A family drama with commentary on gentrification. Luz who has been the light of her mother Eusebia and her father Vladimir's life has just been fired from her job at a Manhattan law firm. And to add to the family's woes, a developer is circling their neighborhood, dividing the family about whether to take a payout. And then Luz meets Hudson, the wealthy white man who is the subject of her mother's ire and well, all bets are off. Eusebia has a plot to keep Hudson away but Vladimir, well, he sees a use for the money namely building their retirement home back in the DR. The Tongues- a group of gossips- provide a sort of commentary on all of it (I enjoyed their perspective). Natera has a nice way with words and makes her characters feel real. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. It's a good read.

Luz thinks her boss is about to confide that she's going to be made partner when she asks her to meet before work. Turns out Luz is about to be let go from the law firm. Luz is stunned--she's always been a high achiever, eager to please her Dominican-immigrant parents. Her father, Vladimir, is consumed by the murder of a young boy from their neighborhood, while her mother, Eusebia, is equally consumed by the demolition and seemingly imminent gentrification of their neighborhood.

While Luz decides her next step, she embarks on a relationship with the very hot, but very white, Hudson, who coincidentally is the developer behind the changes in the neighborhood.

As the summer heats up, so does conflict in the Dominican neighborhood and Luz is pulled in too many directions.

An absorbing novel about intergenerational, interethnic conflict. #NerudaonthePark #NetGalley

I like how delicate this story is constructed. The story is told in multiple points of views, but mostly focused on either the mother (Eusebia) or the daughter (Luz), Dominican Republic immigrants that live in Nothar Park, an area in New York full of other DR immigrants.
Luz got it all - went to law school, got the perfect job, lives with her parents at Nothar Park. But then things gets a little bit out of control when she suddenly loses her job and has to start over. Meanwhile, Eusebia is not happy with the gentrification of their neighborhood, with new buildings being constructed and at the same time their landlord offering a buyout to their lease, She doesn't want to leave the place she has called home for several years.
And it is with this two intertwined stories that you learn about life and struggles and what really matters at the end of the day.

My dad told me once that there’s a moment in a parent-child relationship where there’s a shift — the child thinks they’re grown up sooner than they are, and the parent thinks the child is grown up later than they are. (Not that I would have any experience with this conflict whatsoever.) While this book by Clyevis Natera is about many things, at the core of it is the story of a mother, Eusebia, and her daughter, Luz, whose relationship comes to a head when a white developer begins to gentrify their neighborhood.

Both Eusebia and Luz’s identities are so tied up in each other — as Luz’s mom, as Eusebia’s daughter — that neither of them has had much time to really process who they are individually and what it is they want for themselves. Eusebia has put immense pressure on Luz academically and is encouraging her to go work for a high-paying law firm. Luz is helping pay for a home in the Dominican Republic her father is building that he and Eusebia can retire to and enjoy. Meanwhile, Luz wants a work-life balance, and Eusebia doesn’t want to leave the United States. When the nearby construction begins, the noise and the summer heat create a building sense of pressure, and the two realize what they want for themselves versus what the other wants for them are two different things. It’s almost an interesting coming-of-age story at not coming-of-age ages — Luz is 29, and Eusebia is probably in her 50s. But, for the first time, they’re putting themselves first… even if they have dueling new awarenesses and purposes.

Eusebia is a hard character, because, for so much of her life, she’s acquiesced to what others want, but now, after a shift in her mental state and beliefs, she’s determined to do whatever it takes to save her neighborhood (and the people in it) from these developers — no matter how awful and dangerous the steps she has to take to do it are. She’s been so good for so long, and she’s snapped. Her actions, while they started in a good place, are rash and careless, trying to save her “home,” no matter the cost and no matter who gets hurt along the way (and people do get hurt along the way). She becomes manic and loses all grasp of reality, but she’s still grounded in the idea of helping people who really do need the help.

