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Tell Me Something True
A young Colombian-American woman uncovers the truth about her deceased mother's secret past in this beautiful and poignant debut novel from journalist Leila Cobo.
Gabriella always loved the picture of her mother kneeling in front of a bed of roses, smiling, beautiful and impossibly happy. But then she learns that her late mother hated gardening; that she had never wanted the house in the Hollywood hills, the successful movie producer husband, and possibly, her only daughter.
When Gabriella discovers a journal--a book that begins as a new mother's letters to her baby girl, but becomes a secret diary--the final entry leaves one question the night her mother died, was she returning to Colombia to end an affair, or was she abandoning her family for good?
Tell Me Something True is the bittersweet story of a daughter learning to see her mother as a woman, and not just a parent.
Gabriella always loved the picture of her mother kneeling in front of a bed of roses, smiling, beautiful and impossibly happy. But then she learns that her late mother hated gardening; that she had never wanted the house in the Hollywood hills, the successful movie producer husband, and possibly, her only daughter.
When Gabriella discovers a journal--a book that begins as a new mother's letters to her baby girl, but becomes a secret diary--the final entry leaves one question the night her mother died, was she returning to Colombia to end an affair, or was she abandoning her family for good?
Tell Me Something True is the bittersweet story of a daughter learning to see her mother as a woman, and not just a parent.
299 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
August 13, 2022
A great summer beach read, quick and easy. I love how the culture of Columbia was intertwined into the story and the strong female lead. I would probably make it 5 stars if it had a happier ending. Normally I like the beautifully tragic endings, but it felt out of place with the rest of the book.
November 21, 2021
Interesting but disturbing story which left me feeling despair. All of the characters were unlikeable except the protagonist’s father who was not even present in the story except in reference.
October 23, 2009
I received this book as a review copy from the publisher. "Tell Me Something True" is a well-written and compelling novel with complex characters and a realistic plot. The novel was set in Cali, Colombia, and the details about the culture and city brought the scenes alive in my imagination. I read late into the night to discover what happened next. But it's a difficult novel to describe. The closest I can get is that it's about learning there are real, life-changing consequences to your actions and just because you think you can get away with something, you might be wrong and maybe you shouldn't do it.
The book was written with two main, alternating viewpoints: Gabriella's third person, present tense viewpoint and her mother's diary written in first person, past tense. I hardly noticed the use of present tense, perhaps helped by the chapters being short and alternated with those in past tense.
I didn't really like Gabrielle or approve of her choices. She's self-centered, drinks socially at parties until she's drunk, occasionally uses drugs, purposely dresses provocatively, casually sleeps with her boyfriends, and so on. The other characters also had a tendency to do selfish things and try to justify them to themselves and to others. Still, I felt sympathy for the pain they were going through, and I could understand why Gabrielle and Angel were drawn to each other.
The ending was a bit sad but realistic.
There was some Spanish used in the novel, but either it was translated or a simple word or phrase that was easy to figure out from context and which wasn't critical to understanding what was going on. There was a minor amount of bad language. The sex (pretty much all of it outside of marriage) was not graphic/explicit. Overall, I'd recommend this well-written, fairly clean novel.
The book was written with two main, alternating viewpoints: Gabriella's third person, present tense viewpoint and her mother's diary written in first person, past tense. I hardly noticed the use of present tense, perhaps helped by the chapters being short and alternated with those in past tense.
I didn't really like Gabrielle or approve of her choices. She's self-centered, drinks socially at parties until she's drunk, occasionally uses drugs, purposely dresses provocatively, casually sleeps with her boyfriends, and so on. The other characters also had a tendency to do selfish things and try to justify them to themselves and to others. Still, I felt sympathy for the pain they were going through, and I could understand why Gabrielle and Angel were drawn to each other.
The ending was a bit sad but realistic.
There was some Spanish used in the novel, but either it was translated or a simple word or phrase that was easy to figure out from context and which wasn't critical to understanding what was going on. There was a minor amount of bad language. The sex (pretty much all of it outside of marriage) was not graphic/explicit. Overall, I'd recommend this well-written, fairly clean novel.
August 1, 2009
Twenty-one year old Gabriella goes to Cali, Colombia to spend the month with her grandmother, Nini (Cristina), falls in love with Angel Silva, son of an imprisoned drug dealer, and discovers a diary her mother started writing to Gabriella when she was born. Gabriella's father, Marcus, is a successful American filmmaker from a well-known, wealthy family. Her mother, Helena, who died when Gabriella was four, was the daughter of a respectable and similarly wealthy Colombian family. Helena was a photographer, and Gabriella learns that Helena had an affair in Colombia, while she was there taking photographs of old Colombian architecture. Gabriella is consumed by a need to find out whether her mother planned to abandon her daughter and husband or to end her affair with Juan Jose, while she struggles with her own problem of having fallen in love with "the wrong man." This is a book that explores the importance of mothers in their children's lives, the nature of love and the role of family and place in relationships, as well as the ramifications of infidelity. The story is told in the alternating viewpoints of Gabriella and Helena with a single chapter from the point of view of Nini, and appropriately seems to leave unanswered the many questions it raises. This is an adult book, but high school students will relate to Gabriella as she struggles with her identity and her place in the world, and will find the themes of interest.
July 6, 2010
I don't usually cotton to the device of alternate chapters in two voices, but Cobo handles it fairly well. The setting (Cali, Colombia) is evocative, and the story is interesting. A daughter, Gabriella, of both the US and Colombia, on a visit to her deceased mother's family, finds her mother's journal and is desperate to figure out whether or not her mother, Helena, was planning to abandon her for an affair with a man from her country of origin.
Meanwhile, Gabriella begins an affair with Angel, the son of a jailed drug dealer, a young man who has a legitimate business but must be continually on guard for an attack because he is his father's son. Gabriella's reckless liaison parallels, in some ways, her mother's extramarital affair, as Gabriella seeks those who knew her mother, hoping to find information that will resolve the questions she has about her mother.
*** SPOILER ALERT ***
I was surprised at how easily Gabriella was talked into fleeing back to the US by her maternal grandmother and her father. Her love for Angel seemed deep and real, but how she behaved after he was attacked came across to me as a scared, spoiled little girl running home to safety.
Like mother, like daughter, they both seem like spoiled, petted women without a lot of character. I know that such women exist, but do they deserve a book? Overall, I'd say the setting and story telling were quite good, but the plot and female characters left much to be desired.
Meanwhile, Gabriella begins an affair with Angel, the son of a jailed drug dealer, a young man who has a legitimate business but must be continually on guard for an attack because he is his father's son. Gabriella's reckless liaison parallels, in some ways, her mother's extramarital affair, as Gabriella seeks those who knew her mother, hoping to find information that will resolve the questions she has about her mother.
