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How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Best Fiction (2022)Cara Romero thought she would work at the factory of little lamps for the rest of her life. But when, in her mid-50s, she loses her job in the Great Recession, she is forced back into the job market for the first time in decades. Set up with a job counselor, Cara instead begins to narrate the story of her life. Over the course of twelve sessions, Cara recounts her tempestuous love affairs, her alternately biting and loving relationships with her neighbor Lulu and her sister Angela, her struggles with debt, gentrification and loss, and, eventually, what really happened between her and her estranged son, Fernando. As Cara confronts her darkest secrets and regrets, we see a woman buffeted by life but still full of fight.
Structurally inventive and emotionally kaleidoscopic, How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water is Angie Cruz’s most ambitious and moving novel yet, and Cara is a heroine for the ages.
Structurally inventive and emotionally kaleidoscopic, How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water is Angie Cruz’s most ambitious and moving novel yet, and Cara is a heroine for the ages.
195 pages, Hardcover
First published September 13, 2022
About the author
Angie Cruz
24 books1,045 followersAngie Cruz was conceived in Dominican Republic and born in 1972 in New York City's Washington Heights. She continued to travel to and from, every summer, until she was sixteen years old. She went to La Guardia High School concentrating on Visual Arts and by default decided to follow a path in Fashion Design at Fashion Institute of Technology. During those four years of college, she worked as a salesperson, manager and then window designer in an upscale Madison Ave. boutique. In 1993, four of her children stories were featured on BET's Story Porch. Soon after, she gave up her fashionista lifestyle to become a full-time college student at SUNY Binghamton where her love affair with literature and history began. She graduated from the NYU, MFA program in 1999. Her passion for literature fueled her desire to be active in community. In 1997, she co-founded WILL: Women In Literature & Letters with Adelina Anthony and Marta Lucia, an organization that produced readings, workshops, and a conference using literature as a tool to build community and transform society. In 2000, WILL was put on hold due to lack of resources and the women's desire to make more time to write. Angie Cruz has contributed shorter works to numerous periodicals including Latina Magazine, Callaloo and New York Times. She has won awards for her writing and/or activist work such as The New York Foundation of The Arts Fellowship, Barbara Deming Award, Yaddo, and The Camargo Fellowship. She published two novels, Soledad and Let It Rain Coffee. She currently is working on the screenplay for Soledad, optioned by Nueva York Productions and working on her third novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,816 reviews
September 21, 2022
Audiobook; 5/5
Book: 4.5/5
After losing her factory job during the recession, fifty-six-year-old Cara Romero meets with a job counselor as part of The Senior Workforce Program to qualify for continuation of her unemployment benefits and also receive assistance in finding new employment.
Over the course of twelve sessions with her job counselor, Cara shares her life story (and her thoughts and feelings about the significant people and events in her life ) in bits and pieces in mostly one-sided conversations. A Dominican immigrant and legal resident of the United States who came to the country with her son, she has worked hard to provide for her family while navigating through the trials and tribulations of life as an immigrant in her adopted country. Even though she has her share of difficulties- unemployed with no health insurance, having had to pay for recent surgery and unable to make rent (gentrification knocking on the door of her rent-stabilized apartment) and is estranged from her son and her relationships with her sister Angela and her friend Lulu continue to have their fair share of ups and downs - Cara’s indomitable spirit, confidence, kind-heartedness and wisdom are awe-inspiring. Through it all, she remains a loyal friend, a dutiful sister, a concerned mother and a caregiver to those who need her help.
“Desahogar: to undrown, to cry until you don’t need to cry no more.”
While Cara’s story is narrated in the first person, other details are shared through the paperwork she files through the course of the program which makes for some interesting reading! Beautifully–written and thought-provoking, with humor, a whole lot of heart and an endearing protagonist whose story will make you smile, sob, laugh out loud and cheer her on, How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water by Angie Cruz is a short but impactful and memorable read that I would definitely recommend. I paired my reading with the brilliant audio narration by Rossmery Almonte and Kimberly M. Wetherell, for an immersive experience that I did not want to end.
