''Dominicana'' is a 2019 novel by Angie Cruz. It is Cruz's third novel, and was shortlisted for the 2020 Women's Prize for Fiction.

Plot

The book tells the story of Ana, a young woman from the Dominican Republic who moves to New York in 1965 after marrying an older man, Juan. She is unhappy there, but sees a new side of life when her husband temporarily returns to the Dominican Republic leaving her in the care of his younger brother, Cesar: she can study English, go to the beach, and go dancing. When Juan returns, she has a decision to make.

Reception

''Dominicana'' received widespread acclaim. ''

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of B ...

'' described the work as "Enthralling...Cruz's winning novel will linger in the reader’s mind long after the close of the story." NBC described ''Dominicana'' as "one of the most evocative and empowering immigrant stories of our time." ''

The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. First published in 1791, it is the w ...

''s reviewer described it as "a grim portrait of what it means to be doubly disenfranchised as a female illegal immigrant in an oppressively patriarchal community", and says that Cruz "was inspired to write it by her mother’s experience" ''

Kirkus Reviews ''Kirkus Reviews'' (or ''Kirkus Media'') is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus (1893–1980). The magazine is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fic ...

'' called the novel "a moving, sad, and sometimes disarmingly funny take on migration and the forces that propel us into the world." ''Dominicana'' won a 2020 Alex Award (as one of ten adult books likely to appeal to readers aged 12-18) and was shortlisted for the 2020 Women's Prize for Fiction, which was won by

Maggie O'Farrell Maggie O'Farrell, RSL (born 27 May 1972), is a novelist from Northern Ireland. Her acclaimed first novel, ''After You'd Gone'', won the Betty Trask Award, and a later one, '' The Hand That First Held Mine'', the 2010 Costa Novel Award. She has ...

's '' Hamnet''. It was selected as the inaugural pick for ''

Good Morning America ''Good Morning America'' (often abbreviated as ''GMA'') is an American morning television program that is broadcast on ABC. It debuted on November 3, 1975, and first expanded to weekends with the debut of a Sunday edition on January 3, 1993. Th ...

''s book club, and viewers were offered a recipe for "Ana's

pastelito Cuban pastries (known in Spanish as ''pasteles'' or ''pastelitos (also the name for Venezuelan pastries made in region of los Andes)'') are baked puff pastry–type pastries filled with sweet or savory fillings. Traditional fillings include cr ...

love bites".

References

External links

*
"Books" on Cruz's website
2019 American novels Novels set in the Dominican Republic Novels set in New York City {{2010s-novel-stub