*** SPOILER ALERT ***
I was surprised at how easily Gabriella was talked into fleeing back to the US by her maternal grandmother and her father. Her love for Angel seemed deep and real, but how she behaved after he was attacked came across to me as a scared, spoiled little girl running home to safety.
Like mother, like daughter, they both seem like spoiled, petted women without a lot of character. I know that such women exist, but do they deserve a book? Overall, I'd say the setting and story telling were quite good, but the plot and female characters left much to be desired.
September 1, 2012
Coming across "Tell Me Something True" was an accidental happening for me. Does everyone remember when Borders had their first big blow-out sale? Yeah, this book was around three USD, of course I was going to buy it. Well, I finally got around to reading it and, I must say, it is very good.
Throughout the book you are being educated, whether it is on the Spanish language or on Columbia. As a Spanish language student, I found it helpful to keep me fluent and thinking of Spanish even when I'm not in the class. And I learned things, something I really do enjoy.
Also, the book switches POVs. One chapter will be in third person, focusing on Gabriella; and the next will be in first person, focusing on Helena. It's very nice to be able to get a mix of third person and first person without the novel becoming awkward. All readers will be satisfied.
Though the book moves pretty...not slowly, but not dramatically, it is still a nice read. But I bet you are wondering why I didn't rate Leila Cobo's book higher, right? Well, it might be petty, but I disliked the ending. I repeat, DISLIKED, not hated. The ending was good, but not what I was expecting or, what I later found myself, wanting. Other than that, the characters had depth, there were a few twists here and there, the language was marvelous, it was a very nice read.
Throughout the book you are being educated, whether it is on the Spanish language or on Columbia. As a Spanish language student, I found it helpful to keep me fluent and thinking of Spanish even when I'm not in the class. And I learned things, something I really do enjoy.
Also, the book switches POVs. One chapter will be in third person, focusing on Gabriella; and the next will be in first person, focusing on Helena. It's very nice to be able to get a mix of third person and first person without the novel becoming awkward. All readers will be satisfied.
Though the book moves pretty...not slowly, but not dramatically, it is still a nice read. But I bet you are wondering why I didn't rate Leila Cobo's book higher, right? Well, it might be petty, but I disliked the ending. I repeat, DISLIKED, not hated. The ending was good, but not what I was expecting or, what I later found myself, wanting. Other than that, the characters had depth, there were a few twists here and there, the language was marvelous, it was a very nice read.
December 26, 2009
I didn't truly disklike this book, but I'd give it 2.5 stars and say I considered it a tad bit less than average on the goodreads 3-star "like" scale.
The jacket copy was right that those who enjoy Jodi Picoult might like Ms. Cobo's debut. I thought it was okay, and of course the ending disappointed me from the main POV of Gabriella and her new beau and how some of the action came out of nowhere. But I guess that's how things are. I dunno, wasn't too fond of the characters and towards the end Gabriella just seemed to urk me a bit when she decided to stop doing what other people wanted for her (what's best) and did something she thought would make her new love happy, when in fact it was kinda of stupid. Ah well, young girls in love I guess.
The character I liked the most was the boyfriend, Angel, and let's just say he gets a rough break.
The jacket copy was right that those who enjoy Jodi Picoult might like Ms. Cobo's debut. I thought it was okay, and of course the ending disappointed me from the main POV of Gabriella and her new beau and how some of the action came out of nowhere. But I guess that's how things are. I dunno, wasn't too fond of the characters and towards the end Gabriella just seemed to urk me a bit when she decided to stop doing what other people wanted for her (what's best) and did something she thought would make her new love happy, when in fact it was kinda of stupid. Ah well, young girls in love I guess.
The character I liked the most was the boyfriend, Angel, and let's just say he gets a rough break.
November 20, 2011
The more I think about it I realize that I didn't really like either the mother, Helena, or the daughter Gabriella. At some point Gabriella mentions that her mother was just a selfish person doing what she wanted when she wanted with no thought or regard to who she might hurt but Gabriella does the same thing at the end leaving her new boyfriend just when he needs her the most. Gabriella is selfish, a coward and a weak person overall in that she allows herself to be pressured (easily) into doing something she doesn't want to to but when it comes to making a choice, an important choice, she takes the easy way out. Of course, this is just my opinion.
I think that this is one of those books that when you've finished reading it you either love it or you don't. I didn't.
I think that this is one of those books that when you've finished reading it you either love it or you don't. I didn't.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 18, 2009
There is a soft elegance to this novel that really drew me in and then you find yourself in a world of betrayal where violence lurks in every corner. Really lovely writing and and engrossing--the perfect combination of suspense (there is such a sense of dread embedded here) and beauty. I highly recommend this book and look forward to more by this author.
January 19, 2010
LOVED this book! And it was Leila Cobo's debut novel. I read this book so quickly and then wished I hadn't so I'd still have something so wonderful to read. Hate when good books are over, but so happy I read it!
October 30, 2022
I was instantly caught up when the book jumped from present day to the past with Gabriella’s deceased mother’s diary, written to her infant. However, when found, the diary reveals something Gabriela doesn’t understand, and doesn’t want to believe. The story continues, vacillating between the new love Gabriela finds, and the uncovering of her mother’s story, told via the diary and scenes from Helena’s eyes. Gabriela has to weigh what she learns, and consider what it meant regarding her mother’s love for her, and what her mother’s true choice was… Her own love affair helps her gain clarity and understanding of her mother and the place for love in one’s life as she makes a tough decision herself.
A reading group guide posed the question of whether the book was a mother-daughter story or a love story… or both. Hmm…. I really felt it was more regarding the place for love in our lives - the priority we place on it in relation to other aspects of our lives. Perhaps on the selfishness inherent in following a passionate love, as well as the question of what is lasting…
Someone else’s review commented that for this summer beach read, they would have loved a happier ending… idk, appreciate a bit of reality with romance stories! I did kinda hate the stereotypical violence but it brought about the more realistic ending…
A reading group guide posed the question of whether the book was a mother-daughter story or a love story… or both. Hmm…. I really felt it was more regarding the place for love in our lives - the priority we place on it in relation to other aspects of our lives. Perhaps on the selfishness inherent in following a passionate love, as well as the question of what is lasting…
Someone else’s review commented that for this summer beach read, they would have loved a happier ending… idk, appreciate a bit of reality with romance stories! I did kinda hate the stereotypical violence but it brought about the more realistic ending…
March 19, 2021
This was an OK read, but taken as a whole it left a lot to be desired. The tag line, "What if everything you believed about your family was a lie?" is very misleading. OK, the mom had an affair - and I don't think this is a spoiler because it is not surprising or unexpeceted - but that hardly constitutes EVERYTHING about your family.
