I saw the reviews that exclaimed this was the book American Dirt should have been. I loved American Dirt, so I just had to read this book. I wanted a more authentic voice telling the immigrant story. This book is just not that book for me. I don't think it delved far enough into the immigrant story. Instead, it presented a confusing timeline of events from a myriad of characters. It skipped around too much, that I never had time to be tied to a character enough to feel empathy for them. It almost felt rushed, like someone speaking too fast that you didn't understand everything that was happening, and you kept waiting for it to be explained in more detail later. Even the end's small twist fell flat for me.

From Cuba and El Salvador to Miami and Mexico, this book follows a few generations of women through time and geography as they try to navigate the world- both through the perspective of the family members who stayed in Cuba and the ones to fled. One character is picked up by ICE, leaving her 7 year old daughter behind. The women are so different and so alike, and this book does a great job of exploring family and loss and love and forgiveness and addiction. It also deals with displaced people, being detained and deported (to the wrong country!), and ties all of the characters together in a way that is very satisfying.

This book was amazing and heartfelt.

I love discovering new authors. And WOW. For a new author.. Gabriela Garcia came out SWINGING. This book packs a powerful punch right in the feels. It is emotional and strong. It had strong female protagonists which is something that I always appreciate in a novel.

More and more books nowadays have diversity. This book not only features a strong cast of female protagonists but it is also about Latin-Americans.

Excellent!

So good. 5 generations of women, in Cuba, Mexico and Miami. A current day ICE deportation in Miami kicks off the story. We learn about immigrants, husbands and wifes, mothers and daughters, sisters, love, lies and betrayals. Very engrossing and important in today's world.