April 24, 2006
Scandal catches up to the Cuban émigré community in America circa 1967 in this fresh, relevant first novel by TV writer Santiago. The story switches point of view among three women who grew up in Palamagria, Cuba, and now ride to work together every day at a Union City, N.J., toy factory. Single mother Graciela is a kind, insecure romantic hoping more than anything for the same true love that redeems the beleaguered women on the nightly telenovelas
. Caridad, a vain gossip, and Imperio, bossy and sharp-tongued, share a lifelong indignation ("Imagínate
!") over Graciela's nerve: in Cuba, marrying above her station and cheating on her desirable husband and in America learning English and catching the eye of the factory foreman, Mr. O'Reilly. So it's with barely contained envy—and a comical penchant for over-justifying their bitterness—that the two try to interfere in Graciela's attempts to better herself in America. Though the two antagonists can grate—their vitriol against Graciela is constant—the detailed immigrant community is vital and entertaining.
September 1, 2006
Adult/High School -Total obsession with the lives of romantic telenovela characters unites three disparate young women who have come from Cuba to New Jersey in the 1960s, in this sometimes sad, sometimes funny tale. Coming from the warm, easy pace of their homeland, and now freezing on the way to work in a doll factory, the women find hope for tomorrow both for themselves and for the TV characters whose loves and friendships they endlessly discuss. Graciela, a beautiful single mother looking for romance and a way to better herself in America, is the object of Caridad -s and Imperio -s derision and jealousy. Santiago shows readers life in Cuba before and after Castro. History students will develop a personal feeling for this period, and teens will relate to the immigrant experience as it is portrayed here. Those who liked Julia Alvarez -s "How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents" (Plume, 1992) will also enjoy this novel." -Ellen Bell, Amador Valley High School, Pleasanton, CA"
Copyright 2006 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.