Book: 4.5/5
After losing her factory job during the recession, fifty-six-year-old Cara Romero meets with a job counselor as part of The Senior Workforce Program to qualify for continuation of her unemployment benefits and also receive assistance in finding new employment.
Over the course of twelve sessions with her job counselor, Cara shares her life story (and her thoughts and feelings about the significant people and events in her life ) in bits and pieces in mostly one-sided conversations. A Dominican immigrant and legal resident of the United States who came to the country with her son, she has worked hard to provide for her family while navigating through the trials and tribulations of life as an immigrant in her adopted country. Even though she has her share of difficulties- unemployed with no health insurance, having had to pay for recent surgery and unable to make rent (gentrification knocking on the door of her rent-stabilized apartment) and is estranged from her son and her relationships with her sister Angela and her friend Lulu continue to have their fair share of ups and downs - Cara’s indomitable spirit, confidence, kind-heartedness and wisdom are awe-inspiring. Through it all, she remains a loyal friend, a dutiful sister, a concerned mother and a caregiver to those who need her help.
“Desahogar: to undrown, to cry until you don’t need to cry no more.”
While Cara’s story is narrated in the first person, other details are shared through the paperwork she files through the course of the program which makes for some interesting reading! Beautifully–written and thought-provoking, with humor, a whole lot of heart and an endearing protagonist whose story will make you smile, sob, laugh out loud and cheer her on, How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water by Angie Cruz is a short but impactful and memorable read that I would definitely recommend. I paired my reading with the brilliant audio narration by Rossmery Almonte and Kimberly M. Wetherell, for an immersive experience that I did not want to end.
September 22, 2022
Audiobook…..read by Kimberly M. Wetherell, and
Rossmery Almonte
…..6 hours and 16 minutes
Audiobook listeners know it can be like panning for gold to find the next BEST OUTRAGEOUSLY WONDERFUL listening experience beyond average, beyond good, and even better than the ‘great’ ones!
THIS IS THAT AUDIOBOOK!!
The audiobook is so darn terrific, you’ll swear it was written ‘FOR’ the sole purpose to LISTENED to!!!
Cara Romero gets my vote for CHARACTER-of-the-YEAR!!!
Cara has something substantial to teach ….
It will be hard not to look at people of every race, color, height, weight, class, sexual gender, age, the same after finishing this powerful-affecting-uniquely crafted VERY ENTERTAINING novel.
Highly recommended…
….one of my top 10 - ever - Audiobooks!!!
And…..
when interviewing for a job….lol….
“Make sure to nod your head and smile occasionally to show that you are listening”. 😊
Rossmery Almonte
…..6 hours and 16 minutes
Audiobook listeners know it can be like panning for gold to find the next BEST OUTRAGEOUSLY WONDERFUL listening experience beyond average, beyond good, and even better than the ‘great’ ones!
THIS IS THAT AUDIOBOOK!!
The audiobook is so darn terrific, you’ll swear it was written ‘FOR’ the sole purpose to LISTENED to!!!
Cara Romero gets my vote for CHARACTER-of-the-YEAR!!!
Cara has something substantial to teach ….
It will be hard not to look at people of every race, color, height, weight, class, sexual gender, age, the same after finishing this powerful-affecting-uniquely crafted VERY ENTERTAINING novel.
Highly recommended…
….one of my top 10 - ever - Audiobooks!!!
And…..
when interviewing for a job….lol….
“Make sure to nod your head and smile occasionally to show that you are listening”. 😊
July 6, 2022
“My name is Cara Romero, and I came to this country because my husband wanted to kill me. Don’t look so shocked . You’re the one who asked me to say something about myself.”
Well, that first sentence got my attention!
The first book I read by Angie Cruz was Dominicana and she gives the reader a character to care about, to root for and a depiction the immigrant experience from the perspective of a 15 year old girl. In this newest it’s from the perspective of fifty six year old, Cara Romero, a strong and confident woman who is dealing with a job loss like so many others in 2008 when the factory she worked at for many years closes and relocates out of the country. Cruz has given us another character who I couldn’t help but root for as well.
