3.5
The Book of Unknown Americans
ByPublisher Description
A stunning novel of hopes and dreams, guilt and love—a book that offers a resonant new definition of what it means to be American and "illuminates the lives behind the current debates about Latino immigration" (The New York Times Book Review).
When fifteen-year-old Maribel Rivera sustains a terrible injury, the Riveras leave behind a comfortable life in Mexico and risk everything to come to the United States so that Maribel can have the care she needs. Once they arrive, it’s not long before Maribel attracts the attention of Mayor Toro, the son of one of their new neighbors, who sees a kindred spirit in this beautiful, damaged outsider. Their love story sets in motion events that will have profound repercussions for everyone involved. Here Henríquez seamlessly interweaves the story of these star-crossed lovers, and of the Rivera and Toro families, with the testimonials of men and women who have come to the United States from all over Latin America.
When fifteen-year-old Maribel Rivera sustains a terrible injury, the Riveras leave behind a comfortable life in Mexico and risk everything to come to the United States so that Maribel can have the care she needs. Once they arrive, it’s not long before Maribel attracts the attention of Mayor Toro, the son of one of their new neighbors, who sees a kindred spirit in this beautiful, damaged outsider. Their love story sets in motion events that will have profound repercussions for everyone involved. Here Henríquez seamlessly interweaves the story of these star-crossed lovers, and of the Rivera and Toro families, with the testimonials of men and women who have come to the United States from all over Latin America.
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Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communities1716 Reviews
3.5
Lauren
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“I thought this book was lovely, and I enjoyed the structure with the short sketches of other immigrants in the same apartment building.
at first I wasn’t crazy about the ending! it’s very “new take on west side story” but by the end, when the community raised $ to take Arturo’s body back to Mexico, it won me over. a tragic and unjust tale of the American dream gone horribly wrong.
overall I think this book depicts struggles with guilt after trauma very well. I think the teen relationship was sweet but since it ultimately didn’t go anywhere it seemed a bit plot devicey by the end. I think ultimately that plot struggled from not having maribel’s perspective.”
Kiera Hemphill
Created 4 days agoShare
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StarlingEsmeralda
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About Cristina Henríquez
CRISTINA HENRÍQUEZ is the author of the story collection Come Together, Fall Apart, which was a New York Times Editors’ Choice selection, and the novel The World in Half. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, The American Scholar, Glimmer Train, Virginia Quarterly Review, Ploughshares, TriQuarterly, AGNI, and Oxford American, as well as in various anthologies. She lives in Illinois.
Other books by Cristina Henríquez
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