The story is told from two POVs - Gabriella, in the third person, and her mother, Helena, in the first person. Helena's story is supposed to be a diary that was written to her daughter, but nobody writes in a diary like that, so I always felt just a little disoriented reading it.
None of the characters, except the grandmother, is very well developed. Helena is a spoiled, egotistical, selfish woman, but if there was anything more to her personality, you never saw it. Gabriella spends all her time doing whatever she wants and justifying her actions, which gets tiresome. Even the ending is one long justification. And the fact that she is a concert pianist is just pointless.
You can read this as a romance, and maybe it will satisy, but don't look for anything too substantial, becasue you won't find it.
The story is told from two POVs - Gabriella, in the third person, and her mother, Helena, in the first person. Helena's story is supposed to be a diary that was written to her daughter, but nobody writes in a diary like that, so I always felt just a little disoriented reading it.
None of the characters, except the grandmother, is very well developed. Helena is a spoiled, egotistical, selfish woman, but if there was anything more to her personality, you never saw it. Gabriella spends all her time doing whatever she wants and justifying her actions, which gets tiresome. Even the ending is one long justification. And the fact that she is a concert pianist is just pointless.
You can read this as a romance, and maybe it will satisy, but don't look for anything too substantial, becasue you won't find it.
July 16, 2019
After reading the synopsis on a whim, I picked this one up during a local shop's closing sale, it sounded interesting enough, but in hindsight I'm thankful I didn't spend more than $2 on it.
The book was hard to finish, as the writing style felt somewhat forced, lackluster, and stale, and found the main character, Gabriella was hard to identify with. There were a good many small things about the story I liked, but over all, for a story that had over/undertones of the seedy world of drug dealers and mob hits, nothing about the content read as super suspenseful to me, which felt somewhat confusing and disingenuous, I suppose?
I may revisit it again in the future, to see if my tastes change and it feels more interesting to me, but through my first read, I wasn't exactly blown away, but I didn't hate it, either.
The book was hard to finish, as the writing style felt somewhat forced, lackluster, and stale, and found the main character, Gabriella was hard to identify with. There were a good many small things about the story I liked, but over all, for a story that had over/undertones of the seedy world of drug dealers and mob hits, nothing about the content read as super suspenseful to me, which felt somewhat confusing and disingenuous, I suppose?
I may revisit it again in the future, to see if my tastes change and it feels more interesting to me, but through my first read, I wasn't exactly blown away, but I didn't hate it, either.
July 5, 2020
Meh. Not my favorite,wasn't much of a story imo. Not sure what the point really was but I'm not one to quit a book so I finished it.
September 19, 2021
Found this book i purchased maybe 10 years ago. If you are older than 18 don’t read this book. Childish and predictable.
September 27, 2022
3.5 it took me a bit to get into this, but I wound up enjoying this beach read.
November 16, 2012
Back-Story: I picked this up when Borders was going out of business. When that happened, I basically went to every Borders in my area and literally any book that looked interesting or the summary sounded good, I bought. This was one of them.
I picked this book up because I thought the cover looked a bit creepy and like what I would picture on a haunting book full of ghosts. It just evokes that feeling for me. The summary sounded like it would be a bit of a mystery possibly so I decided to go ahead and get it.
Review: There were parts of this book I really liked, but for the most part I found it disappointing.
Looks- The cover fits the story but I still think it seems kind of ghostly-haunting looking instead of just a little girl playing the piano all by herself.
Content- I didn't find this book relatable at all. It may be because I have no Latin blood in me but I couldn't relate to some of the traditions in the book and some of it didn't make sense to me. When I realized that this book would be a bit about the dark, mafia, drug-dealers, I was a little excited just to see what would come of it. I never felt a dangerousness to the book however. It kind of just felt like a drawn-out story about a girl finding out things about her mother and Angel was just there to add an epic ending.
I liked having Gabriella's mother's part of the book because I found it cool to be able to read what was happening in her life as Gabriella finds it out. I liked how everything came about and how the stories became intertwined. I thought that Helena's part of the book was better written and that you could feel a bit more emotion tied in when she is faced between Juan Jose and Marcus and the tearing feelings in her heart. However, Gabriella didn't have as much gripping-ness to me. She kind of just bops around without much thought to her actions for the entire story and that just irritated me.
At first, Gabriella is meant to seem like this strong young girl who isn't afraid of anything. But then she just sort of crumbles as you read. She takes her life for granted. She's easily persuaded to do things she knows she shouldn't. She won't listen to anybody at all who is trying to help her. She consistently makes decisions for love and then when it matters most, she's revealed as this pathetically weak girl who takes the easy way out and turns her back on love after all this time. As you can tell, she just irritated me. A lot.
The characters are pretty standard. The development of the characters is all right. It could've been better. The plot was a bit drawn out. I personally thought that the ending could've had more in it. I wanted to feel the desperation that Gabriella should have felt in having to leave Angel and being caught between taking care of herself and her love for him. However I felt like the author just glommed over that part and sent Gabriella home and quickly ended the book with just a short description of what we all expected--Angel never speaking to her again. I did like the implication that Gabriella is going to go back to find him.
I guess I just expected there to be this huge dramatic scene where the world feels like it's turned upside-down for Gabriella. Where everything all of a sudden hits her and she realizes that everything she thought was true was a lie. There was never any kind of huge, dramatic, defining scene for Gabriella (besides the ending). I think it would have been more realistic to have one of these scenes because that is what I would have felt. I would've been able to take it as it came like Gabriella did the entire book but then finally there would have been sometime when it all really hit me. That never happened in this book.
Overall, the book isn't terrible; however, it could have been a lot more gripping in my opinion. It could've been better written and the plot could've been better. The character development could have been better. The book kind of is just there for me. It doesn't beg for itself to be thought about; it doesn't merit a reread ever. It's just there.
Likes: The ending. The way the plot came together between Helena's and Gabriella's story. Helena's part because she was more realistic and gripping. Angel.
Dislikes: The book could have a lot more written into it. It's about a mafioso for one thing and it just didn't evoke any kind of dangerous feeling to it. I found Gabriella annoying at points. There was so much the author could have done with this book but didn't. I just found it disappointing.
Overall:
Recommend? No.
I picked this book up because I thought the cover looked a bit creepy and like what I would picture on a haunting book full of ghosts. It just evokes that feeling for me. The summary sounded like it would be a bit of a mystery possibly so I decided to go ahead and get it.
Review: There were parts of this book I really liked, but for the most part I found it disappointing.
Looks- The cover fits the story but I still think it seems kind of ghostly-haunting looking instead of just a little girl playing the piano all by herself.
