A beautifully layered novel about a Dominican family facing gentrification, change, and identity struggles. The mother-daughter relationship is raw and complicated, and the exploration of ambition versus loyalty feels real and timely. It’s thoughtful without being heavy-handed. Perfect for fans of literary fiction that blends personal and social themes.

The Guerrero family has lived in the Nothar Park neighborhood of New York City for over two decades. When a new condominium development threatens to change the lives of those who live in the community, Eusebia, matriarch of the family and respected community member, decides to take matters into her own hands. Her daughter Luz, aspiring to become a successful lawyer and fulfill her parents dreams for her, becomes involved in a romance with the white man leading the development of the condos. Mother and daughter collide as family secrets are revealed and tension starts to climb.

I really liked the development of both Eusebia and Luz. I read this one on audio and I thought the narration of both characters was done really well and made me want to keep reading. Against the backdrop of gentrification and what it means to call a place home, I liked that this novel was a character study. I feel like I did really get to know Eusebia and Luz. The drama builds between Eusebia and Luz until the final moments of the book when it all comes to a head. I liked that the story was building up to a big ending and it definitely delivered. I would have liked a little bit more resolution between Eusebia and Luz, but I also think that the messy and not perfect family dynamics are realistic. The community members were also great character additions, especially The Tongues, a group of women who also have a few POVs throughout the book.

Overall, this was a really good debut and I liked the writing. It felt like a true character study, but one with a plot that steadily builds throughout the book. I would definitely recommend this one and I am looking forward to reading more from Natera.

Part of a Dominican neighborhood in NYC is being razed so that luxury condominiums can replace affordable housing. Members of the Guerrero family take very different approaches to this project. The mother, a community leader, devises schemes to stop the building. The daughter, a successful lawyer, becomes romantically involved with the rich, white developer. The dad decides the best course of action is to return to the DR. The characters are thoughtfully developed. The story is reflective of what can happen when gentrification overtakes lower middle class communities. I thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC.

What does home mean?

That is the central question in Neruda on the Park. Is home a physical place? Is it your family? Is it community?

I love when books make me feel nostalgia and reflectively think about my own family and community. Natera did that to me. And I can't help but see myself reflected in her story with characters that are vibrant, complex, and relatable.

I can't wait to see what else Natera writes!

A story about gentrification, complicated mother-daughter relationships and home. This story comes back to how when a community unites for one goal can accomplish many things. The first half of the book and the second half felt vibrantly different to me. And readers should be aware there can be potentially activating material within the story

So many authors portray a family as a group of people who all share the same ideas and values. I'm happy to see Cleyvis Natera portray a real family, bonded by blood but individuals in their own rights. As this family faces drastic change, each will address it in a different manner. In the end, they will pull together again to insure the family survives.

Neruda on the Park excels in its portrayal of a vibrant community facing the challenges of modern urban development. The novel's strengths lie in its rich characterizations and the emotional depth with which Natera tackles themes of family, ambition, and belonging. However, some readers might find the pacing uneven and the plot's resolution somewhat predictable. Overall, it is a thought-provoking and engaging read that offers a poignant look at the sacrifices people make to protect what they love.

The Guerrero family is living in the Dominican neigborhood of New York City's Nothar Park for twenty years. The neigborhood is endangered by gentrification, as demolition has already started on a neighboring tenement building across the street. The Guerrero's, who exist of mother Eusebia, father Vladimir, and daughter Luz, who is a succesfull associate at a top law firm in Manhattan. She gets a relationship with a white real estate developer, Hudson who is at the head of company which started the gentrification and demolition of Nothar Park. Vladimir is not opposed to a buy out by the developers, and to move back to retire in the Dominican Republic with Eusebia. but Eusebia wants to fight for her forever home in Nothar Park. takes matters into her own hands by devising an increasingly dangerous series of schemes to stop construction of the luxury condos. A collision between the family members starts, and tensions in the neighborhood rises, in this book about home, family, neighborhood and community and the Dominican and New York culture.
I liked the overall idea of the story. I had mixed feelings about the writing itself in general. Some parts of the story where easy to follow, and some parts where truly not. I sometimes didn't get a grip of Eusebia's character and what she was doing was sometimes confusing. What I loved about the book is the very strong bond between the family members, and the strong community feeling, even in a big city as New York City, and that the community members where truly loving their neighborhood, their true home, and how they tried to stop the gentrification, when already buildings are demolished and hot yoga and hip coffee places are moving in the neighborhood. Tensions rise between the family members, but in the end everything is good again between them, but not for the neighborhood, not everything get's resolved. It is a complex story, about a complex problem many neighborhoods in city's face. Overall I liked the book, but some writing and story parts could have been worked out better to make it less messy.

Neruda in the Park is a wonderful read that entices the reader into believing they are getting a novel about gentrification but, what we discover that family drama and romance are at the heart of this novel. The characters and plots are fully developed, There were unexpected plot twists and narrative devices that show the author knows how to wield her craft. It felt a bit like a genre mashup with the mystery on one end and the romance/drama on the other end but it worked for me! I thoroughly enjoyed this novel.

