Dominicana

Reviews

Praise for Dominicana

A Most Anticipated Book (The New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, The Washington Post, O Magazine, Esquire, Time, Real Simple, Kirkus Reviews, Nylon, BuzzFeed, Lit Hub, The Millions, InStyle, Bustle, Refinery29, Chicago Review of Books, AARP, Hello Giggles, Domino)

"Coral Pena's strong delivery is a breath of fresh air--her depiction of Ana blends confidence and naïveté as the protagonist makes her way from her home in the Dominican Republic to New York, from a simple life to a complicated one. Pena is a master of accents and emotion, bringing genuine pathos to the story. At times, her pace quickens precipitously, but the overall impact of her elegant narrative is appealing." -AudioFile Earphone Award

“Lovely…Compelling…An intimate portrait of the transactional nature of marriage and the economics of both womanhood and citizenship, one all too familiar to many first-generation Americans.”
—The New York Times Book Review

“Through a novel with so much depth, beauty, and grace, we, like Ana, are forever changed.”
—Jacqueline Woodson, Vanity Fair

“Poignant…In nimble prose, Cruz animates the simultaneous reluctance and vivacity that define her main character as she attempts to balance filial duty with personal fulfillment, and contends with leaving one home to build another that is both for herself and for her family.”
—The New Yorker

“Ana’s engrossing, lyrically told story illuminates both the pain and the potential triumph of the immigrant experience.”
—People

“Sensational…At once tender, musical, and electric, this novel meditates on how immigrations shapes lives, from both without and within.”
—Esquire

“The heroine of this wondrous fish-out-of-water story tries to hold steady, knowing ‘a well-placed rock in a river changes the current.'”
—O, the Oprah Magazine

“In Cruz’s rendering, the inevitability of hardship and the excitement of new possibilities makes for an affectingly complex journey into adulthood. Expect this to mark the author’s breakout.”
—Entertainment Weekly

“At 15 years old, Ana marries the much older Juan and moves to 1965 New York City so that her family back in the Dominican Republic might have a better life. Just when she’s having second thoughts about her new existence and loveless marriage, she begins forming a bond with Juan’s brother, Cesar. Cruz delves into the tough choices that follow in this beautiful literary novel.”
—The Washington Post

“Rich, heartbreaking…A coming-of-age story about making choices for survival versus love.”
—Real Simple

“Ana as narrator is mesmeric, funny, enchanting…A story of sacrifice, strength, and love.”
—Houston Chronicle

“Cruz tells the story with a raucous sense of humor and writes in short, present-tense chapters that help make this a propulsive though heartbreaking read.”
—BuzzFeed

“This stunner of a novel thrums with vitality, a singular addition to the canon of immigration narratives, and introduces readers to the wonderfully complex and resilient Ana.”
—Nylon

“This exciting tale of immigration, love, and independence has been praised by the likes of Sandra Cisneros and Cristina Garcia, making it one of the most anticipated coming-of-age stories of the year.”
—The Millions

“This moving coming-of-age story centers on Ana Canción, a 15-year-old girl from a poor family in the Dominican Republic during the tumultuous 1960s…You'll root for Ana (who's based on Cruz's mother) as she tries to navigate a new life that, at least at first, seems worlds away from the American Dream.”
—AARP

“Remarkable…Dominicana is set in 1965 New York City, but the story feels especially timely in today’s climate.”
—HelloGiggles

“Ana Cancion’s voice will grab you on page one, and ensure you’ll stay through everything that faces her on a journey that’s both epic yet not uncommon…A coming-of-age story of a girl forced to come-of-age too soon.”
—Refinery29

“Mesmerizing…This stirring immigration story is Cruz’s breakout book; it should be heralded alongside Julia Alvarez’s How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents.”
—Library Journal (starred review)

“Enthralling…[Ana’s] growth and gradually blooming wisdom is described with a raw, expressive voice. Cruz’s winning novel will linger in the reader’s mind long after the close of the story.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Cruz writes with warmth, empathy and remarkable perception about the immigrant experience. Engaging and illuminating, Dominicana will appeal to readers who’ve enjoyed novels by Sandra Cisneros and Julia Alvarez.”
—BookPage (starred review)

“Unforgettable…[Cruz] treats everyone from the desperately ambitious Mama to the conflicted Juan with empathy, while Ana is her crowning achievement…Cruz’s ability to create mood and atmosphere with her distinctive writing style makes her a strong voice in Dominican American literature.”
—Booklist (starred review)

“In this coming-to-America story, the harsh realities of immigration are laid bare, but equally clear are the resilience and resourcefulness of the people who choose to make a new life far from home…A moving, sad, and sometimes disarmingly funny take on migration and the forces that propel us into the world.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“A tale from that island called girlhood. Cruz describes this shipwrecked age with giddy accuracy. A season of hope, vulnerability, and disaster. Especially for a girl of color. Gorgeous writing, gorgeous story.”
—Sandra Cisneros, author of The House on Mango Street

“Dominicana is a book that grabs you, that moves both quickly and deeply, as it explores how our very personal desires and destinies are shaped by forces of culture, politics, economics, language, migration. The kind of book I am always longing to read: a sexy book that is also meaningful. I couldn’t put it down.”
—Justin Torres, author of We the Animals

"This gorgeous new novel by Angie Cruz holds an unflinching gaze on one young immigrant woman's life--its hardships, its hopes, and its richly depicted loves. Ana's story is filled with music and reverence for survival, and for joy. An essential read for our times."
—Cristina Garcia, author of Dreaming in Cuban

“Dominicana is beautiful, engaging, and cuts right to the heart of what it is to be a dutiful young female from a poor country who is bright in every sense of the word, full of love and hope.”
—Mary Gaitskill, author of The Mare and Veronica

“From the very first sentence of Dominicana, we remember why we’ve missed Cruz. This coming-of-age novel with its unforgettable young heroine takes on the pressing questions of the day—immigration, identity, the claim to Americanness—with a deceptively light touch and a whole lot of charm.”
—Ayana Mathis, author of The Twelve Tribes of Hattie

"Cruz's characters are authentic and complex, her writing is masterful, and there were times in the novel when the tension was so high I couldn’t stop reading. Dominicana pulled on my heartstrings from the very first page. A searingly beautiful novel filled with humanity and hope.”
—Etaf Rum, author of A Woman is No Man

“Angie Cruz, I’m so glad the time has come. What a wonderful, nuanced, and insightful writer.”
—Edwidge Danticat, author of Brother I’m Dying and Breath, Eyes, Memory

“Cruz is a hero, a heartbreaker, and a visionary. Dominicana is a thrilling, necessary portrait of what it means to be an immigrant in America.”
—Patricia Engel, author of The Veins of the Ocean and Vida

“This story feels so right for this moment. Cruz captures the texture and tenor of being an immigrant woman, caught between worlds and loyalties.”
—Julia Alvarez, author of In the Time of the Butterflies

“An important novel that illuminates a world and time with truth and originality. Cruz is a brilliant novelist and her characters are unforgettable.”
—Jennifer Clement, author of Gun Love

“Cruz shows how a moment in one country can reverberate for years in another. Dominicana is a fearless novel, laying bare the bewildering decisions made and revisited throughout the uncertain process of immigration and long after it ends.”
—Idra Novey, author of Those Who Knew