Content- I didn't find this book relatable at all. It may be because I have no Latin blood in me but I couldn't relate to some of the traditions in the book and some of it didn't make sense to me. When I realized that this book would be a bit about the dark, mafia, drug-dealers, I was a little excited just to see what would come of it. I never felt a dangerousness to the book however. It kind of just felt like a drawn-out story about a girl finding out things about her mother and Angel was just there to add an epic ending.
I liked having Gabriella's mother's part of the book because I found it cool to be able to read what was happening in her life as Gabriella finds it out. I liked how everything came about and how the stories became intertwined. I thought that Helena's part of the book was better written and that you could feel a bit more emotion tied in when she is faced between Juan Jose and Marcus and the tearing feelings in her heart. However, Gabriella didn't have as much gripping-ness to me. She kind of just bops around without much thought to her actions for the entire story and that just irritated me.
At first, Gabriella is meant to seem like this strong young girl who isn't afraid of anything. But then she just sort of crumbles as you read. She takes her life for granted. She's easily persuaded to do things she knows she shouldn't. She won't listen to anybody at all who is trying to help her. She consistently makes decisions for love and then when it matters most, she's revealed as this pathetically weak girl who takes the easy way out and turns her back on love after all this time. As you can tell, she just irritated me. A lot.
The characters are pretty standard. The development of the characters is all right. It could've been better. The plot was a bit drawn out. I personally thought that the ending could've had more in it. I wanted to feel the desperation that Gabriella should have felt in having to leave Angel and being caught between taking care of herself and her love for him. However I felt like the author just glommed over that part and sent Gabriella home and quickly ended the book with just a short description of what we all expected--Angel never speaking to her again. I did like the implication that Gabriella is going to go back to find him.
I guess I just expected there to be this huge dramatic scene where the world feels like it's turned upside-down for Gabriella. Where everything all of a sudden hits her and she realizes that everything she thought was true was a lie. There was never any kind of huge, dramatic, defining scene for Gabriella (besides the ending). I think it would have been more realistic to have one of these scenes because that is what I would have felt. I would've been able to take it as it came like Gabriella did the entire book but then finally there would have been sometime when it all really hit me. That never happened in this book.
Overall, the book isn't terrible; however, it could have been a lot more gripping in my opinion. It could've been better written and the plot could've been better. The character development could have been better. The book kind of is just there for me. It doesn't beg for itself to be thought about; it doesn't merit a reread ever. It's just there.
Likes: The ending. The way the plot came together between Helena's and Gabriella's story. Helena's part because she was more realistic and gripping. Angel.
Dislikes: The book could have a lot more written into it. It's about a mafioso for one thing and it just didn't evoke any kind of dangerous feeling to it. I found Gabriella annoying at points. There was so much the author could have done with this book but didn't. I just found it disappointing.
Overall:
Recommend? No.
June 17, 2010
Initial Reaction:
Really interesting story - I enjoyed the characters and the plot. Very sad, though. You may tear up!
Characters:
Gabriella is a young woman from Los Angeles, with roots in Cali, Columbia, Gabriella lost her mother, Helena, to a plane crash at a very young age. She has grown up thinking of her mother as being perfect, a wonderful, devoted wife and mother, who loved to garden. She has had no reason to think otherwise. The story is told in alternating chapters in both of their voices. Gabriella's is the "present" voice; and Helena's is the "past" voice, telling the reader about her own life and the reasons she made the decisions she did.
Gariella makes a yearly visit to Cali to visit her grandmother and other family members. During this trip to Cali, though, she discovers something that changes her outlook toward her deceased mother. She finds her mother's diary, outlining a torrid affair she was having during the time of her death. As Gabriella discovers something new about her mother, Helena's chapters explain things more in detail, so the reader gets the full picture of what actually was happening in Helena's life during that time. For example, Gabriella has grown up thinking that Helena loved gardening based on a photograph she has of her and her mother in the garden. Helena actually hated to garden! Helena explains in her chapter how the picture came to be, which is really interesting and very sweet. As Gabriella reads the diary, Helena explains her thoughts and feelings during the time, so the reader gets the full picture of Helena as well as Gabriella's reaction to these discoveries. I loved how the story was told. It was not confusing at all and really gave more depth to these characters.
During her trip to Cali, Gabriella meets and falls in love with Angel, the son of a well-known drug dealer. Angel's father is currently serving time in jail for his crimes. Angel and Gabriella's relationship is tender and sweet, and I found myself rooting for them, despite all the obstacles in their way. You can feel their emotions and that they were truly falling in love with one another. But, with Gabriella's family telling her to keep away from Angel, due to his father's reputation as a drug kingpin, and their fear for her safety, Gabriella becomes even more confused. As she struggles to understand her mother's secret life and her growing love for Angel, she truly grows as a person throughout the novel. I really loved Gabriella's and Angel's characters.
Plot:
The plot of this story was very engaging. Although I wouldn't say it is unique, the characters are what make this story. The plot is almost secondary to the characterization of Gabriella, Helena, and Angel. Their growth through the novel is what kept it moving along. I wanted to know more about them. I did enjoy the plot and the questions that are raised with Helena's infidelity. For example, on that final flight - was Helena going to Cali to break off the affair or was she going there to stay forever, leaving her husband and young daughter behind?
The relationship between Gabriella and Angel was wonderful, perfect, shocking, and sad. Toward the end of the novel, I was in tears. I did not predict some of the things that happened, so I was truly shocked when they happened. This book definitely gets high marks for shocking this reader!
Setting:
I loved the setting in Columbia! It's so different from what I'm used to reading and I found that it was portrayed very realistically. After I finished the book, I read a bit on the author and she is actually from Cali, so that would explain the attention to detail! This was a great setting for a story and I found myself drawn right into it, picturing myself right there with the characters.
Overall Opinion:
I really enjoyed this story immensely and I would definitely recommend it to any contemporary fiction lovers. The setting in Columbia is fantastic and I loved these characters.
Really interesting story - I enjoyed the characters and the plot. Very sad, though. You may tear up!
Characters:
Gabriella is a young woman from Los Angeles, with roots in Cali, Columbia, Gabriella lost her mother, Helena, to a plane crash at a very young age. She has grown up thinking of her mother as being perfect, a wonderful, devoted wife and mother, who loved to garden. She has had no reason to think otherwise. The story is told in alternating chapters in both of their voices. Gabriella's is the "present" voice; and Helena's is the "past" voice, telling the reader about her own life and the reasons she made the decisions she did.
Gariella makes a yearly visit to Cali to visit her grandmother and other family members. During this trip to Cali, though, she discovers something that changes her outlook toward her deceased mother. She finds her mother's diary, outlining a torrid affair she was having during the time of her death. As Gabriella discovers something new about her mother, Helena's chapters explain things more in detail, so the reader gets the full picture of what actually was happening in Helena's life during that time. For example, Gabriella has grown up thinking that Helena loved gardening based on a photograph she has of her and her mother in the garden. Helena actually hated to garden! Helena explains in her chapter how the picture came to be, which is really interesting and very sweet. As Gabriella reads the diary, Helena explains her thoughts and feelings during the time, so the reader gets the full picture of Helena as well as Gabriella's reaction to these discoveries. I loved how the story was told. It was not confusing at all and really gave more depth to these characters.
