This was a book I really wanted to read so I was thrilled when the publisher granted my wish. Neruda on the Park is a story about the Guerreros, a Dominican immigrant family living in Nothar Park, New York. Nothar Park is an area where many Dominican families have settled. Eusebia and Vladimir are elders in the community. Their daughter Luz is living the life her parents dreamed for her as an associate at a top law firm in Manhattan. Developers devise new plans for the Nothar Park area and those plans involve tearing down existing structures to make way for new luxury condos. Eusebia begins a dangerous campaign to stop the new construction with little support from Vladimir who is quietly and surreptitiously designing their retirement home back in the Dominican Republic. The story gets more interesting when Luz begins a romance with the white developer of the construction project her mother is fighting against. This pits mother and daughter against each other and ramps up the drama and the tension. Neruda on the park is a story about family, love, community, culture, and determination. It is beautifully and richly written and well worth the read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book.