Natera is an incredible writer, especially with how she plays with contrasts; for example, everyone in the book has a different idea of home — the Dominican Republic for the father, Nothar Park for the mother, and somewhere in between and people-based for Luz. The neighborhood where the characters live, Nothar Park, is often described in colorful terms that enliven the brown buildings, almost as a giant middle finger to the coming white gentrification. Natera’s writing style and description is masterful, too. The way Natera writes her characters makes you feel incredibly connected to them — you know their morning routines, how they like their eggs, what their hair looks like in the morning. Natera also introduces an almost Greek chorus with “the Tongues,” a group of three women who have lived in the area for what feels like forever. (I actually wish there had been more from them, because I found their addition so refreshing.)

The book moves quite slowly, and while I wonder if that was almost Natera’s intention — to have the reader feeling this immense pressure building to an eruption just as it happens in the book — the slow speed made it a little hard to get through. And I’m not quite sure how I feel about the ending. It left me a little unsatisfied, but, again, maybe that’s the point? Maybe not everything, especially with complicated matters and beliefs like these, can be wrapped up neatly and nicely, because there’s nothing nice and neat about gentrification and the constant fight by immigrants to find their place in a country that tells them to leave. I do wish there had been a little more closure with Eusebia and her story, just because we spend so much time learning about her motivations and desires that it would have been nice to get more of a sense of what was next for her with this renewed sense of self.

The idea of what “home” is will never not be a fascinating topic to me — is it a place? A feeling? A memory? A person? — and Natera has done an incredible job of combining that idea into a story where the immigrant and first-generation experience is the focus. This book is a fascinating exploration of self and home — and whether the two are intertwined — through interesting characters and their generational conflict.

Special thanks to NetGalley, Random House/Ballantine, and Cleyvis Natera for proving me with an e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was complex and richly written. I enjoyed reading this, though it felt a little confusing at times (especially towards the end) where it felt like some things were going over my head. Definitely would be interested in reading more by this author. I could tell through the writing that this was a work the author was very passionate about.

**Many thanks to NetGalley, Random House-Ballantine, and Cleyvis Natera for an ARC of this book!**

"The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned."-Maya Angelou

For over twenty years, the Guerrero family has been able to live in such comfort, in their tiny corner of NYC known as Northar Park. Far from life in the Dominican Republic, mother Eusebia chatters with the Tongues (otherwise known as the old local gossips), while her daughter Lux seems to be on the path to legal superstardom. Lux is taken by surprise one day when she learns that not only has she lost her position at the law firm, but the neighborhood is about to experience a BIG change that will topple life as her family knows it: a new condominium complex is set to tear apart the culture their community holds dear.

Eusebia is up at arms, hatching an elaborate scheme to convince the developers that they've made a terrible mistake...meanwhile, Lux becomes entangled with handsome developer Hudson...who is part of the very team set to upend Northar Park. Lux's father Vladimir is all too willing to take the generous payout offered by the developers...but where does that leave Eusebia? Will Lux's heart lead her away from her roots and into Hudson's arms for the LONG term? Will Eusebia's devious plan actually work? Or will love and life collide in a way no member of the Guerrero family could see coming...and force them to define what home means in a completely new way?

I'm very glad I didn't let the mention of Pablo Neruda and a certain not-so-favorite former poetry professor of mine deter me from reading this book! What led me to put those personal qualms aside, apart from the gorgeous cover, was the fact that the description of this book mentioned gentrification, and for a while now I've wanted to get more of an inside look on how it REALLY affects communities. I know this is fiction, but I had the sense it would be firmly rooted in reality, and I feel Naytera did an admirable job.

However, while I was expecting gentrification to be the focus and it certainly drove the plot in some respects, Neruda in the Park reads more as a family drama juxtaposed neatly against a romance than anything else. This is okay: in fact, since these characters are fully developed, it works. While I might have preferred a more big-picture look at some of these issues, I didn't mind the plot's twists and turns and ebbs and flows. I must admit, however, that I was FAR more engaged in Lux's storyline than Eusebia's, unfortunately. Eusebia is a bit of an oddball character to begin with, and she becomes more difficult to follow as the book goes along. I did expect to connect to her as a mother at some point in the book, but it didn't really happen.