During her trip to Cali, Gabriella meets and falls in love with Angel, the son of a well-known drug dealer. Angel's father is currently serving time in jail for his crimes. Angel and Gabriella's relationship is tender and sweet, and I found myself rooting for them, despite all the obstacles in their way. You can feel their emotions and that they were truly falling in love with one another. But, with Gabriella's family telling her to keep away from Angel, due to his father's reputation as a drug kingpin, and their fear for her safety, Gabriella becomes even more confused. As she struggles to understand her mother's secret life and her growing love for Angel, she truly grows as a person throughout the novel. I really loved Gabriella's and Angel's characters.
Plot:
The plot of this story was very engaging. Although I wouldn't say it is unique, the characters are what make this story. The plot is almost secondary to the characterization of Gabriella, Helena, and Angel. Their growth through the novel is what kept it moving along. I wanted to know more about them. I did enjoy the plot and the questions that are raised with Helena's infidelity. For example, on that final flight - was Helena going to Cali to break off the affair or was she going there to stay forever, leaving her husband and young daughter behind?
The relationship between Gabriella and Angel was wonderful, perfect, shocking, and sad. Toward the end of the novel, I was in tears. I did not predict some of the things that happened, so I was truly shocked when they happened. This book definitely gets high marks for shocking this reader!
Setting:
I loved the setting in Columbia! It's so different from what I'm used to reading and I found that it was portrayed very realistically. After I finished the book, I read a bit on the author and she is actually from Cali, so that would explain the attention to detail! This was a great setting for a story and I found myself drawn right into it, picturing myself right there with the characters.
Overall Opinion:
I really enjoyed this story immensely and I would definitely recommend it to any contemporary fiction lovers. The setting in Columbia is fantastic and I loved these characters.
February 5, 2010
Tell Me Something True is about a young woman, Gabriella, who spends a summer visiting family in Colombia and what she learns about her mother, Helena, upon discovering her diary. Helena died when Gabriella was only a baby, so the image Gabriella has of her mother is broken when she is confronted by the secrets her mother kept. Meanwhile, she is dealing with her own life and the complications that arise as she develops a relationship with the son of a drug lord.
After reading the first few chapters, I thought I was going to hate it because it seemed too predictable. But as I kept reading, I felt myself drawn in by the lives of these two women and ended up really liking the book. Despite its predictability (which I found problematic throughout the entire book), it was the development of the characters that I enjoyed. I felt there was a lot about both Gabriella and Helena that I could relate to. As a Latina growing up in the U.S., I struggled with fitting in, balancing independence and obedience, managing expectations, visiting family abroad, etc., and I think a lot of that was captured very well in this book. Of course, these struggles aren’t exclusive to Latinas, and I think there is something for everyone to connect with as they read.
The structure of the novel is one of the things I liked most about it. Each chapter switches back and forth between Gabriella’s experiences in the present, written in the third person, and entries from Helena’s diary, written in the first person. Because the diary entries are moving forward in time (for the most part, anyway), there is an anticipation that comes with each entry as the reader waits to know the whole story. I like novels that jump through time and shift narrators, so in some ways I was the ideal reader. Those who find such narratives frustrating might have a hard time connecting to the story.
Based on the reviews I’ve read, another complaint people have about this book is that they don’t like the ending. There isn’t much I can say without giving it away, but I will say that in many ways the ending made me connect with Gabriella’s character even more. In my opinion, it was a more realistic ending rather than the typical storybook ending. There are also some questions left unanswered about other characters, so there isn’t the sense of closure that people expect. Personally, I don’t mind not knowing, but I can certainly see why others would feel let down by the ending.
So if you like books with traditional narratives and happy endings, you probably shouldn’t pick this one up. But if those things aren’t particularly important to you, this book might be a pleasant surprise, even with its predictability. At its core, this novel is a coming of age story with a couple of twists. It’s also about relationships – the ones that fall apart unexpectedly, and the ones that strengthen under unlikely circumstances.
Review by Frau Sally Benz
March 3, 2012
Leila Cobo's debut novel is an utterly wonderful and riveting book that had me in its clutches from the first page. It is lyrical and sensual with no word out of place. The character development is perfect, deep and meaningful, bringing the reader into the heart of the protagonists and their lives. In a sense, this novel sang to me in its poignant story of great loves.
The story is about Gabriella, a young woman who is half American and half Colombian. She was orphaned at four years old when her mother died in a plane crash. Every year Gabriella goes to Cali, where her mother is from, to spend a month with her grandparents. She has always believed that her mother and father led an idyllic and perfect life until she finds her mother's diary in Cali - - and then she realizes that what she thought was true is a lie.
The diary talks about a tumultuous affair that Helena, her mother, had when Gabriella was four. Helena was in Cali for two months working on a photography book that had been commissioned by the governor. She met a man who she fell in love with and Gabriella questions whether Helena would have abandoned her and her father for her lover. The diary consumes her as she reads page after page of sensual and loin tingling descriptions of their affair. Gabriella is puzzled and angry about her family's secrets, of being led to believe something was true that was not.
At the same time that Gabriella finds the diary, she meets a young man. Angel, with whom she falls in love. Gabriella and Angel are both rich and are part of high society but Angel has a darkness about him and is not accepted by the old money that Gabriella is associated with. Angel's father is the foremost drug lord of Cali and is currently in jail. Everywhere that Angel goes, he is accompanied by a cotillion of armed guards. Gabriella is swept off her feet and their love affair is as sensually and sexily described as any literary depiction I've every read. Now Gabriella is at a crossroads. Is she drawn to Angel because of her anger and puzzlement about her mother's actions or is she truly in love with this man for who he is, despite his family?
The book gives a very detailed and clear portrayal of Colombian culture and lifestyles. Having been to Colombia, I can say with some experience that the descriptions of armed bodyguards, cotillions of soldiered cars, the danger, the frenetic and joyful lifestyle, the parties, the fear and the celebrations all ring true.
The book is structured in chapters alternating Gabriella's experiences with pages from Helena's diary. The story flows beautifully in this manner as both women's lives are juxtaposed on one another. We feel the joy, the pain, the heat, and the quandaries that each woman experiences. We feel at one with them. I am not one who usually cries when I read books, but this book brought tears to my eyes - - of joy and of pain. It is a wonderful book and I look forward with anticipation to Ms. Cobo's next novel.