Thank you, NetGalley, for an e-ARC of Neruda on the Park by Cleyvis Natera.
"Neruda on the Park" intricately paints a portrait of family, friendship, and ambition, skillfully weaving together the stories of Luz, Eusebia, and occasionally The Tounges. Through their perspectives, the novel delves into the essence of home and community, illuminating the sacrifices made to safeguard what is cherished most. With shocking revelations interspersed throughout, readers are drawn into a journey of self-discovery as the characters navigate the complexities of their lives and relationships, ultimately finding meaning in unexpected places.

I wanted to love this book so much more than I ended up and I was really disappointed about that!

From the synopsis I wanted to read this so badly: takes place in NYC - a fictional neighborhood but those who know, know it's The Heights; gentrification; a Dominican Family. It has all the thigs that I usually gravitate towards. Family, community, immigration, magical realism!

But towards the middle, it kind of lost me. There was too much going on and I wish the focus would have just stayed on the gentrification.

I will definitely read more by this author, but this one lost me toward to the end.

I really appreciated learning more about the immigrant experience of recent residents of Dominican Republic. Eusebia and Vladimir emigrated to the the US twenty years ago with a young daughter, Luz. Luz is now a lawyer while her parents are leaders in their New York community.

Everything seems to fall apart all at once, Luz is let go from her job, one that was very stressful with long hours, but that she felt defined her. Around the same time, her mother fell and hit her head. Eusebia didn't want to see a doctor so she lies about the headaches she is still experiencing. Then, the relationship between mother and daughter becomes very intense. How much is due to what both are going through and how much is because of Eusebia's health?

I really did enjoy the emphasis on the immigrant story and the descriptions of the community in which they lived. I wasn't as intrigued by the relationship between mother and daughter, it seemed to come out of nowhere and wasn't really resolved. And then there is the relationship between Luz and a man who was gentrifying their neighborhood. It was a weird, rather one-sided relationship.

I had more questions at the end, not a good feeling for the end of a book.

My reading resolution for 2024 is to get caught on reviews. Starting as the oldest book on my Netgalley, I have started with a debut novel that taught me a lot about Dominican culture and how immigrants lives are impacted by the past and current issues.
Luz has a good job with a law firm. She has worked hard from the day she came to America without knowing any English. She wants to help her parents who have sacrificed so much. Her father wants to retire, build a dream house in the Dominican Republic and move back with her mother. Unfortunately, Luz is fired despite being an excellent lawyer.
Eusebia is Luz's mother who has made many close friends in the Nothar Park area of New York. The area is inhabited almost completely Dominicans. They love to have parties and gossip. Eusebia is a fabulous cook. The community is suddenly up in arms when they find out a luxury building is being constructed right across from their longtime apartments. They are being asked to move out by accepting a buyout. Eusebia is furious and begins to concoct schemes to halt the changes.
Luz and Eusebia have alternating chapters. Luz makes Eusebia even more angry when she begins a relationship with the man who is charge of the new luxury complex. Both of the women seem to have difficulties with what is real and what is dangerous hope. The Tongues are women who like to hang out at Nothar Park and know most gossip. They act as a type of a Greek Chorus.
This tale is sometimes hard to read and heart-wrenching. Overall, it's a book that will make the reader look at family dynamics and other relationships and how they change lives.
My takeaway, besides the plot, was learning the meaning of dique (look it up on Google), how bachata music is different from salsa and that I plan to find some arepa food from a nearby restaurant.
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author Cleyvis Natera for providing me a copy to read. I will try to read more of my NetGalley novels in a timely manner as I work through my back list

I thought that this book was very insightful and thought that it was interesting to read. It's an unforgettable story about family and community. It was a great debut for this author.

Intriguing debut novel that follows the divergent paths a Dominican family has taken in response to neighborhood gentrification. The messiness of family and relationships engaged me. The ending was not as I expected but fit the story and the feelings evoked in this reader. Thank you to Net Galley, the author, and Penguin Random House for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"Neruda on the Park" asks the big question of what is a home? Is it a place, is it with the people you love, or is it a perfect combination of both? When faced with big changes in life (career change, eviction, illness), this mother-daughter duo learns a lot about themselves and each other.

I really enjoyed reading this story and found the writing to be engaging and easy. The characters were loveable (to an extent). I found the mother a little off at times but obviously in the end you learn why and it's heartbreaking. There were moments when I found the daughter selfish and naïve (like moving in with a man she barely knows and ignores her mother who is clearly struggling). But think the overall theme they learned was that change can be great - open new doors and lead to unexpected opportunities - but change is also hard and takes time to adjust.

The ending was ambiguous, which I always enjoy, and came to my own conclusion on Eusebia's ending.

Such an unforgettable story about a community under siege and the power of family. Neruda on the Park explores a taut mother and daughter relationship as they begin to see each other as people. This novel is both fun and insightful.

