got one chapter with each of them you got to know them so well and you felt like you knew their whole story. The story was so sad. The characters were put through so much but what really amazed me was how she showed the growth of each character without you actually reading about that exact character. The book overall was very good and made you think a lot about how different the culture of Chayo and Candelario was from our American culture.
January 30, 2019
A Place Where the Sea Remembers introduces you to about four main characters, one of the most important being Chayo, a woman who is newly married in Mexico. Her husband, Candelario, is a salad maker, until he gets fired after making a salad for a famous and wealthy doctor who does “legal” abortions. Chayo’s sister is pregnant after sexual harassment with the man she thought she liked, and begs her sister and her sister’s husband to take her baby so that she wouldn’t have to get an abortion. However, Chayo finds out she’s pregnant, and her sister doesn’t react well. Marta, her sister, goes to see someone who ends up cursing her sister.
A cultural experience that is extremely important in A Place Where the Sea Remembers is one that most Mexicans featured in the book holds, belief in the supernatural, such as healers and curses. While some doubt this in the book, it’s still very obvious that they do believe it’s right under the surface, especially when Chayo gets cursed. Not many people in the United States seem to hold beliefs like these, really only extremely Christian and especially Mormon thoughts. Christianity, here, mainly regards curses and healers as Pagan beliefs, from what I’ve seen and heard. Despite being very similar religions, of sorts, they each view one another as something completely different.
In my opinion, this book was a great look into Latin America. I’ve never visited Mexico myself, so I must take the words of the author as close as I must. Other than writing with beautifully flowery, yet short, language this author shows just how real things can get when curses are placed on you, if you believe in that sort of stuff. Not only this, but in A Place Where the Sea Remembers it was made very clear that a lot of people in this small town of Mexico didn’t know how to read, and how that was a challenge to these individuals. Another side the author showed in this novel is how judgmental some of the upper class people could be, an older woman referring to a native american with what is considered slurs. All of this added together is why I honestly feel like A Place Where the Sea Remembers is an amazing experience, and is a book that everyone should read.
A cultural experience that is extremely important in A Place Where the Sea Remembers is one that most Mexicans featured in the book holds, belief in the supernatural, such as healers and curses. While some doubt this in the book, it’s still very obvious that they do believe it’s right under the surface, especially when Chayo gets cursed. Not many people in the United States seem to hold beliefs like these, really only extremely Christian and especially Mormon thoughts. Christianity, here, mainly regards curses and healers as Pagan beliefs, from what I’ve seen and heard. Despite being very similar religions, of sorts, they each view one another as something completely different.
In my opinion, this book was a great look into Latin America. I’ve never visited Mexico myself, so I must take the words of the author as close as I must. Other than writing with beautifully flowery, yet short, language this author shows just how real things can get when curses are placed on you, if you believe in that sort of stuff. Not only this, but in A Place Where the Sea Remembers it was made very clear that a lot of people in this small town of Mexico didn’t know how to read, and how that was a challenge to these individuals. Another side the author showed in this novel is how judgmental some of the upper class people could be, an older woman referring to a native american with what is considered slurs. All of this added together is why I honestly feel like A Place Where the Sea Remembers is an amazing experience, and is a book that everyone should read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 29, 2019
A Place Where the Sea Remembers was a very interesting book. The different points of view seemed disconnected at first, but came together toward the end. It seems to focus on multiple different characters, but they all have two things in common, the town the live in and each other. It is less of a story specifically about a character, and more a story of the workings of a town, and the many different stories within it. Remedios is, a recurring theme, however. She has the most chapters focused on her alone, which, although short, tell her personal story in parts. The plot seems to dance around around at first, but slowly the characters cross and the stories combine into a cohesive piece.