I found the narrative structure so compelling. In order to continue her unemployment benefits, Cara must attend twelve sessions of a Senior Workforce Program intended to help her find a job. The result is a one sided conversation with Cara pretty much telling her life story to the counselor and of course to the reader. We also are are privy to her responses to various questionnaires, some were sad and others made me laugh out loud. She exudes an amazing confidence and self awareness as she talks about her life, why she left the Dominican Republic, about her son who left, her best friend, her sister and others, what she has been doing since being unemployed and what is happening with the rentals in her building. It’s funny, sad, enlightening and I loved getting to know Cara Romero.
I received an advanced copy of this book from Flatiron/Macmillan through Edelweiss.
Well, that first sentence got my attention!
The first book I read by Angie Cruz was Dominicana and she gives the reader a character to care about, to root for and a depiction the immigrant experience from the perspective of a 15 year old girl. In this newest it’s from the perspective of fifty six year old, Cara Romero, a strong and confident woman who is dealing with a job loss like so many others in 2008 when the factory she worked at for many years closes and relocates out of the country. Cruz has given us another character who I couldn’t help but root for as well.
I found the narrative structure so compelling. In order to continue her unemployment benefits, Cara must attend twelve sessions of a Senior Workforce Program intended to help her find a job. The result is a one sided conversation with Cara pretty much telling her life story to the counselor and of course to the reader. We also are are privy to her responses to various questionnaires, some were sad and others made me laugh out loud. She exudes an amazing confidence and self awareness as she talks about her life, why she left the Dominican Republic, about her son who left, her best friend, her sister and others, what she has been doing since being unemployed and what is happening with the rentals in her building. It’s funny, sad, enlightening and I loved getting to know Cara Romero.
I received an advanced copy of this book from Flatiron/Macmillan through Edelweiss.
December 25, 2023
I really love the session and I enjoy all the TMIs.
It was a great book with a good reality check during the Recession as well as the horror that comes with American Dream. It tells the tale of one woman's life, showing both her accomplishments and her setbacks which made this also heartwarming yet bittersweet.
Now, do I learn how not to drown in a glass of water? That's for another debate.
Further RTC.
It was a great book with a good reality check during the Recession as well as the horror that comes with American Dream. It tells the tale of one woman's life, showing both her accomplishments and her setbacks which made this also heartwarming yet bittersweet.
Now, do I learn how not to drown in a glass of water? That's for another debate.
Further RTC.
December 7, 2023
WOW!!!! This book has everything! Stop what you are doing and go read this.
In Angie Cruz How Not To Drown in a Glass of Water we meet Cara Romero who is originally from the Dominican Republic, she's been living in NYC for decades after leaving DR and her abusive husband. She's hit a bit of rough patch with the great recession so she's now job hunting. In order to find a job she must go through an agency, Cara turns the agency interview into a therapy session that we get to listen (read) in.
Angie Cruz was showing off when she made the character Cara, this book is phenomenal, talk about a character you want to see win!
In Angie Cruz How Not To Drown in a Glass of Water we meet Cara Romero who is originally from the Dominican Republic, she's been living in NYC for decades after leaving DR and her abusive husband. She's hit a bit of rough patch with the great recession so she's now job hunting. In order to find a job she must go through an agency, Cara turns the agency interview into a therapy session that we get to listen (read) in.
Angie Cruz was showing off when she made the character Cara, this book is phenomenal, talk about a character you want to see win!
December 9, 2022
Loved the distinctive voice and structure of this book; it reminded me of the sharp characterizations in Weike Wang’s novels. In How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water, we follow Cara Romero, a Dominican immigrant living in New York City, who goes to career counseling after getting laid off from her factory job. Over 12 sessions with her career counselor, Cara reveals the story of her life, including her abusive ex-romantic partners and mother, her struggle to pay rent in a rapidly gentrifying city, and her estranged relationship with her son.
