Several short stories about different people in different stages and life circumstances. some of the stories were enjoyable, others were so so. I had the audio book version, and I really did enjoy the narrator. They did such an enjoyable job.

I received a copy of the book via Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review of my own thoughts and opinions.

I liked how all the stories came into play. Some were hard to follow but that could be that I was working while listening or maybe I lost interest. Either way it was okay. I’ll give it another listen when my local library has it available to check out!

When Trying to Return Home - Jennifer Maritza McCauley

Engaging and thought provoking stories, each of which are well-written and could stand on their own merit published as individual novellas.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this eARC.

From the mother who guilts her daughter into kidnapping her brother, a ward of the state; a young man (15) discovers that Bags, the resident homeless man, is his half-brother (but the baby was "too dark" so his birth father (who only likes high yellow women) refused to claim him as his own, and more, in these captivating, heartbreaking stories.

Until next time, don't let the love you hold for your brother evaporate...

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the audiobook galley of this book prior to publication.

I went into this read rather excited about the collection. A meditation on belonging is something we can all relate to as we try and find our place. Having it be a representation of diverse characters was a bonus. While I wish I could say that I loved, the reality is that this was a middle of the road read for me. Some of the essays were better than others. The audio narrators were relatively engaging as well.

Amazing book and will plan to review it on our blog @overeducatedwomenwithcats for Hispanic Heritage Month!

This is an collection of stories from minorities that are always sub estimated or put down because of their backgrounds. It's an interesting aspect to analyze.

“At 4 am in mid-November, I was still a good enough person.”

This short collection of fiction stories conveys longing through a range of characters and scenarios. All are filled with beautiful prose and a sense of unknown nostalgia or completeness. I enjoyed the intertwining characters across some of the stories and the range of conflicts within each piece. There was something unifying yet unique across the collection in terms of themes and style. It is my first time reading Jennifer Maritza McCauley and her writing is well-crafted and succinct while still enabling dialogue and descriptions to be full of life.

I listened to this on Audio and the narrator did an excellent job.

3.75 stars!

When Trying to Return Home was such a beautiful story. It was a story that needed to be told for so long. I'm glad that everyone else will get the chance to read this story

Jennifer Maritza McCauley’s debut collection of short stories WHEN TRYING TO RETURN HOME is a study in the concept of belonging and freedom. The different Black and Latino characters are trying to figure out what their role is in the family, in their community. The first story was a shock - about a girl who is caught between loyalty and love to her mother and the pull to do what’s right. Another story I found impactful was the one about the little boy that finds out the local homeless man is his brother. I think that’s a common thread we Latinos struggle with, the overwhelming presence and influence our family can be. I enjoyed reading this, and look forward to seeing more of this author. Thanks to @netgalley for the opportunity to review this book.

This book was ok for me. I wanted to love it but there are only a couple of stories that I was able to get into. The rest failed to keep my attention or left me wanting more. It's obvious that this author is a talented writer and I'd love to check out a non-short story book by them.

I typically am not a big short story reader, but this one caught my eye. I loved that is was focused on the meaning of home and on the Afro-Latino culture. The writing was beautiful and the characters were fleshed out so well, particularly for a series of short stories. The narrators did an excellent job of making the stories sound conversational and making the reader feel like they are talking with a close friend or observing the events. I did like that there were some small threads tying stories or experiences together, making the experience even richer. I would love to ready anything else in McCauley's catalog!

When Trying to Return Home is a wonderful short story collection around the theme of belonging. I loved the first and last stories the most, but I found almost all of them engaging and enjoyable. There was a good variety of perspectives and narrative styles. The title story was almost more of a poem and was very striking. I highly recommend this book.

This collection of short stories were OK enough read. I felt the very first short story should be made into a novel. I was totally sucked in and thought the other stories would be just as exciting. I am sure they will appeal to others but way after the completion of this audiobook, the first short story of the mother daughter crime duo still have wondering where is the rest of that story. That story alone was worth the read. <3
#WhenTryingtoReturnHome #NetGalley #SHORTSTORIES #AAF

Rating: 3.5
The first two were the best in my opinion. There were a couple that I didn't care for and a couple that I wish were a little longer, but other than that, this was a pretty good collection of stories.

I have really been enjoying short story collections lately, and When Trying to Return Home did not disappoint! I really loved how the stories and characters were connected throughout the book. The writing was beautiful, and the audiobook narrators, Psalm Morant and Andrea Agosto, were wonderful. Sometimes with audibooks my mind will start wondering, but I never felt that happening with this book - I was completely immersed into each story. There weren't any stories that I disliked from this collection. I can't wait to see what McCauley does next!

Thank you Dreamscape media and NetGalley for the review copy of this audiobook.

A beautiful mix of what is means to be human. To struggle, to question, to explore. Short stories tend to leave me wanting more; however, some of these felt just right. I enjoyed the mix of narrators that brought life to all the characters. The true sweet spot was when some of the stories intertwined to bring the reader into a full life experience!

This book is a collection of short stories that centers around home life and the relationships between the folks we call family. These stories are told by people who come from the Black American or Afro–Puerto Rican cultural backgrounds. This was a spectacular representation of what home and family really means. I enjoyed the many characters throughout the collection and the fact each one had a unique voice and story to tell.

I did find that there were a few stories I felt did not fit the concept or belong as well as the others and this sort of broke up the flow and vibe of the collection. The collection as a whole was okay, but if each individual story were analyzed; I thought they were all very well executed and worth the read or listen.

Thank you Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for the audio ARC. Narrators Psalm Morant and Andréa Agosto did wonderfully.

As you know I love short stories and I really enjoyed WHEN TRYING TO RETURN HOME by Jennifer Maritza McCauley. I absolutely loved the element of suspense in the opening story Torsion. It’s about a teen girl who’s trying to help her mother rescue her brother from foster care while grappling with her feelings of love and the need to free herself from the damaging relationship. Within these nine stories we travel to Puerto Rico, New York and Louisiana with Black American and Afro-Puerto Rican characters. I liked how we would get both male and female perspectives and the strong focus on motherhood and family. I also loved how two of the stories Good Guys and Liberation Day are interconnected. I switched between the print book and the audiobook and I loved the dual narrators Psalm Morant and Andréa Agosto. Such a great debut collection!!
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Thank you to Counterpoint Press for my gifted review copy!

‘When Trying to Return Home’ is a collection of short stories that focus on Black American and Afro-Latino experiences with a theme of trying to find home & belonging. I really enjoyed getting an insight into these stories of Black American & Afro-Latino people.

I listen to the audiobook in Weather narrated by The male or female sounding narrator we got a gritty transparent view of not too often seen family structures. From a girl willing to commit assault and kidnapping for the love of her not mentally stable mother to a newfound sibling who is known as The local homeless man on your street and even a girl growing up too fast every story is told with honesty in an authenticity that causes you to recognize the characters from people you’ve known in your life I know it did me. I thoroughly enjoyed every story in this book and whether you agree or not with the storyline you certainly understand her motivation. This is a book I highly recommend and thoroughly enjoyed. I received this book from NetGalley and Dreamscape media but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.