One experience within the book that I could not relate to, but spoke to me deeply was that of Marta. She feels trapped in a small town after being raped and impregnated. She doesn’t want the baby but Marta has nowhere to go. An abortion is, apparently unaffordable, and her sister refuses to take the child. This leads Marta down a dark path, that of confronting “la bruja,” meaning the witch, and curses her sister. This is not an experience that could easily be seen within the United States. The traditional ideas of witches and curses aren’t widely believed in. Marta dreams of moving away from her small town, which is somewhat of the United States dream, and is seen often, but the superstitious side is specific to her experience.
In my opinion, a Place Where the Sea Remembers is a very good, yet very sad book. At times it was difficult to get through, especially with the frustration felt towards certain characters that make very bad decisions. The ending was surprising, but I could see the build-up toward it, and it made me nervous. The book was focused on telling the difficult stories that could be seen within the community, and in my opinion it was very successful. I especially appreciated that the stories were in chronological order, and that they didn’t cross over in time lines, only with character and plot. Overall it made the story easier to understand, and more put together as a whole piece.
One experience within the book that I could not relate to, but spoke to me deeply was that of Marta. She feels trapped in a small town after being raped and impregnated. She doesn’t want the baby but Marta has nowhere to go. An abortion is, apparently unaffordable, and her sister refuses to take the child. This leads Marta down a dark path, that of confronting “la bruja,” meaning the witch, and curses her sister. This is not an experience that could easily be seen within the United States. The traditional ideas of witches and curses aren’t widely believed in. Marta dreams of moving away from her small town, which is somewhat of the United States dream, and is seen often, but the superstitious side is specific to her experience.
In my opinion, a Place Where the Sea Remembers is a very good, yet very sad book. At times it was difficult to get through, especially with the frustration felt towards certain characters that make very bad decisions. The ending was surprising, but I could see the build-up toward it, and it made me nervous. The book was focused on telling the difficult stories that could be seen within the community, and in my opinion it was very successful. I especially appreciated that the stories were in chronological order, and that they didn’t cross over in time lines, only with character and plot. Overall it made the story easier to understand, and more put together as a whole piece.
January 30, 2019
Latina writer Benitez begins her excellent debut novel with a painful event--the wait for a drowned body to float to shore--and works backwards, retracing the myriad, seemingly insignificant steps that led to the character's death. As in Like Water for Chocolate , this novel sympathetically explores the lives of Mexican women caught in a mystical, fatalistic world. Chayo, a flower seller, and her sister Marta, a chambermaid, live in a poverty-stricken village by the sea. When 15-year-old Marta is raped and becomes pregnant, seemingly barren Chayo and her husband, Candelario, agree to take the child. Soon after, however, Chayo discovers that she too is expectant and reneges on the promise. Livid, Marta arranges with el brujo , the witch doctor, to put a curse on her sister's child. Both women bear sons, and a remorseful Marta tells her sister about the curse, which she claims to have had removed by la curandera , the healer. But when Chayo's son almost dies after being bitten by fire ants, the sisters' relationship once more deteriorates and, inexorably, the tragedy presaged in the book's opening chapter comes to pass. Benitez's unsparing vision into the stark realities of village residents' lives offers a poignant counterpoint to superficial vacation snapshots of Mexico.
Culture in books have big impacts on books, this books culture is very spanish based, outside of america the culture is different anywhere you go. when Candelario, even after being fired, wants to take Marta's baby, since his wife is not able to have one. Chayo, Candelario's wife was not able to have a baby so he thought that since Marta is Chayo's sister then he would love to raise her baby. This really shows how good of a guy he is. Culture plays with personality, the type of environment and person you are.
I didn't really enjoy this book. It wasn't my style, but it does have a nice story to it. Comparing culture and finding that type of stuff in it made it interesting because it helped that stand out in other books i'm reading right now.
January 29, 2019
A women named Remedios reflects on what is going to happen when the book is over. Remedios is the healer of the book and helps with people's problems and helps them with love and anger. In the book Candelario and Chayo really wants a kid and then later in the book Marta is raped and becomes pregnant and says they can have her baby. But then Chayo finds that they are expecting and doesn’t need Marta’s baby. Marta becomes angry with Chayo and she goes and gets a curse put on Candelario and Chayo kid. This book has a lot of tragedy in it.