The story is about Gabriella, a young woman who is half American and half Colombian. She was orphaned at four years old when her mother died in a plane crash. Every year Gabriella goes to Cali, where her mother is from, to spend a month with her grandparents. She has always believed that her mother and father led an idyllic and perfect life until she finds her mother's diary in Cali - - and then she realizes that what she thought was true is a lie.
The diary talks about a tumultuous affair that Helena, her mother, had when Gabriella was four. Helena was in Cali for two months working on a photography book that had been commissioned by the governor. She met a man who she fell in love with and Gabriella questions whether Helena would have abandoned her and her father for her lover. The diary consumes her as she reads page after page of sensual and loin tingling descriptions of their affair. Gabriella is puzzled and angry about her family's secrets, of being led to believe something was true that was not.
At the same time that Gabriella finds the diary, she meets a young man. Angel, with whom she falls in love. Gabriella and Angel are both rich and are part of high society but Angel has a darkness about him and is not accepted by the old money that Gabriella is associated with. Angel's father is the foremost drug lord of Cali and is currently in jail. Everywhere that Angel goes, he is accompanied by a cotillion of armed guards. Gabriella is swept off her feet and their love affair is as sensually and sexily described as any literary depiction I've every read. Now Gabriella is at a crossroads. Is she drawn to Angel because of her anger and puzzlement about her mother's actions or is she truly in love with this man for who he is, despite his family?
The book gives a very detailed and clear portrayal of Colombian culture and lifestyles. Having been to Colombia, I can say with some experience that the descriptions of armed bodyguards, cotillions of soldiered cars, the danger, the frenetic and joyful lifestyle, the parties, the fear and the celebrations all ring true.
The book is structured in chapters alternating Gabriella's experiences with pages from Helena's diary. The story flows beautifully in this manner as both women's lives are juxtaposed on one another. We feel the joy, the pain, the heat, and the quandaries that each woman experiences. We feel at one with them. I am not one who usually cries when I read books, but this book brought tears to my eyes - - of joy and of pain. It is a wonderful book and I look forward with anticipation to Ms. Cobo's next novel.
December 21, 2009
*I received this book as part of the GoodReads First Reads program.
When Gabriella Richards discovers a diary in Colombia that was kept by her mother, a woman who died tragically when Gabriella herself was only four, secrets that have been kept for decades finally come to life. Gabriella learns about her mother's ambition, her heart, and especially, about the affair that Helena kept from both her daughter and her husband.
Tell me something true is part romance and all coming-of-age, as the twenty-one-year-old Gabriella searches herself and her surroundings for answers even as she becomes involved with a secretive man whose life is embroiled in danger.
I found Tell me something true to be a well intentioned, touching read, even as the occasional awkward moments in the structure of the book impeded my reading experience. Tell me something true is narrated by the major characters of Gabriella and her mother Helena, but interjections are frequently made but minor characters, including Nini, Gabriella's grandmother; Marcos, Gabriella's father; Juan, Helena's Colombian lover; and Angel, Gabriella's; among others. Though the occasional break in point of view was at times extremely effective, the effect on a whole was jarring, especially when the point of view switched mid-paragraph, which was often.
Beyond that, I felt that Cobo could have done a better job with bringing out major details in her characters' lives; Gabriella is a concert pianist, but this fact is so downplayed throughout the book that the reader barely notices, which is a quite a feat, considering that she is planning on making a career out of her playing. Also, the lack of direction throughout the book makes for a mellow, unfocused read, as Gabriella embarks on no quest. She discovers her mother's diary, which one would think would spark a grand quest. Instead, it only leads to a brief, casual encounter with her mother's lover. I could have done with some more emotional intensity throughout.
All in all, I enjoyed this book, and would recommend it with reservation. Tell me something true is great for the unthinking read. Those who are bothered by the smaller, nuts and bolts book construction details - this may not be the best read.
When Gabriella Richards discovers a diary in Colombia that was kept by her mother, a woman who died tragically when Gabriella herself was only four, secrets that have been kept for decades finally come to life. Gabriella learns about her mother's ambition, her heart, and especially, about the affair that Helena kept from both her daughter and her husband.
Tell me something true is part romance and all coming-of-age, as the twenty-one-year-old Gabriella searches herself and her surroundings for answers even as she becomes involved with a secretive man whose life is embroiled in danger.
I found Tell me something true to be a well intentioned, touching read, even as the occasional awkward moments in the structure of the book impeded my reading experience. Tell me something true is narrated by the major characters of Gabriella and her mother Helena, but interjections are frequently made but minor characters, including Nini, Gabriella's grandmother; Marcos, Gabriella's father; Juan, Helena's Colombian lover; and Angel, Gabriella's; among others. Though the occasional break in point of view was at times extremely effective, the effect on a whole was jarring, especially when the point of view switched mid-paragraph, which was often.
Beyond that, I felt that Cobo could have done a better job with bringing out major details in her characters' lives; Gabriella is a concert pianist, but this fact is so downplayed throughout the book that the reader barely notices, which is a quite a feat, considering that she is planning on making a career out of her playing. Also, the lack of direction throughout the book makes for a mellow, unfocused read, as Gabriella embarks on no quest. She discovers her mother's diary, which one would think would spark a grand quest. Instead, it only leads to a brief, casual encounter with her mother's lover. I could have done with some more emotional intensity throughout.
All in all, I enjoyed this book, and would recommend it with reservation. Tell me something true is great for the unthinking read. Those who are bothered by the smaller, nuts and bolts book construction details - this may not be the best read.
March 10, 2016
Review: Tell Me Something True by Leila Cobo.
The subject matter about a deceased mother, Helena leaving behind a diary that she started when her daughter, Gabriella was born. She addressed Gabriella as she wrote for a while then Helena’s writing went more towards the style of journaling her thoughts and her private life issues. The story goes back and forth with the daughter’s lifestyle to her mother narrating a small part at a time of what she had written in the diary of her life style. Some of story was captivating but didn’t really have a strong grip on me as I read. It was somewhat confusing as each of these two characters thoughts weren’t organized to have the reader know which character was narrating as you went along. It’s one of those books were I had to go back a page and say to myself, “Oh it’s the daughter thoughts or it’s the mother’s thoughts.”
However, it was a daughter having questions about her mother that she never was told the truth about. She was young when her mother went away to publish a book and she always thought that tragedy is what stopped her from coming home. Her mother died in a plane crash when Gabriella was around four-years-old and she grew up with an overprotective grandmother in Cali, Columbia even though Melcom, her doting father lived back in the US. Gabriella is the one who found the diary years later and would not allow anyone to read it however, she does get answers to so many questions and how her grandmother, her mother and herself have really lived the same kind of life through generations of another family’s life, until one day Gabriella cuts the rope that has tied them all together over the years….
