Good evening, bloggers! Here’s one of my latest fiction reads.
Las Madres is a novel that alternates from 1970s Puerto Rico to present-day Bronx, New York. The main characters refer to themselves as “las madres,” along with their daughters, las nenas, who have been a family to one another based on friendship. In 1975, in Puerto Rico, 15-year-old Luz was the tallest girl in her dance academy, as well as the only Black girl in a group of light-skinned dancers in her school. Luz had the potential and the advantage to make it as a dancer in her future. But her future forever changed when she and her parents were in a car accident that killed her parents and left her with a brain injury, erasing her memory of the car crash, and leaving her with episodes she can’t control.
In 2017 in the Bronx, Luz’s adult daughter, Marysol, looks after her. For years, Marysol has wanted to understand her mother’s life, but her mother’s brain injury has made it impossible. Luz barely has any recollection of her own life. When Marysol’s friend, Graciela, suggests they and las madres fly to Puerto Rico as an opportunity for Luz to regain some of her memory, they jump at the chance. Although they were aware of the news of a deadly hurricane approaching Puerto Rico, las madres and las nenas still make the trip. During their stay, two back-to-back hurricanes hit Puerto Rico, destroying everything in its path, leaving communities in devastation. While las madres and las nenas are barely surviving, they start learning more about one another and learn of a big secret that may change everything forever.
What a great story. I learned that this book is based on Hurricane Maria, which left communities in Puerto Rico devasted. Thousands of people died, homes were destroyed, electricity was out, and resources were scarce. The author described the aftermath of the hurricane really well. I can’t even imagine what residents had gone through. What actually caught my interest in this book was the cover, which I came across on Instagram, so I borrowed a copy. It’s also my first novel by Esmeralda Santiago. I’ll definitely read more of her work. Feel free to post your comments. Happy reading!
About the author: Esmeralda Santiago is the author of the historical novel Conquistadora, and the memoirs When I Was Puerto Rican and Almost a Woman. Born in Santurce, Puerto Rico, she lives with her husband, documentary filmmaker Frank Cantor, in Westchester County, New York. For more info, click here.
Just a Thought 