This book has a lot of culture that is different from the US, in the book they have different musical taste than most of the US. They have a mariachi band and in the US we do not. The book is also focused on family I think too. Candelario and Chayo really wanted a kid and then they finally got one which was a really exciting moment in the book. Marta is Chayo’s sister and is with child at age 14! Marta told Chayo she could have her baby, and that was nice but then they find out that Chayo is pregnant. Marta cast a curse on her sisters child! It may be family oriented but it can have downfalls with family. Then they both have their kids and the curse kind of plays back to Marta’s kid. The culture is different in Mexico too from the US. They are in poverty and their economy was low but in the US we have some poverty but not everyone is in poverty.
I didn’t love this book, but I didn’t hate it. I think it was really interesting to read about the different stories and how they all weaved into one big story. I liked how it had a little bit of magic in it and that kind of spiced my attention. I didn’t love how hard it was for me to understand what I was reading. I also didn’t understand that the first chapter was actually the “last” chapter of the book. That was really confusing and now that I know it makes more sense. I didn’t really love the book but it was a good book to read about especially to learn about the different culture. Overall this book was pretty good!
This book has a lot of culture that is different from the US, in the book they have different musical taste than most of the US. They have a mariachi band and in the US we do not. The book is also focused on family I think too. Candelario and Chayo really wanted a kid and then they finally got one which was a really exciting moment in the book. Marta is Chayo’s sister and is with child at age 14! Marta told Chayo she could have her baby, and that was nice but then they find out that Chayo is pregnant. Marta cast a curse on her sisters child! It may be family oriented but it can have downfalls with family. Then they both have their kids and the curse kind of plays back to Marta’s kid. The culture is different in Mexico too from the US. They are in poverty and their economy was low but in the US we have some poverty but not everyone is in poverty.
I didn’t love this book, but I didn’t hate it. I think it was really interesting to read about the different stories and how they all weaved into one big story. I liked how it had a little bit of magic in it and that kind of spiced my attention. I didn’t love how hard it was for me to understand what I was reading. I also didn’t understand that the first chapter was actually the “last” chapter of the book. That was really confusing and now that I know it makes more sense. I didn’t really love the book but it was a good book to read about especially to learn about the different culture. Overall this book was pretty good!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 29, 2019
In this book there are a lot of different stories that are not related to each other. Remedios is a woman in the town who is a healer who knows all the town’s stories. The first story is about a girl who was raped and the cost for an abortion is 100,000 pesos but a doctor comes into town and offers to do the procedure for 20,000 pesos. But then the girl’s father who runs a salad restaurant punishes her because she serves the doctor salad that he doesn’t like. Then the story changes to a photographer who has gotten pictures of a famous wrestler without his mask on which will sell for a lot of money but the guy he gets a ride from later steals his camera and everything and he thinks he’s lost everything. And then he finds his stuff on the side of the road and realizes the guy giving him a ride was afraid of him. It goes through a ton of other stories that have happened in the town and none of them are related except that Remedios is reliving all of them by the sea.
The culture experience I learned by reading this book was that stories are so important to other cultures. And especially in Hispanic culture it is how people learn about their ancestors and they also believe nature is a witness to things that happen and can tell stories. Like how the sea somehow knows all the stories, they believe that. It makes stories a lot more important to life and it makes it so that people will tell their children stories of their lives in ways that most people in America don’t come to that level of story telling.
My opinion of the novel was that it was confusing because the stories were all different from each other and it took a while to realize they weren’t even connected. That made me think of what the point of the book was. And I think the point of the book was to show how the people in that culture view stories as being so important that it doesnt matter who the characters are they all teach some kind of lesson. The lesson this book taught was that stories dont need to be connected to make us think about life and nature and how the world is connected by stories.