The story was interesting but without flair unless you would consider Gabriella’s love affair with the son of drug King Pin who was still behind bars in prison…. I found a few flaws with the story and wished it was better written but not every book is going to send shivers up your spine….
The subject matter about a deceased mother, Helena leaving behind a diary that she started when her daughter, Gabriella was born. She addressed Gabriella as she wrote for a while then Helena’s writing went more towards the style of journaling her thoughts and her private life issues. The story goes back and forth with the daughter’s lifestyle to her mother narrating a small part at a time of what she had written in the diary of her life style. Some of story was captivating but didn’t really have a strong grip on me as I read. It was somewhat confusing as each of these two characters thoughts weren’t organized to have the reader know which character was narrating as you went along. It’s one of those books were I had to go back a page and say to myself, “Oh it’s the daughter thoughts or it’s the mother’s thoughts.”
However, it was a daughter having questions about her mother that she never was told the truth about. She was young when her mother went away to publish a book and she always thought that tragedy is what stopped her from coming home. Her mother died in a plane crash when Gabriella was around four-years-old and she grew up with an overprotective grandmother in Cali, Columbia even though Melcom, her doting father lived back in the US. Gabriella is the one who found the diary years later and would not allow anyone to read it however, she does get answers to so many questions and how her grandmother, her mother and herself have really lived the same kind of life through generations of another family’s life, until one day Gabriella cuts the rope that has tied them all together over the years….
The story was interesting but without flair unless you would consider Gabriella’s love affair with the son of drug King Pin who was still behind bars in prison…. I found a few flaws with the story and wished it was better written but not every book is going to send shivers up your spine….
March 16, 2017
This book spoke to me from page one. It wasn't very exciting like most books are that will hook me right away, it was just written very well and the story flowed smoothly. The torment Gabriella was feeling over finding her mothers diary and the torment Helena must have gone through years ago, even though it was her own doing, was felt so clearly. Both women went through a crossroads in their life and their decisions affected not only themselves but their loved ones as well. But with Helena I didn't get to see her ultimate choice because her life was cut short, but there were still consequences to her actions that were drugged up even years later.
I really liked Angel, he was a complex character. He was the son of a powerful drug dealer, who was trying to get out from under his fathers lifestyle but also not hiding who he was. Always guarded because someone always wanted something from him and because of his upbringing by two pretty messed up parents. But he showed a bit of his true self to Gabriella sensing she was different from his other girlfriends. He was an ass at times but he was also gentle and down to earth in some ways.
And the description of Colombia was wonderful, describing how beautiful, poor and terrifying the country is. The words just jumped off the page and I pictured it so easily in my head.
The only complaint I have is the ending, it was so utterly sad and I really wanted a different ending! I understood the conflict Gabriella must have been going through but it was a selfish move she made. But then again it was also realistic considering what her life was like up to that last trip to visit her Nini.
This was a wonderfully written debut book by Leila Cobo. It was realistic and hauntingly beautiful and I know I will remember it clearly for quite awhile.
I really liked Angel, he was a complex character. He was the son of a powerful drug dealer, who was trying to get out from under his fathers lifestyle but also not hiding who he was. Always guarded because someone always wanted something from him and because of his upbringing by two pretty messed up parents. But he showed a bit of his true self to Gabriella sensing she was different from his other girlfriends. He was an ass at times but he was also gentle and down to earth in some ways.
And the description of Colombia was wonderful, describing how beautiful, poor and terrifying the country is. The words just jumped off the page and I pictured it so easily in my head.
The only complaint I have is the ending, it was so utterly sad and I really wanted a different ending! I understood the conflict Gabriella must have been going through but it was a selfish move she made. But then again it was also realistic considering what her life was like up to that last trip to visit her Nini.
This was a wonderfully written debut book by Leila Cobo. It was realistic and hauntingly beautiful and I know I will remember it clearly for quite awhile.
October 13, 2009
When Gabriella was four years old her mother, Helena, died in a plane crash. Her American father wanted her to know her Colombian heritage and family, so he took her to Cali to visit her maternal grandmother every year. As Gabriella got older, she would go for the visits by herself, staying with her grandmother for a month at a time.
When Gabriella is twenty-one, she goes for her month long visit. On her first night there, her cousin drags her to a party and she meets, and is attracted to, a dangerous young man. At first she tries to keep her relationship with him secret, but eventually decides she doesn’t care who knows.
When her grandmother tells Gabriella that her old family home will be torn down to build luxury condos, Gabriella returns for one last visit. While she’s there, she discovers her mother’s old diary, which her mother wrote to her. What she reads in that diary changes Gabriella’s life forever and causes her to make some decisions she might not have made otherwise.
TELL ME SOMETHING TRUE by Leila Cobo grabbed me from the start and never let go. This book is about relationships and the damage lies can do to them. The story alternates between Gabriella’s viewpoint in the present day and her mother’s viewpoint from the past via her diary, with one short chapter from Gabriella’s grandmother’s viewpoint. I thought Gabriella was a great character and I could really relate to her, even though our lives are nothing alike. I couldn’t put the book down because I had to know what was in the diary and how it was going to affect Gabriella. Gabriella did some things that I didn’t agree with, but I could understand why she made the choices she did. I think anyone who enjoys stories about relationships will enjoy this book.
When Gabriella is twenty-one, she goes for her month long visit. On her first night there, her cousin drags her to a party and she meets, and is attracted to, a dangerous young man. At first she tries to keep her relationship with him secret, but eventually decides she doesn’t care who knows.
When her grandmother tells Gabriella that her old family home will be torn down to build luxury condos, Gabriella returns for one last visit. While she’s there, she discovers her mother’s old diary, which her mother wrote to her. What she reads in that diary changes Gabriella’s life forever and causes her to make some decisions she might not have made otherwise.
TELL ME SOMETHING TRUE by Leila Cobo grabbed me from the start and never let go. This book is about relationships and the damage lies can do to them. The story alternates between Gabriella’s viewpoint in the present day and her mother’s viewpoint from the past via her diary, with one short chapter from Gabriella’s grandmother’s viewpoint. I thought Gabriella was a great character and I could really relate to her, even though our lives are nothing alike. I couldn’t put the book down because I had to know what was in the diary and how it was going to affect Gabriella. Gabriella did some things that I didn’t agree with, but I could understand why she made the choices she did. I think anyone who enjoys stories about relationships will enjoy this book.