I found that the unique setup of this book worked. It’s rare that a novel told in second person doesn’t feel gimmicky to me, yet with this novel, Cara’s voice came across as authentic, funny, and full of energy. I think Angie Cruz’s use of vivid details and her consistency with the way Cara described both external events and her own emotions helped the book come alive. Though at times humorous, How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water touches on several important and oftentimes harrowing topics: abuse, gentrification, and discrimination against immigrants. I found the theme of intergenerational trauma the most poignant part of the novel, especially witnessing the separation of a son and his mother from the perspective of the mother, who hurt him.
I think the tightness of the prose loosened a little in the middle of the book which shifted my rating to four stars, however, I still enjoyed this novel and would recommend it to those interested in literary fiction.
I found that the unique setup of this book worked. It’s rare that a novel told in second person doesn’t feel gimmicky to me, yet with this novel, Cara’s voice came across as authentic, funny, and full of energy. I think Angie Cruz’s use of vivid details and her consistency with the way Cara described both external events and her own emotions helped the book come alive. Though at times humorous, How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water touches on several important and oftentimes harrowing topics: abuse, gentrification, and discrimination against immigrants. I found the theme of intergenerational trauma the most poignant part of the novel, especially witnessing the separation of a son and his mother from the perspective of the mother, who hurt him.
I think the tightness of the prose loosened a little in the middle of the book which shifted my rating to four stars, however, I still enjoyed this novel and would recommend it to those interested in literary fiction.
December 26, 2022
Her name is Cara Romero. She is the narrator of this novel, and the narrator of her life as told to a career counselor. This brutally honest lady tells it all, leaves no stone unturned. And what a story it is. I am sure it is unlike any the counselor has ever heard.
Cara, a Dominican immigrant living in N.Y.C., has tried hard to deal with what life has thrown her. When the recession occurs and an eviction notice arrives, she seeks help, not handouts but employment. She has always been the one who helps - family, neighbors, friends, hours given to others without compensation. She is not perfect. She has made plenty of mistakes. But she is wise, caring, and oh, so funny. I read her story and heard her Spanglish as if I was sitting next to her. I laughed, I nodded my ahead in agreement. I wanted to cry. Why don’t compassion and love get a free pass?
Angie Cruz has written a delightfully innovative novel about this warm, lovable lady who survives so much and yet remains hopeful. You can read this for its laugh out loud humor alone, and/or you can reflect on the brokenness of some of our governmental programs. Whichever, it is a very worthwhile and pleasurable read.
Cara, a Dominican immigrant living in N.Y.C., has tried hard to deal with what life has thrown her. When the recession occurs and an eviction notice arrives, she seeks help, not handouts but employment. She has always been the one who helps - family, neighbors, friends, hours given to others without compensation. She is not perfect. She has made plenty of mistakes. But she is wise, caring, and oh, so funny. I read her story and heard her Spanglish as if I was sitting next to her. I laughed, I nodded my ahead in agreement. I wanted to cry. Why don’t compassion and love get a free pass?
Angie Cruz has written a delightfully innovative novel about this warm, lovable lady who survives so much and yet remains hopeful. You can read this for its laugh out loud humor alone, and/or you can reflect on the brokenness of some of our governmental programs. Whichever, it is a very worthwhile and pleasurable read.
December 22, 2022
I picked this up from the library yesterday, but was fully prepared to put it aside if I became bored with it. For whatever reason, that's been happening a lot lately with contemporary novels. But Cara Romero sat down to the first of her sessions with a counselor at the Senior Workplace Program, and I couldn't let her go. In an unusual technique, she tells her story of trying to get by as a Domenican in a NYC tenement in twelve weekly sessions. By turns, I wanted to shake her, warn her, berate her and help her, all the while my heart breaking for what she was dealing with and her persistence in helping those around her.
This is a very short novel about a very special woman. The saddest part is that she's not really all that special, because so many women are living her same reality, just doing their best to put one foot in front of the other every day without giving up. Trying not to drown.