The Tongues also narrate some chapters, and while I didn't necessarily mind that as a device, I also could have lived without it. I either wanted to know more about these ladies, or they could have simply functioned as background characters. I also felt a huge void not hearing more from Vladimir. We get glimpses into his perspective, but I honestly think some chapters narrated by him would have been interesting and helpful, and perhaps a little more substantive and emotional than the 'commentary' provided by the Tongues.

While this book didn't take the deep dive into gentrification I was expecting, Naytera's writing was smooth and interesting, her narrative unique and heartfelt, After working on this book for fifteen years (!) I hope she won't take QUITE as long with the next one!

3.5 stars, rounded up to 4

If you enjoyed the book Olga Dies Dreaming, you will love Neruda on the Park by Cleyvis Natera. This debut is a gripping family drama that will pull at your heartstrings.

Synopsis:
Luz Guerreros, is an ambitious lawyer in a competitive career field. She has lived in New York for twenty years in a Dominican neighborhood with her her mom Eusebia and dad Vladimir. The family is originally from the Dominican Republic and Luz's dad Vladimir dreams of retiring there.

The mom Eusebia, is a proud woman and is disturbed by the demolition of building in her neighborhood. Unbeknownst to Luz and Vladimur, a plan is devised by Eusebia to stop the construction of elaborate condominiums in her community by large corporations. Could Eusebia's secret plan have dire consequences?

Neruda on the Park has romance, family relationships and a strong sense of community. I love the "Tongues" perspective. They are a group of hilarious neighborhood gossips that add their point of views. This story goes in several different directions and can get confusing, but stay with it because it all comes together at the end in a heartwarming way. (3.5 stars rounded up to 4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐)

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, for allowing me to review this beautiful novel. I appreciate your kindness and look forward to reading more from the Cleyvis Natera. I love the gorgeous book cover! ❤

Luz Guerrero is an up and coming lawyer working for a Manhattan law firm, fully expecting to be given news of a promotion when she meets her boss for breakfast at a fancy restaurant...but instead she is shocked to be told she is going to be let go. How to tell her Dominican parents, Eusebia and Vladimir, who are so proud of their daughter? Should she pretend she's still working while desperately trying to find another position? Or take her time and decide what she really wants to do with her life?

The Guerreros live together in the Nothar Park neighborhood of the city which is about to undergo gentrification with the tearing down of an abandoned building to make room for luxury condos. And, even more confounding to them and their neighbors, they receive notification that their own building where they've lived for twenty years, will soon be converted to condos.

What the heck are they going to do now? Eusebia, a respected elder in the community, takes matters into her own hands and organizes her Dominican neighbors to take action. People listen to her but her plans seem to get crazier and riskier as they go along...

Meanwhile, Vladimir, who is a NYC cop, is secretly planning their retirement home back in the Dominican Republic, building it with the help of money provided by his daughter and her high power job. What will he do now if Eusebia refuses to go back home?

And Luz becomes too distracted by the hunky and wealthy developer designing that new building on the park to pay much attention to what's going on with her crazy mother.

The story alternates between Luz and Eusebia's perspectives which works well for this story of two such different women. Natera vividly brings that whole unique Dominican neighborhood to life with her many eccentric characters and their hopes, dreams and worries. An entertaining story of strained but loving relationships.

I received an arc of this debut novel from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks for the opportunity to meet a fine new author.

About a 3.5. I loved the character of Eusebia and the writing was really good. I thought this was going to be about what happens in the first little bit, but it was actually not about that at all. I always enjoy that.

Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I received a free electronic copy of this emotional drama set in the environs of NYC from Netgalley, Clevyvis Natera, and Ballantine Books. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me.