The culture experience I learned by reading this book was that stories are so important to other cultures. And especially in Hispanic culture it is how people learn about their ancestors and they also believe nature is a witness to things that happen and can tell stories. Like how the sea somehow knows all the stories, they believe that. It makes stories a lot more important to life and it makes it so that people will tell their children stories of their lives in ways that most people in America don’t come to that level of story telling.
My opinion of the novel was that it was confusing because the stories were all different from each other and it took a while to realize they weren’t even connected. That made me think of what the point of the book was. And I think the point of the book was to show how the people in that culture view stories as being so important that it doesnt matter who the characters are they all teach some kind of lesson. The lesson this book taught was that stories dont need to be connected to make us think about life and nature and how the world is connected by stories.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 31, 2019
The book that I am reading for my Lit Circle is, A Place Where the Sea Remembers by Sandra Benitez. The book is very interesting. In every chapter, it starts with a different story, but in the end they all tie together. In the first chapter it talks about this guy named Remedios standing on the beach looking at the sunset. In the second chapter it talks about Maria and how she is with child and doesn’t want to keep the baby. The third chapter is about the salad maker whose name is Candelario. He gets fired because one of the customers didn’t like the Caesar salad, so the boss blames it on him so he loses his job. Each story is different, and interesting in their own ways. The book can be very confusing, but once you know what is going on, it becomes a great story.
The culture in the book is very different compared to my culture, but of course there are some similarities. Like the book, I love my family. Family is very important in my culture. In the book they speak to different languages, (English and Spanish). I only speak English, so does the rest of my family. The book also talks about a girl getting pregnant at a young age and how the find that as being a disgrace and disappointment. In my culture, we don’t like the idea of someone getting pregnant at a young age, but we don’t eject them we still welcome them into our lives.
This book was strangely good. At some points It got really confusing and you didn’t know what point of the book you are at. It was hard to keep up with the different stories and the characters. Once you got use to how the author was writing the book, it was really good. Reading about all the different stories and the characters really got you hooked into the book. It was nice to see how the author tied all the stories together at the end. It made the ending for impressive.
The culture in the book is very different compared to my culture, but of course there are some similarities. Like the book, I love my family. Family is very important in my culture. In the book they speak to different languages, (English and Spanish). I only speak English, so does the rest of my family. The book also talks about a girl getting pregnant at a young age and how the find that as being a disgrace and disappointment. In my culture, we don’t like the idea of someone getting pregnant at a young age, but we don’t eject them we still welcome them into our lives.
This book was strangely good. At some points It got really confusing and you didn’t know what point of the book you are at. It was hard to keep up with the different stories and the characters. Once you got use to how the author was writing the book, it was really good. Reading about all the different stories and the characters really got you hooked into the book. It was nice to see how the author tied all the stories together at the end. It made the ending for impressive.
January 29, 2019
The story takes place in Mexico. The author tells the story from different points of view in each chapter. The characters in the story all speak Spanish and they all do their jobs as part of their community to earn money and provide for themselves and/or their families. In one of the stories from the book, there is a family that includes the couple Chayo and Cande. Chayo’s sister, Marta is pregnant with a baby that she wants Chayo to take care of so she can fulfill her dreams in the United States. Chayo refuses to take care of her baby, because she is pregnant with her own child. Because of this, Marta (the sister) decides to consult a witch doctor that will spell Chayo into taking the baby.
I really enjoyed reading about the culture in the book and learning about how it’s different from my own. They ate different foods, celebrated different events, and had different customs. It was interesting to learn about this different culture, because it’s cool to compare the culture of Mexico and the United States. In the book, when Cande is making salad for the doctor, it shows how there are some people that are more “higher class” in Mexico and the way that they treat “lower class” people.
I think that the book was very beautifully written and it had a much more diverse culture than what I have experienced. I really liked the way that all of the characters had different stories, but they all seemed to be connected to the ocean. It was the one thing that was consistently the same throughout each story. However, I sometimes found myself confused as to what was going on, because of all the different stories. The timeline wasn’t very clear to me. Overall, I think it was a very interesting book even though I didn’t understand some parts of it.
