If a story is never told, where does it go?

Does it stay with the author? Does it fade into the void? Or does it find a way to be told?

These are just a few of the questions asked in Julia Alvarez’s newest novel, “The Cemetery of Untold Stories,” her seventh novel.

This is the story of Alma Cruz, a writer and professor coming to the end of her writing career. For decades she has written and published under the pseudonym, Scheherazade, (from “One Thousand and One Nights”) under which she has become a celebrated author. But she is still unhappy, as she has not had success in the publishing of histories or stories of people of color.

Alma finds herself surrounded by unfinished stories, half-written novels and piles of research she has no plans on finishing. She is afraid of the boxes of manuscripts, filled with characters with untold stories — she doesn’t want to disappear into the ether the way her mentor did. (Her mentor grew paranoid and distrustful as she pushed herself to finish that one last story — a novel that became an obsession and her undoing.)

Alma finds the solution to her problem in the Dominican Republic, her homeland, where she has inherited a small plot of land for her father. (She opts for the smallest piece of land, offering her three sisters better, larger options.) There she builds a cemetery for her manuscripts.

Alma believes she can unburden herself and release the characters that still haunt her by burying them. She burns many of the manuscripts; the ashes are buried. Some are given to an artist, Brava, who mixes them into one of her artworks — monuments and headstones created for the stories buried in the cemetery.

The townspeople watch, with suspicion and hope, as Alma builds her cemetery. Some think the woman has come unhinged, others dream of the jobs she might bring to the town. With disappointment, they watch the cemetery for Alma’s stories rise. The only way in is to tell a story to a small black call box hitched to the gate.

No one enters, until Filomena, a humble, illiterate villager, whispers her own story of loss and love into the box. Alma hires the woman as the cemetery’s caretaker. Filomena feels funny earning a salary for little work, but soon she becomes the caretaker of much more than buried ashes and art.


Filomena can hear the untold tales, as they seep up from the ground, whispering themselves in her ears. It seems Alma is wrong, her stories are not dead; will not go softly or quietly into the night.

Alma’s unfinished tale of Bienvenida Inocencia Ricardo swirls to life. Alma had tried, unsuccessfully to tell the story of Bienvenida, the exiled first wife of Dominican Dictator Rafael Trujillo, who was erased from history after she failed to produce an heir. We hear the tale of Dr. Manuel Cruz, Alma’s father, a dissident who fled to the United States.

As the stories unfurl in Filomena’s ear, they weave together, imparting history, immigrant experiences, and tales of Dominican women surviving despite the heavy thumb of the patriarchy. They become part of her own story and part of a long-standing tradition of oral storytelling. Alma need not worry that her stories were not published in a traditional sense of ink printed on bound paper.

“The Cemetery of Untold Stories” is Alvarez at her best as a novelist, a storyteller, and a historian. Her prose is rich and poignant. Her characters come to life, spring from the page and beg you not to put down the book until it is finished. Yet, this is a work that should be savored, read slowly and enjoyed.

I was so excited for this one! Magical realism coupled with Caribbean/Latin culture, yes please! And Alvarez did not disappoint. While it started a bit slow, I ultimately was enthralled by it. I will say my favorite parts were the actual stories, and the history as told through the stories. Alvarez beautifully captured Alma and Filomena, bringing them to vivid life. I particularly enjoyed Alma’s relationship with her sisters - as an only child myself, it is always fun to read about family dynamics. Beautifully written and fully captured what I was hoping for!

SYNOPSIS
- Alma is a successful writer, but she has some unfinished stories.
- She decides to stop writing. She recently inherited some land in the Dominican Republic, where she grew up, so she decides to move back there.
- On the land, Alma buries her unfinished stories in a cemetery of untold stories. She hires Filomena to care for the cemetery, and Alma also builds a casita on the land where the cemetery is.
- As Filomena cares for the cemetery, two of the characters from the untold stories tell her their stories. We also learn Filomena’s story.

MY THOUGHTS
- Magical realism with some historical fiction.
- Really enjoyed this one. Strong writing & super unique idea that was seamlessly executed. Alvarez is a rich storyteller, and I was so invested in what happened.
- Loved getting a glimpse of some of Dominican Republic’s history and culture as well.
- I enjoyed Alvarez’s mix of Spanish words throughout the book as well. It made all the stories feel more authentic.
- The only reason I am going 4 stars instead of 5 stars is the ending was just okay to me. With such an amazing book, I would have loved a stronger finish.

TL;DR: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️magical realism with some historical fiction. amazing character development, strong writing. unique premise and beautifully executed.

Thanks to Algonquin Press and Netgalley for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book is out now.

