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How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water by Angie Cruz

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How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water

A Novel

by Angie Cruz

Length 6 hours 16 minutes

Language English

Narrators Kimberly M. Wetherell & Rossmery Almonte

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Bookseller recommendation

“I loved this book! I loved Cara Romero from the start, how she barged into my life with wit and warmth. I especially enjoyed how, as the story progressed and I learned more about her, I realized that she is choosing which parts of herself to share with us. As she reveals more and incorporates interactions and points of view from her family and friends, we see that she has made mistakes, sometimes harmful ones. But Cara Romero wants to work, and that includes working on being a better friend, mother, and sister. Cara is a good person with a kind heart, and I love her all the more for letting us see her vulnerabilities. Not only is this a wonderful story, but the production of the recording adds an incredible realness to the narrative. The actor who plays Cara does such an amazing job of bringing us into her world and sharing the emotional journey she has been on. I highly recommend listening to this great audiobook!”
— Mikah • Beach Books

Bookseller recommendation

“Told in a series of 12 sessions between a career counselor and our narrator, Cara Romero, this is the equally heartwarming, heartbreaking, and laugh-out-loud funny story of Cara's life as a Dominican immigrant in New York. Cara's vivacity and unabashed confidence are infectious, and her growth as she faces her flaws is unexpectedly touching. Narrator Rossmery Almonte brought so much life to the text. I can't recommend this book highly enough.”
— Sarah • Parnassus Books

Bookseller recommendation

“This story begs to be enjoyed in audio book format. The production was excellent. We all need some Cara Romero in our lives. Readers will fall for her heart and sass. Without a doubt my favorite audiobook this year!”
— Jessica • Main Street Books Davidson

Bookseller recommendation

“An outstanding novel that made my laugh, cringe, cry, and tell all of my friends. This is MUST LISTEN audiobook with incredible narration that brings the highly original format of the book to life more than any book I've listened to. I loved this book.”
— Adah • Main Street Books Davidson

Bookseller recommendation

“I am writing this review just a few minutes after finishing the book with tears still in my eyes. The story unfolds in 12 interview sessions between a job counselor and a middle-aged Dominican immigrant Cara Romero, who was laid off during the Great Recession. In these sessions, Cara talks about her life in anecdotes ranging from downright hilarious to heartbreaking. Cara herself has become one of my favorite protagonists in literature. She is multi-faceted and deeply empathetic that you laugh at her jokes and feel for her pain. Through the stories told by this one woman, we learn about her whole community. This community was brought together through shared experiences including but not limited to: motherhood, immigration, and gentrification. It is a marvelous feat that Angie Cruz was able to explore multiple themes through one character across twelve dialogues. I need everyone to read this.”
— Sofia • Phoenix Books

Bookseller recommendation

“Genius character building. The audiobook is SUPERB and should not be missed. Rossmery Almonte captivates and has you falling in love with Cara Romero over the course of this delightful novel.”
— Kimi • Buttonwood Books and Toys

Bookseller recommendation

“What an amazing character study narrative. This is my first Angie Cruz title and choosing the audio book was the exact right way to go. The voice talent and production quality go beyond engaging and help shape the protagonist, Cara Romero, into such a real, recognizable human that you swear you know must her in real life. The way you learn about Cara's life through her one-sided job search interviews forces you to balance your innate desire to love and trust her, and your awareness that she's only telling part of the truth. An amazing book about how people contain multitudes and how making mistakes does not diminish who you are. ”
— Holly • Kew & Willow Books

Bookseller recommendation

“This book is a definite 'must listen.' Write this down- Cara Romero is a character who will hold a special spot in your heart! Her story is heartbreaking, humorous, and ultimately hopeful. Hearing her voice truly makes this story come alive for listeners.”
— Kelli • The Novel Neighbor

Bookseller recommendation

“One of the best audiobook experiences I've had! Possibly better than reading it in print! The narration is hilarious and heartbreaking. Cara's evolution is incredibly moving. I loved every second of this book. ”
— Becky • Ridgecrest Books

Bookseller recommendation

“Brilliant story telling which was particularly powerful to listen to as an audiobook! Through a dozen interview sessions at a job assistance program in New York City, we gradually get to know Cara and her struggles, thoughts and life as a Dominican immigrant. Loved it!”
— Anne • Newtonville Books

Summary
About the author

This program features original sound design.

"Together, [narrators] Almonte and Wetherell are the key to this exceptional novel. A brilliantly narrated immigrant story, spiked with heart and flair, that will have patrons rooting for Cara’s success." - Library Journal

"Rossmery Almonte's pitch-perfect narration of Angie Cruz's inventive new novel transports listeners into the tumultuous, funny, heartrending world of Cara Romero...With her sibilant Spanish accent and musical intonations, Almonte's Cara is unforgettable as she launches her fierce, strong, and witty self straight into our hearts."- AudioFile Magazine

"Audiobook newbie Rossmery Almonte impressively commands most of the recording as fiercely tenacious yet surprisingly charming Cara. That Almonte shares Dominican roots with both her character and author Cruz...undoubtedly enhances the expert production." - Booklist

“One of my favorite books I have read in years.” —Quiara Alegria Hudes, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and screenwriter of In the Heights

From the beloved author of Dominicana, a GMA Book Club Pick and Women’s Prize Finalist, an electrifying and indelible new audiobook novel about a woman who has lost everything but the chance to finally tell her story.

Write this down: Cara Romero wants to work.

Cara Romero thought she would work at the factory of little lamps for the rest of her life. But when, in her mid-50s, she loses her job in the Great Recession, she is forced back into the job market for the first time in decades. Set up with a job counselor, Cara instead begins to narrate the story of her life. Over the course of twelve sessions, Cara recounts her tempestuous love affairs, her alternately biting and loving relationships with her neighbor Lulu and her sister Angela, her struggles with debt, gentrification and loss, and, eventually, what really happened between her and her estranged son, Fernando. As Cara confronts her darkest secrets and regrets, we see a woman buffeted by life but still full of fight.

Structurally inventive and emotionally kaleidoscopic, How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water is Angie Cruz’s most ambitious and moving novel yet, and Cara is a heroine for the ages.

A Macmillan Audio production from Flatiron Books.

Fiction Fiction - Literary

Angie Cruz is the author of the novels How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water, Soledad, Let It Rain Coffee, and Dominicana, which was shortlisted for the Women's Prize and a Good Morning America Book Club pick. She is founder and editor in chief of Aster(ix), a literary and arts journal, and is an associate professor of English at the University of Pittsburgh.