I am pleased to recommend Cleyvis Natera to friends and family. She writes a fantastic tale with warm, substantial people and gives us a 20/20 vision of life for those immigrants from the Dominican Republic in the eastern coastal USA. I enjoyed this tour through the community and being immersed in the social whirl of the lives of these folks in this suburb. It was interesting to see all the cultural plus influences these immigrants brought to our shores. This was actually in my opinion a 5* book, but the closing seemed a bit slam-dunked. I will definitely follow Cleyvis Natera. She tells a fine tale.

The Guerreros have called Northar Park home for two decades, so naturally, they are alarmed when gentrification reaches their doorstep. Eusebia, the matriarch, hatches a plan to scare people out of the neighborhood while her husband, Vladimir, sees it as the perfect opportunity for them to retire and return to the Dominican Republic. Meanwhile, Luz (their daughter), finds herself fired from her Manhattan lawfirm and romantically involved with the developer destroying her neighborhood.

I was looking forward to reading this after reading so many fantastic reviews, but it fell short for me. It just didn't resonate. That said, the writing was beautiful and the plot was compelling. I was simply overwhelmed by the number (& eccentricities) of characters and dueling storylines. I mean, holy drama, Batman.

Neruda on The Park follows the Guerrero family living in a predominantly Dominican neighborhood, Nothar Park. A new luxury condo building is being built in their neighborhood and this community will have to face the decision of being bought out or fighting to stay in a neighborhood they’ve called home for decades. This book highlights the sacrifices one must make for their family and community and the internal battles one has to face when making these decisions.

I have mixed feelings about this book, on one hand, I loved the story and the focus on how gentrification impacts communities and how one family can see these changes so differently. But on the other hand, I never felt fully connected to the characters and their journeys. I also did not like Hudson, as a character or his storyline with Luz.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a hard review to write. I think because I thought the book was about one thing, but then it became about another. It begins when a Dominican neighborhood in NYC is threatened by gentrification. Within that neighborhood is the Guerroros family and they react very differently to the development occurring around them. Eusebia and Vladimir have sacrificed much to raise their daughter, Luz, and send her to school, where she successfully became a Harvard grad lawyer. Luz was living the dream lawyer life, working endless hours, dining in the very best spots, buying thousand-dollar suits. When it all comes to an abrupt halt, she knows she's at a crossroad in her life. Coincidently, she also meets and begins dating the developer who is building luxury condos in the midst of her neighborhood.
I expected this novel to focus on the impact of gentrification of this community, but it instead focused more on the story of the individuals within Guerroros family specifically. I would be okay with this, however, I don't know if it delved deep enough into each of them. There was just so much ground to cover. As mentioned, Luz was at a crossroads. I think the process of where she came from in her career to where she ends up was well done. However, her relationship with Hudson moved so fast I didn't find it quite believable. There were mysterious aspects of Hudson, hinted at, but never really revealed. Parts of him and his goals didn't seem realistic, to me at least. We never saw their relationship develop but just saw the road stops along the way. The same with Vladimir. Decisions made and were acted on extremely quickly. I would have loved to know him better. Eusebia, and her love for her community and heritage was well written. I believed in her desire to save the neighborhood. And wondered how far someone would go to save their community. Who would champion for the people who are being displaced with nowhere to go, who are afraid but cannot speak up, who are leaving the only family they have in this country. But then, it turns out, that wasn't really the focus of the book.
So while I'd say the book was trying to tell two different stories, maybe that wasn't the intent at all. Maybe it was just my expectations. But then, that just let me wanting more of each story. I began this book loving the story and felt immersed in the neighborhood. Natera brought to life her characters and I felt engrossed with The Tongues, Eusebia, Angelica, Cuca and Juan Juan and everyone else.

dnf @ 33%

At 33% I still wasn’t interested. I like the themes, the subject, the setting, and the writing but I just couldn’t form a connection. The book failed to spark any emotion in me. I know 33% isn’t very far in, at that point though I should have been a bit engaged or curious but I was reading like it was a chore so I set it down. I don’t mind slow-paced books so long as it’s captured my attention, this one was just slow for me unfortunately.