Alvarez is one of the best storytellers of her generation. I'm so glad to have gotten to take a quick look at this book; I will certainly buy a copy to use in my classroom!

I can relate to untold stories and how they sit in drawers or boxes like castoff lovers or family members. I think many writers can attest to this dilemma. What do we do with the many ideas or tales that went nowhere or were left unfinished. Or worse, those we finished and perished in the dust.

I kept nodding my head as I read through different stories and the impact of planting dreams. I think a lot of readers are dreamers and will be able to relate to the tales told in The Cemetery of Untold Stories. The excuses we tell ourselves. How our lives get in the way of our dreams. All of the things we tell ourselves are printed in the pages here.

Reminiscent of The Shadow in the Wind, this story was full of beautiful writing and intriguing characters. I was fully invested for the first 80% of the book but then the multiple storylines became a little muddied to me. Still a solid read with beautiful lyrical writing.

The Cemetery of Untold Stories is a gorgeously lyrical novel. Small in size but the prose packs a punch, we follow the story of Alma, a writer, who take a chance upon inheriting some land in the Dominican Republic to leave her life in the US behind and try to sort out the ideas and stories that failed her.

This is my first work by Alvarez, although I am familiar with her work and it's importance in the literary canon. Her writing is beautiful, it's a wordy prose that at times had me going back and forth trying to understand a sentence but overall, I found the heart of the novel to be touching and I'm excited to pick up another work by her.

"The Cemetery of Untold Stories" by Julia Alvarez is a captivating novel that weaves together themes of storytelling, legacy, and the power of the human spirit. Alma Cruz, a celebrated author grappling with her mortality, inherits land in her Dominican Republic homeland. Inspired, she creates a unique cemetery: a burial ground for her unfinished stories and the characters who linger within them.

Alvarez's magic touch brings these characters to life. They defy their creator's attempts to lay them to rest, whispering secrets, demanding to be heard, and rewriting their narratives. This unexpected twist infuses the novel with a delightful touch of magical realism, blurring the lines between imagination and reality.

As Alma interacts with Filomena, the groundskeeper who becomes an audience to her characters' tales, the narrative delves deeper. We encounter forgotten historical figures like Bienvenida, a woman erased from the official record, and Manuel Cruz, a doctor who fought for freedom. These characters, along with Alma's creations, raise poignant questions about the stories that get told and the ones that are silenced.

"The Cemetery of Untold Stories" is a beautiful exploration of the power of storytelling. It reminds us that stories hold the potential to preserve the past, challenge the present, and offer solace and meaning. With its lyrical prose, unforgettable characters, and thought-provoking themes, this novel is a must-read for anyone who has ever been touched by the magic of stories.

Overall: A heartwarming and insightful novel that celebrates the enduring power of storytelling.

Julia Alvarez is such a Rich Storyteller. Her character Alma, moves back to the Dominican Republic and has an unusual cemetery where she buries all her unfinished stories and manuscripts. Yet, the characters do not want to be silenced. They speak to Filomena, who works on the grounds. This brings up such an important theme of what stories deserve to be told and do they have value if not printed? Yes, they do, but how do we hear those stories. Sometimes, Rich Stories are passed down through Verbal Stories or Written and go from generation to generation. Sometimes, part of a story takes a life of its own and becomes Folklore. Really different way,
Using Magical Realism, with a Cemetery and all that these unfinished stories have characters wishing to be speak their truth.

Beautifully Written and Rich Development of Life in the Dominican Republic. Loved reading about people’s lives and how each lived.

Thank you NetGalley, Julia Alvarez and Algonquin Books for a copy of this book. I always leave reviews of books I read.

Beautifully written story that reads like a dark fairytale. Alvarez’s writing is so lovely and poignant. I dipped in and out of this book, since it slow-paced, and enjoyed reading it this way. It is definitely literary fiction, not super plot-heavy, and almost allegorical. I would give this to my book club.

Thank you to Algonquin for the early copy in exchange for my honest review and for including me on the book tour!!

“All stories are good stories if you find the right listener.” The Cemetery of Untold Stories is a book about a celebrated novelist returning to her homeland to put to rest the unfinished stories of her career. You can’t help but wonder the extent to which art imitates life here, considering the marvelous and extensive career that Julia Alvarez has had. Our protagonist, Alma, creates a physical resting place for the half-baked characters she imagined but never brought to life, burying her untold works to allow the stories to live out their days to maintain their honor. We meet Alma’s family, locals who help her bring the cemetery to life, and side characters who help us understand the “story we keep to ourselves or even from ourselves, about who we are and what we love and whether our lives reflect that.”

