I tend to enjoy books with interwoven storylines and spending time with characters as they grow and change. This book definitely hit that for me. Alvarez's characters feel real and I want to know even more about them.

The writing felt dreamy yet grounded and the cemetery itself takes on a character role and seeing all that blend together was great. Through the characters' tragedies and triumphs, we get a sense not only of the town, but of the people that bring it to life. It takes a little while to get going, and once it does, we lose our main character Alma for a stretch in the middle, but that's a minor organization choice that just didn't work as well for me as I'd like. That being said, it's doesn't make me enjoy the book any less.

Would work for any unit about storytelling or how stories connect us through the past, present and future.

Beautiful writing that really keeps you wanting more. The hint of magical realism isn't something that I am naturally drawn to but Alvarez did a wonderful job weaving that into this wonderful book!

Highly recommended for fans of literary fiction with elements of magical realism.

The author does a wonderful job at evoking the Dominican Republic setting and in particular the narrator's ancestral home. I love the premise of buried stories coming to life, and this is a supremely enjoyable read with wit and charm to spare.

Those with an interest in writing will find much to love here, but it's also a story for readers and certainly no writing experience is necessary in order to fully enjoy this novel.

I had not read Julia Alvarez before, but now I look forward to digging in to her backlist.

I received a complimentary e-galley from the publisher in exchange for my review; all opinions are my own.

"the cemetery of untold stories" showcases alvarez's beautiful language. when alma, an author who saw her close friend be driven mad by finishing the writing of a novel, inherits land in the dominican republic, she decides to build a cemetery. a literal cemetery. there, she buries her unfinished works, manuscripts, and drafts. but the cemetery has a life of its own and her characters have more stories to tell.

this novel is short, sweet, and gorgeous. alvarez has written a tale directly about the writing process and how "killing your darlings" is not as necessary as we may think. this novel made me think of all my unfinished drafts, and i'm moved deeply to continue writing.

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

The Cemetery of Untold Stories is about a writer who retreats to her ancestral home in the Dominican Republic to bury stories that she was never able to successfully tell. Along with a sculpture artist, she builds a literal cemetery to bury those stories—and those stories begin to take on a life of their own. Part magical realism and part historical fiction, the novel explores thought provoking questions about what makes a story, what it means to be happy, and how important stories are—both those told through literature and our own personal stories. As I was reading, I found myself continually marking passages that I wanted to save and revisit because the writing is so illuminating and beautiful. Alvarez has earned her place in the canon of American literature, and this novel is a great point of entry into her work for the uninitiated.

Julia Alvarez has such a rich, deep voice that you cannot help, but fall in love with the story. The writing style is very poetic and weaves magic across every page, breathing life into the characters. I could not tear myself away from this rich, magical world for days!!! If you are looking for a read that will completely consume you for weeks on end, then this is the story for you!

Alvarez has outdone herself! I really enjoyed this novel for many reasons. To start, the historical fiction aspect is something that always draws me in. Alvarez does not disappoint in depicting the important factors that haunted the Dominican Republic under Trujillo's regime. Then we have the aspects of magical realism which is another component that reels me in! What happens to the untold stories that are never told? Alma Cruz intends to find out but are some stories better untold?
At first, it took me some time to get into the story but once Alma decides to go back to her motherland, I was completely taken in and couldn't read fast enough. Alvarez's ability to intertwine stories and give the readers a clear understanding with each chapter of how the characters we meet in some way link together is simply outstanding. I love the characters we meet, Filomina and Doña Bienvenida are by far my favorites. I just love their devotion and how they show their growth. Most of all, I love the idea of the possible need of stories needing to be told. Maybe it's because my dad used to always tell me, "When we lose loved ones, it's up to us to take them with us, so we never forget them." This novel reminded me of this and it made it just a bit more bittersweet. So as not to spoil the ending, I will say this, the ending was perfection and I for one, smiled.

Julia Alvarez is a masterful writer and storyteller. I wasn't sure where this one was going in the beginning, but it comes together slowly and pulls you in.
This is a story about finding home, and the place to belong.
I liked these characters and the way their stories were woven together.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

I really enjoyed this book. In the first few pages, I found it a bit difficult to be drawn in but shortly after, the story and writing definitely did the job of drawing me into the story itself and made me want to keep reading.
I LOVE the concept of this book and how Alma burns/buries her unfinished stories and raises an art sculpture as a headstone. I love how the buried stories begin to reveal themselves to their listener.
Overall, I think this book beautifully tells the stories of several of the characters making me feel as if I had known them. I also appreciated how both the good and bad of a person’s story is worthy to be told but also okay to be kept as a mystery that doesn’t have to be solved.

Julia Alvarez is an author who is an absolute treasure. The Cemetery of Untold Stories reminds me of this once again. As always, set in the Dominican Republic, the book adds to her long collection of novels set there.

When a daughter inherits land, she thinks it is a perfect place to bury all of the stories that she wrote that were not published.
The stories wrap themselves around each other and the prose and sentiments expand my mind and understanding of humanity.

I am a huge Julia Alvarez fan and was so excited to read an early copy of this through Netgalley. It’s the story of Alma, who moves back to the Dominican Republic and creates a cemetery of untold stories. The cemetery’s caretaker listens to these stories and we get to learn more about the people Alma once wanted to write about.

I’ve thoroughly loved every story by Alvarez I’ve ever read, This novel enchants. At the center, the narrator ponders what happens to the untold story.. not just the untold story of an author, but the untold stories we, who have lived, all hold. Gorgeous, lush and spellbindingly present, Alvarez once again delivers.

I loved this book! Julia Alvarez really draws you in and doesn’t let you go even after the book has ended! It has magical realism, the historical fiction of the Trujillo era in the D.R, the family saga, humor, and so much more. I want to re-read this book soon because it truly carries a lot of weight. I imagine writers of any sort will especially enjoy it.