When gentrification comes to the (predominantly Dominican) NYC neighborhood where the Guerreros have lived for years, each member of the family decides to face it in different ways. Luz, having recently been let go from her high-profile law firm job, begins a later-in-life coming of age, rebelling against the bougie lifestyle she’s been living (the one her parents worked so hard to give her). Luz’s mother, Eusebia, hatches a plan with other neighborhood ladies to undermine the construction in ever more dangerous ways (threatening the safety not only of the project, but also themselves and the rest of the families in the neighborhood). Luz’s father, Vladimir, counts down the final months until his retirement, while secretly building a retirement home for himself and Eusebia in the DR. As things spiral for everyone involved, the finale comes in a dramatic and near-fatal rush.

Alright, like I said, I struggled to get into this novel. On the surface, it has a lot of promise, and addresses some really complex and important topics. Specifically, the rumination on gentrification, and then in this case how far would someone go to save their home (and what to do when it spirals out of your control), asked some tough questions in a really unique way that definitely made you think, as a reader. Plus, the look at where the lines of acceptability in skirting legality, and commentary on how they’re different for those with different amounts of money/power, is always important to examine.

I also appreciated how Natera incorporated the “finding yourself” concepts of what you are supposed to want/be in life and how that is measured as success, or not. Luz faces difficult choices on whether to give in and follow those expeditions or not; and if not, how and when do you break out/away? Related, the choices Luz faces between heritage and opportunity, and how she begins to ask if it’s always necessary for them to be mutually exclusive, feature highly. And the accumulation of past trauma that’s been tamped down so long that when it finally breaks, it’s terrible and horrible and so unforeseen/unexpected by everyone around you, even the closest (and how that builds directly into intergenerational trauma) is demonstrated with unmissable melodrama – the point *really* hits. These are universal questions, and ones that often come up thematically in first/second generation immigrant stories, and I feel that Natera did them justice.

However, I have to note that the depth with which Natera looks at these themes is presented in such a surprisingly uncomfortable way. Like, this was such an uncomfortable read. From Luz’s firing and job search and relationship with Hudson to Eusebia’s plans for “saving” the neighborhood – I had so many icky feelings while reading. And I do love that these characters got to be so authentically messy (as all humans are), but still, those were not the reading vibes I was in the mood for and it was tough to stick with it. There were just so many red flags everywhere, for so many characters, that got ignored until a point of dramatic no return.

There was a final piece of the story-puzzle here that was unexpected and also really one of the most unique aspects. Natera weaves all the abovementioned thematic threads together with the (terrifying) reality of TBIs/brain tumors. I’ll try not to give too many spoilers on this front, but it was interesting (and scary – I was tense for a lot of the time I was reading/listening to this book) witnessing how that can change personality, etc. And even more so, the consequences when combined with stress and family mental health history. Seeing this unfold from both internal and external perspectives was, actually, fascinating.

As you can see, there were so many things going for this book. Plus, the way it ended felt right to me. On all fronts. The power of community in creating and holding memory, while also forging something new, and the release of realizing that and then coming together with a purpose – in pain and joy – is cathartic and strong here. I loved the feeling I was left with. And yet… I just struggled with the kind of strange observational tone of the writing that was reminiscent of satire but not enough to make this anything other than a “normal” contemporary literary fiction. And honestly the pacing just felt so slow – the story seemed to drag and, while I understand that some “side plots” are necessary for world and character development, there was just so much I didn’t really understand the inclusion of. So, I respect the author, and what they created, but this book just wasn’t the right one for me.

A heartfelt family drama about a family and their neighborhood. This is a lovely debut novel that I enjoyed very much. It is set in New York, so of course I wanted to read this, and the premise was very creative. A neighborhood tenet is told to either buy their units or take a buyout, and an elder of the community, Eusebia Guerrero, takes matters into her own hands via dangerous methods. Her daughter Luz is a rising attorney in a prominent law firm, and she is trying to maintain a lifestyle her parents worked hard to give her. She gets distracted by a romance with a white developer that works at the company her mother opposes. I enjoyed how both Eusebia and Luz worked through their issues, both personally and with each other, and while it did get a little extreme at times, overall this was a very well done debut.

I listened to this via audio and the narrators did a wonderful job, I was very glad I read it this way.

Thank you to Random House and PRH Audio for the copies to review.

"Neruda on the Park" is a debut novel that seeks to capture the complexities of family dynamics, ambition, and the impact of encroaching gentrification.

The novel shines in its portrayal of community bonds and the complexities of pursuing dreams in a changing urban landscape. The author's ability to depict the nuances of cultural identity and the impact of gentrification on marginalized communities is commendable, making the story feel incredibly relevant and timely.

On the downside, its narrative is a bit scattered, with multiple storylines vying for attention. While the depth of character development is a strength, it can, at times, make the story feel somewhat disjointed and difficult to fully immerse oneself in.

"Neruda on the Park" is a thought-provoking and emotionally charged tale that tugs at the heartstrings while shedding light on the challenges faced by communities in the midst of gentrification. Although it may have some scattered moments that hinder complete captivation, this novel is a worthy addition to your reading list if you enjoy richly woven stories of love, family, and cultural identity,