This is a very short novel about a very special woman. The saddest part is that she's not really all that special, because so many women are living her same reality, just doing their best to put one foot in front of the other every day without giving up. Trying not to drown.
September 15, 2022
Write this down: Cara Romero will make a home in your heart. HOW NOT TO DROWN IN A GLASS OF WATER is a true delight and extraordinary audio experience.
Cara Romero is an immigrant from the Dominican Republic who finds herself looking for work when her job at a NYC factory she held for decades is eliminated due to the recession. The structure of the story is unique as Cara divulges her life to her job counselor over the course of 12 sessions.
Angie Cruz, has given Cara such a distinctive voice! With a zany personality, a tender heart for her estranged son, and a deep loyalty to those she loves, Cara is a character I won’t soon forget. This story is infused with so much heart and humor I actually laughed out loud (which never happens for this stoic reader!)
Taking in this story through your ears is undoubtedly the way to go; the audiobook experience is incredibly immersive. Cara’s accent and antics shine through the narration of Rossmery Almonte. The audio experience is completely immersive with various background sound effects that enhance the story such as footsteps, typing sounds, and of course swallowing a glass of water.
After finishing this story, I immediately added Cruz's DOMINICANA to my TBR. If you’re looking for a laugh out loud story with themes of found family and an #ownvoices immigrant experience, add HOW NOT TO DROWN IN A GLASS OF WATER to your *audiobook* TBR!
PUB DATE: September 13, 2022
Many thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an ALC in exchange for an honest review
Cara Romero is an immigrant from the Dominican Republic who finds herself looking for work when her job at a NYC factory she held for decades is eliminated due to the recession. The structure of the story is unique as Cara divulges her life to her job counselor over the course of 12 sessions.
Angie Cruz, has given Cara such a distinctive voice! With a zany personality, a tender heart for her estranged son, and a deep loyalty to those she loves, Cara is a character I won’t soon forget. This story is infused with so much heart and humor I actually laughed out loud (which never happens for this stoic reader!)
Taking in this story through your ears is undoubtedly the way to go; the audiobook experience is incredibly immersive. Cara’s accent and antics shine through the narration of Rossmery Almonte. The audio experience is completely immersive with various background sound effects that enhance the story such as footsteps, typing sounds, and of course swallowing a glass of water.
After finishing this story, I immediately added Cruz's DOMINICANA to my TBR. If you’re looking for a laugh out loud story with themes of found family and an #ownvoices immigrant experience, add HOW NOT TO DROWN IN A GLASS OF WATER to your *audiobook* TBR!
PUB DATE: September 13, 2022
Many thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an ALC in exchange for an honest review
November 5, 2022
How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water is the story of Cara Romero, a woman ready to work! Cara moved to NYC from the Dominican Republic years ago and is now in her mid 50s. Cara has worked in a lamp factory for years but when she loses her job during the recession, she attends career counseling sessions, where she recounts her life story.
Cara shares updates about her past work experience, her love life, and her somewhat fractious relationships with her best friend, her sister, and her estranged son. She is a caring, hard working woman who’s experienced her share of hardships. Interspersed with Cara’s story are updates from the career counseling center including interview tips, forms to be completed, and evaluation updates, as well as updates on Cara’s living situation and finances — She has some debt and finds herself in the midst of gentrification.
I enjoyed the audiobook, Rossmery Almonte performed the narration very well. Despite not sharing some of the same views as her, I was rooting for Cara and her kindness throughout the story.
Cara shares updates about her past work experience, her love life, and her somewhat fractious relationships with her best friend, her sister, and her estranged son. She is a caring, hard working woman who’s experienced her share of hardships. Interspersed with Cara’s story are updates from the career counseling center including interview tips, forms to be completed, and evaluation updates, as well as updates on Cara’s living situation and finances — She has some debt and finds herself in the midst of gentrification.