I really enjoyed reading about the culture in the book and learning about how it’s different from my own. They ate different foods, celebrated different events, and had different customs. It was interesting to learn about this different culture, because it’s cool to compare the culture of Mexico and the United States. In the book, when Cande is making salad for the doctor, it shows how there are some people that are more “higher class” in Mexico and the way that they treat “lower class” people.
I think that the book was very beautifully written and it had a much more diverse culture than what I have experienced. I really liked the way that all of the characters had different stories, but they all seemed to be connected to the ocean. It was the one thing that was consistently the same throughout each story. However, I sometimes found myself confused as to what was going on, because of all the different stories. The timeline wasn’t very clear to me. Overall, I think it was a very interesting book even though I didn’t understand some parts of it.
January 29, 2019
A Place Where the Sea Remembers takes place in Santiago Mexico where many citizens' stories tie together. It starts with a young girl named Marta who is pregnant and she doesn’t want to keep her baby. Her brother-in-law offers to take the baby but ends up not being able to care for it because his wife is pregnant. Marta goes to Remedios: a healer for a curse on her sister, she feels awful afterwards but the curse follows her around. It also talks about the photographer, teacher and midwife of their town and how their stories intertwine.
In this book family is a very main point in their lives. In my life I rely on my family for smaller things like homework help or advice, in their lower-class family they rely on family for so much more. Marta turns to her sister and brother-in-law in her time of need with her baby and dreams of traveling north. The teacher lives with and loves and cares for his mother. Family is a strong value in their culture and it is a strong value in mine. It was amazing to read about the differences and similarities we share.
I liked this novel but It wasn’t my absolute favorite. It was an interesting Idea and I loved how the stories intertwined, however, the time skips that it had were hard to follow. I would start a new chapter and be confused at the timing, not realizing how much time had gone by. The writing in Spanish was slightly annoying, just because I could mostly understand what it said in Spanish but I would have to reread it again in English when the author explained it again. All the double reading because of the two languages made the book longer and more repetitive. I did really like how the first chapter perfectly ties in with the last chapter and how it is all resolved, mentioning the sea and how it applied to the people.
In this book family is a very main point in their lives. In my life I rely on my family for smaller things like homework help or advice, in their lower-class family they rely on family for so much more. Marta turns to her sister and brother-in-law in her time of need with her baby and dreams of traveling north. The teacher lives with and loves and cares for his mother. Family is a strong value in their culture and it is a strong value in mine. It was amazing to read about the differences and similarities we share.
I liked this novel but It wasn’t my absolute favorite. It was an interesting Idea and I loved how the stories intertwined, however, the time skips that it had were hard to follow. I would start a new chapter and be confused at the timing, not realizing how much time had gone by. The writing in Spanish was slightly annoying, just because I could mostly understand what it said in Spanish but I would have to reread it again in English when the author explained it again. All the double reading because of the two languages made the book longer and more repetitive. I did really like how the first chapter perfectly ties in with the last chapter and how it is all resolved, mentioning the sea and how it applied to the people.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 11, 2019
In this book there was a family feud, a marriage and death. Two sisters cared for each other and then problems arose with the youngest sister circumstance about her unborn child and her sister becoming pregnant. Magic exists and was used in the family feud and had some consequences. The cause of happyness for the older sister started this and through it the midwife got married and Marta had her no longer unwanted child die in the place of her sister's. The poor boys body will wash up where Marta got pregnant unwantedly.
In the eyes of Chayo, the older sister she wants a happy life. She decided not to take in her sister's unborn child because she now was pregnant. Then in anger her son was cursed by her sister starting a family feud. She would not forgive her sister Marta because it was her only child after so long of being barren. Curses to her where obviously serious and she probably couldn't believe that her sister did that to her nephew. She only forgives her sister and feels sorry when her nephew, Marta's son, is taken by the river.