September 9, 2014
After the death of her mother in a tragic plane wreck, Gabriella was raised by her dad in Los Angeles, spending a month every year with her maternal grandmother in Cali, Columbia. Now, as a young adult, Gabriella is back at her grandmothers for her yearly visit. Her grandmother lets her know that the old family house is scheduled for demolition, so Gabriella goes to the house to have one last moment there. While there, she finds a box pushed far back on a shelf in her mothers old closet. Pulling it down, she finds that it is the purse her mom was carrying on the flight that night, never opened by her grandmother. Inside the purse is a red, leather bound diary that starts out when Gabriella is born and is written to her. As she reads, she uncovers an affair her mom was having in the last several months of her life. This knowledge is devastating to Gabriella and makes her angry with her grandmother, who knew about the affair as well. In a bit of rebellion, Gabriella decides to go against her grandmothers wishes and continue to see a young man she met at a party. Angel is handsome and nice, but with secrets of his own.
I loved Gabriella. She was the perfect heroine for this novel, beautiful, sweet and a bit naive. Both stories, the backstory in the diary, and the present day story, were equally intriguing. A moving peek into another world.
I loved Gabriella. She was the perfect heroine for this novel, beautiful, sweet and a bit naive. Both stories, the backstory in the diary, and the present day story, were equally intriguing. A moving peek into another world.
October 23, 2009
This story flips between Gabriella and a journal that was written by her mother, Helena, before she died. The journal starts the day that Gabriella was born and details Helena's life and thoughts until she died on a flight back to her homeland of Columbia. Gabriella's story picks up as she arrives for her yearly visit to Columbia a semester before she graduates from college. Gabriella is struggling with her place in life, should she follow the path she is on, the one that her family has supported, or follow her hear even if she doesn't know where it is leading her. After meeting the son of the local mafioso, Gabriella questions whether she should follow her heart with Angel or her family's wishes. Gabriella finds her mother's journal and learns that the woman her family has told her about is not the mother the journal indicates. Gabriella comes to terms with who she thought her mother was and how she wants to live her life after another life changing tragedy.
This was a decent read. The back plot and story line was interesting, but I feel the character development was stilted and could have been better. When it really mattered Gabriella fell back into letting others make her decision and I felt there was not much growth in her character.
This was a decent read. The back plot and story line was interesting, but I feel the character development was stilted and could have been better. When it really mattered Gabriella fell back into letting others make her decision and I felt there was not much growth in her character.
November 6, 2009
This book came up on my kindle suggestion list, I read the synopsis and thought it sounded worth buying -- and I can tell you I am so happy I bought it! I will certainly be reading it again someday.
This book flows beautifully -- I can't believe how quickly I finished it! A tale about love and life in Colombia, and partly in the US, there are many smaller stories woven throughout -- but the part that spoke to me most was the story of perception, seeing how things can seem so different to people outside of your situation, and how knowing the story of our parents can shape our lives, and how we long to fill in the gaps that present themselves - at whatever the cost.
These are not exactly new themes in fiction, but the way it all came together was absolutely beautiful, the descriptions of the landscape were amazing, I felt like I was staring at the mountains with Gabriella, everything just came together in such a wonderful way, and I never felt like I had figured everything out until the very end ( I hate when I figure out books after the first chapter or two....)
I highly recommend this book! Enjoy!
This book flows beautifully -- I can't believe how quickly I finished it! A tale about love and life in Colombia, and partly in the US, there are many smaller stories woven throughout -- but the part that spoke to me most was the story of perception, seeing how things can seem so different to people outside of your situation, and how knowing the story of our parents can shape our lives, and how we long to fill in the gaps that present themselves - at whatever the cost.
These are not exactly new themes in fiction, but the way it all came together was absolutely beautiful, the descriptions of the landscape were amazing, I felt like I was staring at the mountains with Gabriella, everything just came together in such a wonderful way, and I never felt like I had figured everything out until the very end ( I hate when I figure out books after the first chapter or two....)
I highly recommend this book! Enjoy!
October 26, 2009
Gabriella is one of those young women who're floating through life. Her father is nagging her to make a plan for her future, to realize her potential as a pianist. But Gabriella isn't sure that's what she wants to do. And as she makes her annual pilgrimage to visit her grandmother, she promises that she'll try.
Tell Me Something True is a warm, poignant story about a daughter who finds out that her mother was not all that she thought she was. Alternating between Gabriella's and Helena's point of view, the story slowly unravels Helena's secrets, as written to Gabriella in a diary. And Gabriella has to come to grips with that version of her mother.
On the same trip, Gabriella meets and falls in love with a very not-appropriate-for-polite-company (according to her grandmother and cousin), handsome, Angel. But she follows her heart anyway. And in doing so, eventually learns that the differing version of her mother may not have been all that bad; and eventually learns that some mistakes can never be remedied.
Tell Me Something True is a warm, poignant story about a daughter who finds out that her mother was not all that she thought she was. Alternating between Gabriella's and Helena's point of view, the story slowly unravels Helena's secrets, as written to Gabriella in a diary. And Gabriella has to come to grips with that version of her mother.
On the same trip, Gabriella meets and falls in love with a very not-appropriate-for-polite-company (according to her grandmother and cousin), handsome, Angel. But she follows her heart anyway. And in doing so, eventually learns that the differing version of her mother may not have been all that bad; and eventually learns that some mistakes can never be remedied.
September 30, 2013
If you want a quick and easy read, this is a good one to pick up. It's a short book so even if you don't find yourself attached in any way, you can still finish it.
What I liked about it:
Quick read, which is what I was going for. I liked how the chapters went back and forth between the main character and her mother. I also liked how the story played out. What I am about to say could be construed as a spoiler; I really liked the openness of the ending. It worked very well with the story line.
What I didn't like:
The tone changes as the book advances but I felt, at times, I was reading a teen novel. That applies to the beginning of the book. By the middle and end, I wouldn't give the same critique. I felt the book contained a lot of stereotypes about South America, but I'm not sure if this was intended or not.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. I would read another book by this author.
What I liked about it:
Quick read, which is what I was going for. I liked how the chapters went back and forth between the main character and her mother. I also liked how the story played out. What I am about to say could be construed as a spoiler; I really liked the openness of the ending. It worked very well with the story line.
What I didn't like:
The tone changes as the book advances but I felt, at times, I was reading a teen novel. That applies to the beginning of the book. By the middle and end, I wouldn't give the same critique. I felt the book contained a lot of stereotypes about South America, but I'm not sure if this was intended or not.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. I would read another book by this author.
January 7, 2010
I really liked this book. It co-mingles the stories of Helena, a Columbian photographer married to an American movie producer and Helena's daughter, Gabriella, an accomplished pianist. Helena dies when Gabriella is just 4 years old and Gabriella has spent her entire life living up to her father's expectations and trying to keep her mother's memory alive. Gabriella travels to Columbia every winter to visit her maternal grandmother and when she turns 21, she falls in love with the son of a Columbian drug lord and learns that her mother was not as happily married as she always thought. The basic asks the questions: What do we owe the people who love us? And what do we owe ourselves? I thought the book was good, sweet and sad.
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