This felt pretty similar to Olga Dies Dreaming. It was well written and I liked the setting of the neighborhood. I didn't connect super deeply to the story or the characters, but that might have just been a case of wrong timing for this book!

I was excited for this book. I wanted to learn more about the Dominican culture and gentrification. However, that was not what this story was.
I think I went in with the wrong expectations. I felt a little lost while in the mother’s pov but a little bit of that became clearer toward the end. I felt disconnected to the characters and the story.
Even the love story between Luz and Hudson seemed rushed and shoved together. I hate to say that this one missed the mark for me.
Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this arc for an honest review.

I received a digital advance copy of Neruda on the Park by Cleyvis Natera via NetGalley. Neruda on the Park is scheduled for release on May 17, 2022.

Neruda on the Park follows a family in New York City. The Guerreros are from the Dominican Republic and live in a predominantly Dominican neighborhood. When a developer demolishes an abandoned building and begins constructing luxury condos, the family has varied responses to this gentrification.

Luz begins a romantic relationship with the developer, while her mother Eusebia begins scheming to stop the construction. In the midst of this, Vladimir (Eusebia’s husband and Luz’s father) is designing and building a home back in the DR, planning to take his wife back home when he retires.

This story centers on the impact of gentrification on established communities. I have read other novels centered on this theme, but this novel gave a more varied view of the theme. Rather than centering firmly on one perspective, this story gives us a variety of views of the issue, really digging in to how complex the issue can be. For some writers, this might have felt like a justification for gentrification, but Natera manages to avoid that by fully developing the members of the family and neighborhood. This gives us the layers of complexity without coming across as support for the process.

The novel follows both Luz and Eusebia, focusing on their views on the issue, but also pulling in the views of the people they are closest to. Their plot lines wove together well, as they sometimes served as antagonists for each other, without either becoming a villain. There was a turn toward the end where the author provided the reader with an explanation for something that was happening in the story. I would have preferred to not have that explanation, leaving those events with a touch of mystery and possible mysticism.

Overall, Neruda on the Park explored gentrification in a way that made me invested as a reader, and raised lots of questions for me regarding how we can keep the good bits while getting rid of the bad. The novel wasn’t able to offer answers, but should serve as a conversation starter.

This is a spectacular summer story. It tells a story of love, family and community. Luz and her family have lived in the same New York City neighborhood for years. As immigrants they had to fight hard to achieve the American dream. When things begin to go wrong for them they have to find ways to cope and survive. The characters are interesting and colorful. There is a depth to the cultural and social nuances that are taken place that affects the fissures in the relationships. Definitely worth reading.

Fantastic debut filled with gorgeous prose and imagery. The novel follows the Guerroros - Eusebia, Vladimir, and their adult daughter, Luz, as their beloved neighborhood is touched by the encroaching gentrification. Eusebia becomes determined to save the neighborhood at all costs, while Luz needs to decide what to do with her life. A story of what it means to be family, and the importance of home, this is a lyrical debut filled with rich characters.

"The Guerreros have lived in Nothar Park, a predominantly Dominican part of New York City, for twenty years. When demolition begins on a neighboring tenement, Eusebia, an elder of the community, takes matters into her own hands by devising an increasingly dangerous series of schemes to stop construction of the luxury condos. Meanwhile, Eusebia's daughter, Luz, a rising associate at a top Manhattan law firm who strives to live the bougie lifestyle her parents worked hard to give her, becomes distracted by a sweltering romance with the handsome white developer at the company her mother so vehemently opposes.

As Luz's father, Vladimir, secretly designs their retirement home in the Dominican Republic, mother and daughter collide, ramping up tensions in Nothar Park, racing toward a near-fatal climax."

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine books for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I had a hard time getting through this one. Not necessarily because it wasn’t a good book, it just wasn’t one that captured my attention and I had to force myself to pick it up and just finish it.

It is a dual POV from a mother and daughter who want completely different things. The main topics we see are about family, gentrification, and different survival tactics through love and loyalty.

Thank you Random House and netgalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.