I thought this book was okay for the most part. I liked that there was magic but the way it was used at first, the curse, I disapprove of. But it was a real fear for the characters in the book. Mostly i think this was more culture centered then magic and that made it for a somewhat interesting read.I really didn't Like they way out was written with so many Spanish words but at that sense it did emphasize the different culture than American life.I just am not as interested in this type of novel than others but still would recommend it in a book club.
In the eyes of Chayo, the older sister she wants a happy life. She decided not to take in her sister's unborn child because she now was pregnant. Then in anger her son was cursed by her sister starting a family feud. She would not forgive her sister Marta because it was her only child after so long of being barren. Curses to her where obviously serious and she probably couldn't believe that her sister did that to her nephew. She only forgives her sister and feels sorry when her nephew, Marta's son, is taken by the river.
I thought this book was okay for the most part. I liked that there was magic but the way it was used at first, the curse, I disapprove of. But it was a real fear for the characters in the book. Mostly i think this was more culture centered then magic and that made it for a somewhat interesting read.I really didn't Like they way out was written with so many Spanish words but at that sense it did emphasize the different culture than American life.I just am not as interested in this type of novel than others but still would recommend it in a book club.
January 28, 2019
A Place Where the Sea Remembers is a book of several small stories that are connected one way or another. We start with a man named Candelario Marroquin and his life in the multi-city of Santiago. As the book goes on we read about a photographer named Fulgencio, then Marta who is Candelario sister in-law, and then we read about a teacher named Rafael, then we read about a single father named Cesar, and with each character we get beautiful yet sad story.
Superstition. The book shows how many of the characters are superstitious of healer, brujos, and magic. It shows how Marta, Luz, and other people go to healer, ask her for her help. It seems silly, but a lot of the Mexican culture is like that, even I can be like that sometimes. It the book its shows how the characters are very superstitious, but some really aren’t, but would rather not involve themselves in stuff like that. Fulgencio said “ I’m not a churchgoing man, but I am a god fearing one”. He implies that he’s not really into church, but he doesn't want to upset the man upstairs, and funny enough there are plenty of Mexican people like him. I felt like the author did a great job on showing a sneak peek to the Mexican culture.
I really enjoyed A Place Where the Sea Remembers, the book is both full of culture and emotion. Each story in the book is well written, and unique enough to help create a new perspective of aspects of the culture. A Place Where the Sea Remembers is also simple enough that it’s very easy to keep track of what is going, and that was a very nice change of pace for me. Overall the stories are enjoyable yet sad, and I would gladly recommend this book to others.
Superstition. The book shows how many of the characters are superstitious of healer, brujos, and magic. It shows how Marta, Luz, and other people go to healer, ask her for her help. It seems silly, but a lot of the Mexican culture is like that, even I can be like that sometimes. It the book its shows how the characters are very superstitious, but some really aren’t, but would rather not involve themselves in stuff like that. Fulgencio said “ I’m not a churchgoing man, but I am a god fearing one”. He implies that he’s not really into church, but he doesn't want to upset the man upstairs, and funny enough there are plenty of Mexican people like him. I felt like the author did a great job on showing a sneak peek to the Mexican culture.
I really enjoyed A Place Where the Sea Remembers, the book is both full of culture and emotion. Each story in the book is well written, and unique enough to help create a new perspective of aspects of the culture. A Place Where the Sea Remembers is also simple enough that it’s very easy to keep track of what is going, and that was a very nice change of pace for me. Overall the stories are enjoyable yet sad, and I would gladly recommend this book to others.
January 28, 2019
This book focuses on the lives of many people who live Santiago, Mexico. It tells the personal story of each character through their eyes and their struggles. Each life is intertwined with another in their own unique way. Each chapter shows the perspective of this characters struggles with one problem. Some of these people are family, neighbors, or even teachers to each other. It gives you a peek into their personal life and what they think of other people while telling their backstory and how it affects the present.