This book is a love letter to storytelling, to family histories, from an author to career-long readers. I have loved Julia Alvarez for many years and have always devoured her books. This was no different; I highlighted so many turns of phrase, I re-read passages just to savor them, I could picture her characters and feel their emotions so vividly. Alvarez has always had an accessible and lyrical way of weaving together modern stories, magical realism, and historical fiction. In The Cemetery of Untold Stories, she does it again.

Thank you so much to @algonquinbooks and @netgalley for my copy, this book is truly a gift.

After escaping her life in the states to her family’s homeland of the Dominican Republic, writer Alma Cruz establishes the Cemetery of Untold Stories. Unwilling to let the ideas and characters who never became full-fledged novels to be forgotten, she buries these stories in her unconventional cemetery and allows them to rest in peace. Her idea captivates the neighborhood and encourages others to ask - what stories are told, and which go to rest in the cemetery?

I was absolutely captivated by this book from the first pages - it was imaginative, thoughtful, and gripping. The characters were so beautifully constructed that saying goodbye to them at the end of the book made me sad. I could have read 100 more pages! Alvarez weaves together multiple POV into one collective storyline that is sure to make you stop and think. Overall, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who considers themselves a writer (of any experience level!) or a lover of storytelling.

Many thanks to Algonquin Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts. These opinions are my own.

A famous writer builds a cemetery in the Dominican Republic to bury her unfinished manuscripts, but some of her characters decide they aren't ready to say goodbye. What a great hook! Julia Alvarez writes gorgeous sentences that really dig into you, but I do wish the magical realism element had felt a little more vivid and immersive. I wanted more interaction between the characters, but overall, a unique and evocative story full of beautiful writing.

Alvarez's "The Cemetery of Untold Stories" is a literary labyrinth where characters refuse to rest in peace. Alvarez's mastery shines in this poignant exploration of storytelling's power. An intelligent homage to the resilience of narratives. Excellent.

Algonquin Book Tour

▪️ Dominican American author, Dominican main characters
▪️ tw: cheating, murder, sexual abuse

I'm not sure what I expected this to be. For a title as captivating as this, and a cover so lush and beautiful, this certainly fell flat. Before you go, "But, Mai! You constantly say you you don't hate your three-star reads." And I don't hate this. I appreciate what the author has done. I just didn't love it, or mesh with it.

This cast of characters is not likable. It took me quite some time to want to pick the book up, and when it did, I couldn't put parts of it down. I won't say I enjoyed those parts. I was horrified by the behavior of the featured family. Two of the sisters were particularly memorable, and one of their sons. The rest faded in the background.

I am not normally a fan of books about books and stories but this worked really well for me. I found the narrators surprisingly easy to follow and enjoyed how the chapters were broken down into subsections. I loved the interconnectedness of all of the stories and the emotions on the page. This was my first Alvarez but won't be my last.

For those who love storytelling. Alma is a well-known author living in NY. Originally from the Dominican Republic, when her father dies she is left a small plot of land in DR. She decides to bury her unfinished stories in this small cemetery and engages an artist to create sculptures for each one. She hires Filomena to look after her treasures. The characters in the stories tell their stories to Filomena.

When Alma inherits land in the DR she chooses the most rural and largest abandoned area to create a cemetery. Alma has a many broken untold stories and she wants to bury the stories in the cemetery. She believes it will free her from the characters and save her from potentially going mad. Julia Alvarez is a modern Garcia Marquez who dives deeply into magical realism and captures the intricacy of the genre.

Things I liked:
• The unique and original premise
• Magical realism!
• Some really funny dry humor that made me laugh
• Learning about the Dominican Republic

Things I struggled with:
• I expected more magical cemetery
• Most was written in third person but there were a few shifts to stories told in first?
• The writing felt confusing at times.
• There’s a lot of Spanish which makes it more immersive, but can also require translation or making assumptions

I think some readers will absolutely love this book but it definitely isn’t for everyone.

Not bad at all, but ultimately forgettable I fear. Alma, a successful American author close to retirement, returns to her native Dominican Republic and with her she takes all her unfinished manuscripts, the untold stories that she knows she'll never have the time or energy to finalise and publish.

Instead, she conceives of the idea to bury the stories in a cemetery, designed by an artist friend.

Once at the cemetery, the stories start talking to each other, gradually revealing the past of Alma's family and, interestingly, unearthing the tragic story of Bienvenida Trujillo, the first wife of dictator Rafael Trujillo, whom he divorced when she couldn't have children.

Interesting if you want to know more about the Dominican Republic, but as a novel I was not completely convinced.