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Please Note: I received an advance copy of this audiobook from Libro.fm in exchange for an honest review. This did not influence the opinions in my review in any way.
Synopsis (from Goodreads):
A blazing talent debuts with the tale of a status-driven wedding planner grappling with her social ambitions, absent mother, and Puerto Rican roots, all in the wake of Hurricane Maria
It's 2017, and Olga and her brother, Pedro "Prieto" Acevedo, are bold-faced names in their hometown of New York. Prieto is a popular congressman representing their gentrifying Latinx neighborhood in Brooklyn while Olga is the tony wedding planner for Manhattan's powerbrokers.
Despite their alluring public lives, behind closed doors things are far less rosy. Sure, Olga can orchestrate the love stories of the 1%, but she can't seem to find her own...until she meets Matteo, who forces her to confront the effects of long-held family secrets...
Twenty-seven years ago, their mother, Blanca, a Young Lord-turned-radical, abandoned her children to advance a militant political cause, leaving them to be raised by their grandmother. Now, with the winds of hurricane season, Blanca has come barreling back into their lives.
Set against the backdrop of New York City in the months surrounding the most devastating hurricane in Puerto Rico's history, Olga Dies Dreaming is a story that examines political corruption, familial strife and the very notion of the American dream--all while asking what it really means to weather a storm.
Review:
It's hard to believe that this is a debut novel. With such a complete world, compelling characters, and a story set amid the backdrop of Hurricane Maria, this book pulled me in and wouldn't let me go. Not that I wanted to. I was really drawn to Olga as she must navigate the world knowing that her mother didn't feel that being a parent was important enough. If only her mother would have actually left, Olga could have had a chance to move forward. But, Blanca (her mom) keeps tabs on Olga and her brother, sending them letters criticizing them for not doing what she feels is important with their lives. This sets up Olga, and her brother Pietro, for a lifetime of problems.
I really loved Olga's extended family (especially her cousin Mabel), and all the layered family dramas that went with it. But the story really focuses on Olga and Pietro. Both are proud of their Puerto Rican heritage, but emotionally damaged by their mother's psychological manipulation. Do they feel Puerto Rican, or American? Can they be both? Or and they neither? With their mother constantly undermining their confidence, they are left confused and unable to find their own dreams. This book looks at how we relate to our parents expectations. How can Olga and Pietro ever realize their own dreams when their mom is cynically manipulating them for her own agenda?
The production values on this audiobook were top notch. There were several narrators, which enhanced the listening experience for the reader. I would caution that there should be a trigger warning for sexual violence. It really took me by surprise and was upsetting to listen about. Although it was essential to the story, a heads-up would have been appreciated. This was a deeply compelling book that I hope others will read.
What I Liked:
Characters:
Olga, although quite successful, is drifting through life. As a wedding planner in New York, she works exclusively with wealthy families to plan over the top weddings. This is grating, as she ignores subtle, passive racism, ("You work so hard for a Puerto Rican!"), but she powers through in order to achieve the comfortable lifestyle she has made for herself. This is a not so subtle snub to her mother, who is all about power to the working class.
But Olga is also a caring friend, who will drop everything for someone having a difficult time. As far as romance is concerned, she adheres to her mother's advice not to rely on any man ("It's a trap!", her mom would say). But that leaves Olga very much alone.
She often talks out her problems with her brother, Pietro. Pietro is a U.S. Congressman, pursuing a path that he thinks his mother would approve of. But he is also holding on to a secret. He's gay, and being blackmailed by corporate bigwigs. Will he ever be able to do the work he and his mother want, to improve life for the people of Puerto Rico? While I understood that he didn't feel that his family or community would support him if they knew he was gay, I was a bit surprised that he didn't come out the moment he was being blackmailed. It would have solved a lot of problems for the character. But, I do know some people have a very hard time accepting their own feelings.
Blanca is Olga and Pietro's mother. The author did a good job of getting me to hate her, but also understand why she was not the mothering type. Some people just aren't meant to be parents. Usually, it's a man who runs out on his kids (not the case here). But Blanca feels that motherhood, for her, is keeping her small. She has big dreams for creating Puerto Rico's independence from the U.S., and children will only get in the way. I would have had more empathy with Blanca if she didn't keep undermining her children's self-esteem. By writing such damning letters at critical moments in Olga and Pietro's lives, she is claiming the rights of a parent without any of the responsibilities that go with it.
Puerto Rico:
Puerto Rico could be considered one of the main characters in this book. As the characters who live in New York keep saying, Puerto Ricans are American Citizens. But most mainland American's don't see them that way. The people of Puerto Rico also see themselves as apart from the United States. So Olga and Pietro are stuck. They aren't American enough for some, but since they were raised in New York, they don't feel entirely part of the island, either.
This book also highlights some of the atrocious ways the United States has treated the Island over the last 200 years. While they are Americans, they don't have any representation in Congress. They have a Governor who is appointed, not elected, and don't have much of a say on how the island is run. This was all too apparent during the crisis that occurred after Hurricane Maria. Even though I did follow this event when it happened, it was really eye-opening to read more about it.
Trigger Warning for Sexual Violence
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Release Date: January 4, 2022
Author: Xóchitl González
Genre: Literary Fiction
Audiobook Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Audiobook Narrators: Almarie Guerra, Armando Riesco, Inés del Castillo
Audiobook Length: 11 Hours, 22 Minutes
Print Publisher: Flatiron Books
Page Length: 384 Pages
Source: Libro.fm
Format: Audiobook
Recommendation: This is a strong debut about family expectations, and a person's hopes and dreams. I highly recommend this book.
About Libro.fm:
If you want to listen to this book, I highly recommend getting this through Libro.fm. This audiobook subscription supports Independent bookstores (not certain, Amazonian space cowboys). A subscription to Libro.fm gets you one book credit per month and discounts on other book purchases. This is much cheaper than buying print books!
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