A review by clarereadstheworld
Dancing to "Almendra" by Mayra Montero
3.75
This book starts with a dead rhinoceros in a zoo and ends up with the Cuban Mafia, I'm still figuring out exactly how!
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Montero draws the reader in from the very first chapter. How can the death of a rhinoceros in Cuba and the shooting of a mafia boss in New York be related? Through the eyes of a young, keen reporter, Cuba's murky dark side is exposed, and then immediately repressed for fear of retaliation from the mafia.
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It's worth mention that the main character has a transitioning transgender sister. It's not a big deal in the story, the narrator just makes a few almost throw away comments about how by this time his sister has stopped wearing female clothes all together etc. I was surprised to find this in a Cuban novel, but I really appreciated this completely normalised inclusion of a transgender character. It's wasn't a big deal, it's not what this book is famous for, it's just casually mentioned like as if his sister was becoming a doctor or a teacher.
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The main narrative is also interrupted with the back story of one of the female characters who grew up in a travelling circus. I LOVE growing up in travelling circus stories. I always wanted to join a travelling circus as a child, so this was a major plus for me with this novel.
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Overall, the mafia stuff got a bit confusing, as there was a lot of name dropping of important mafia bosses I don't know, but it was well written, and an interesting peek into Cuba's darker side.
.
Montero draws the reader in from the very first chapter. How can the death of a rhinoceros in Cuba and the shooting of a mafia boss in New York be related? Through the eyes of a young, keen reporter, Cuba's murky dark side is exposed, and then immediately repressed for fear of retaliation from the mafia.
.
It's worth mention that the main character has a transitioning transgender sister. It's not a big deal in the story, the narrator just makes a few almost throw away comments about how by this time his sister has stopped wearing female clothes all together etc. I was surprised to find this in a Cuban novel, but I really appreciated this completely normalised inclusion of a transgender character. It's wasn't a big deal, it's not what this book is famous for, it's just casually mentioned like as if his sister was becoming a doctor or a teacher.
.
The main narrative is also interrupted with the back story of one of the female characters who grew up in a travelling circus. I LOVE growing up in travelling circus stories. I always wanted to join a travelling circus as a child, so this was a major plus for me with this novel.
.
Overall, the mafia stuff got a bit confusing, as there was a lot of name dropping of important mafia bosses I don't know, but it was well written, and an interesting peek into Cuba's darker side.