obviouslyjudith's review
3.0
This had SUCH a strong start and then things just slowly sloped downhill from there
suzannedufresne's review
adventurous
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
shortforvalkyrie's review
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
pronnnnch's review
3.0
Pretty boring and weirdly paced but I liked the story when they talked about Cuba's biodiversity and how it related to the sisters growing up. I think I just had higher expectations with the book.
sarahjsnider's review against another edition
3.0
Tal vez mi español no es tan bien. Creo que no entendía las sutilidades de esta historia. Me gusta mucho historias de hermanas adultas, y Reina y Constancia son carácteres muy distintas. Creo que sería una buena película, sin las secciones del Ignacio (no son muy interestante para mí).
flowerpower's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
The writing is absolutely gorgeous. There were many passages and sentences that I re-read and underlined because they were so evocative. The way Cristina explores the bonds and duties of family, culture, and country inspired a lot of my own self-exploration.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Animal cruelty, Sexual content, and Rape
negotiumperambulans's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
northstar's review
4.0
This is a tough one to summarize. Constancia and Reina are sisters, but Constancia left Cuba as a young woman and sold cosmetics in New York, while Reina stayed and served as an electrician for the revolution. Both women are haunted by the memory of their father and the mysterious death of their mother, Blanca.
The story bounces back and forth among the sisters, their parents and Reina's daughter, Dulcita, who has decamped to Madrid with an older man. Meanwhile, Reina is recovering from a lightning strike and decides to move to Miami to be with Constancia, who has launched her own line of lotions and creams while her husband plans a bizarre invasion of Cuba.
If you like novels that tie up all the loose ends and answer all the questions, this might not be the book for you. And, to be quite honest, by the time we learn the truth about Blanca's death, I no longer cared that much. I enjoyed this book for its lush descriptions and strange segues into supernatural elements. The characters felt real, but I didn't identify with them, though I appreciated the complexities of the sister relationship. This is an unusual novel and I recommend to those who like something a little different. I remember loving her novel "Dreaming in Cuban" but I don't recall much about it and should probably reread it.
The story bounces back and forth among the sisters, their parents and Reina's daughter, Dulcita, who has decamped to Madrid with an older man. Meanwhile, Reina is recovering from a lightning strike and decides to move to Miami to be with Constancia, who has launched her own line of lotions and creams while her husband plans a bizarre invasion of Cuba.
If you like novels that tie up all the loose ends and answer all the questions, this might not be the book for you. And, to be quite honest, by the time we learn the truth about Blanca's death, I no longer cared that much. I enjoyed this book for its lush descriptions and strange segues into supernatural elements. The characters felt real, but I didn't identify with them, though I appreciated the complexities of the sister relationship. This is an unusual novel and I recommend to those who like something a little different. I remember loving her novel "Dreaming in Cuban" but I don't recall much about it and should probably reread it.
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