I realized with this book that the setting of book and the cultures that the characters have can affect the plot and the characters themselves so much. It can even affect the way that the characters interact with each other. In this book everyday things that are so normal can shape the way that characters react to things and how they interact with each other. Like how they could make money selling things like paper flowers or showing tricks that they’re pets can do because of the tourist.
This book was a rollercoaster of emotions for me. It’s a book that I probably wouldn’t pick out myself but I am glad I read it anyways. I really enjoyed the way of the author would change the perspectives in each chapter. The one thing that kind of confused me were the time jumps with each chapter, sometimes it’d skip months to years. Although time was going very fast the pacing made the book feel long when it only has 14 chapters. There were a bunch of little details that really helped you picture Santiago and the vibe that you could get for the city. It was just telling the everyday lives of regular people but it was told in such an engaging way.
I realized with this book that the setting of book and the cultures that the characters have can affect the plot and the characters themselves so much. It can even affect the way that the characters interact with each other. In this book everyday things that are so normal can shape the way that characters react to things and how they interact with each other. Like how they could make money selling things like paper flowers or showing tricks that they’re pets can do because of the tourist.
This book was a rollercoaster of emotions for me. It’s a book that I probably wouldn’t pick out myself but I am glad I read it anyways. I really enjoyed the way of the author would change the perspectives in each chapter. The one thing that kind of confused me were the time jumps with each chapter, sometimes it’d skip months to years. Although time was going very fast the pacing made the book feel long when it only has 14 chapters. There were a bunch of little details that really helped you picture Santiago and the vibe that you could get for the city. It was just telling the everyday lives of regular people but it was told in such an engaging way.
January 29, 2019
A Place Where the Sea Remembers, follows the stories of several characters, and experiences they have. It takes place in Santiago, Mexico. Each chapter is a another characters story, and a common theme throughout every chapter is sadness and misfortune. Happy experiences are few and far in between. Interspersed between each of these chapters are one to two page chapters about Remedios, the healer. In these chapters, she visits the sea and listens to its stories, hence the name of the novel.
The characters in the novel see things from a point of view of being poor, and Mexican. It comes up frequently that they can't afford the taxi, whilst many in america use it daily. They also grow a lot of their own food, and have many Mexican traditions. The wedding in the novel shows this, especially with the dish mole, which I never hear of in the US. They see America as almost fantastical, as we see with the Life magazine, and Marta’s obsession with traveling to LA.
I enjoyed the writing, imagery, and beauty of the novel, but I did not enjoy the content and plot. The writing flowed well, and never felt forced. It was easy to read this novel, I never found myself getting bored and zoning off. Overall, I enjoyed the writing and execution of the story. However, I didn’t enjoy the story itself. It was unclear what exactly the role of Remedios was, and why or how she listened to the stories of the sea. This novel accomplished nothing, I felt like I had wasted time once finishing, and the story did nothing for me. It was incredibly sad, and no part of it enlightened me or made me enjoy it. I like the authors writing, but not her story.
The characters in the novel see things from a point of view of being poor, and Mexican. It comes up frequently that they can't afford the taxi, whilst many in america use it daily. They also grow a lot of their own food, and have many Mexican traditions. The wedding in the novel shows this, especially with the dish mole, which I never hear of in the US. They see America as almost fantastical, as we see with the Life magazine, and Marta’s obsession with traveling to LA.
I enjoyed the writing, imagery, and beauty of the novel, but I did not enjoy the content and plot. The writing flowed well, and never felt forced. It was easy to read this novel, I never found myself getting bored and zoning off. Overall, I enjoyed the writing and execution of the story. However, I didn’t enjoy the story itself. It was unclear what exactly the role of Remedios was, and why or how she listened to the stories of the sea. This novel accomplished nothing, I felt like I had wasted time once finishing, and the story did nothing for me. It was incredibly sad, and no part of it enlightened me or made me enjoy it. I like the authors writing, but not her story.
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