I enjoyed the audiobook, Rossmery Almonte performed the narration very well. Despite not sharing some of the same views as her, I was rooting for Cara and her kindness throughout the story.
January 21, 2023
short, powerful, and sometimes painful. the epistolary format of this novel is very effective: cara romero tells her story over a series of job counseling interviews during the 2008 recession. in her 50s, a dominican immigrant who has worked in the same NYC factory and lived in the same apartment for decades, cara is one of many whose life has been hugely disrupted by the economic downturn and simultaneous neighborhood gentrification.
the thing that struck me most while reading is the sense of community. cara lives close to her sister angela and her best friend lulu. she takes care of la vieja caridad, her elderly neighbor, every day. she has a sense of community with the other latinx tenants of her apartment complex. all of these connections feel essential. people rely on each other out of necessity, because it comes naturally to them, because it aids in their survival. and there is so much warmth in their relationships, despite the fact that everyone is struggling.
cara herself is an extremely flawed character. i think her confessional narrative is ideal for showing all the facets of cara. she makes fucked up decisions, but never without justifications. she is thoughtful, and even the most horrible things she does are understandable when we hear them from her perspective. i love the complexity.
one of my favorite parts of the book is how cara gets wisdom from scammy alicia the psychic, via clickbaity emails. she reads every word, and believes they are sent for her, but she doesn't send any money. she takes the wise words and manifests the predictions herself. i love how she takes her own meaning without being exploited like the emails intend her to be. there's something powerful there about using your agency to find the bright spots, even in the things that are trying to take something from you.
i need to read some analyses on the lgbt+ elements 0f this book, because i found them confounding.
anyway. it's a very candid character study with a delicious format, and the sprinkled-in spanglish is joyful. cara is such a lively and fascinating character.
the thing that struck me most while reading is the sense of community. cara lives close to her sister angela and her best friend lulu. she takes care of la vieja caridad, her elderly neighbor, every day. she has a sense of community with the other latinx tenants of her apartment complex. all of these connections feel essential. people rely on each other out of necessity, because it comes naturally to them, because it aids in their survival. and there is so much warmth in their relationships, despite the fact that everyone is struggling.
cara herself is an extremely flawed character. i think her confessional narrative is ideal for showing all the facets of cara. she makes fucked up decisions, but never without justifications. she is thoughtful, and even the most horrible things she does are understandable when we hear them from her perspective. i love the complexity.
one of my favorite parts of the book is how cara gets wisdom from scammy alicia the psychic, via clickbaity emails. she reads every word, and believes they are sent for her, but she doesn't send any money. she takes the wise words and manifests the predictions herself. i love how she takes her own meaning without being exploited like the emails intend her to be. there's something powerful there about using your agency to find the bright spots, even in the things that are trying to take something from you.
i need to read some analyses on the lgbt+ elements 0f this book, because i found them confounding.
anyway. it's a very candid character study with a delicious format, and the sprinkled-in spanglish is joyful. cara is such a lively and fascinating character.
September 24, 2022
Oh what a beautiful book with a happy, happy ending that is not saccharine but fantastically sweet.
Reading this was such a personal ride for me. I had a long office friendship with a woman who reminded me so much of Dominican-woman-made of rock-and-sweet roses Cara Romero. Something about this culture creates women who are monolithic, unmovable. But when they move, oh my. I relived my impatience in the face of this stuff with my office friend (thereby making me identify with the unseen Senior Workforce Program counselor who is the other end of Cara’s endless monologues). I felt all my frustration of the past. Sometimes wanted to wash my hands of Cara. But boy was it sweet to ride this out with her.
If this book hasn’t already been optioned for theatrical rights, I hope it is. This is a dream of a role for an older Hispanic actress and a creative director (maybe using overhead video for the interstitial official forms that separate the sessions Cara attends, ostensibly to find her employment after losing her job in the Recession (another point of personal identification. Ouch!).
Reading this was such a personal ride for me. I had a long office friendship with a woman who reminded me so much of Dominican-woman-made of rock-and-sweet roses Cara Romero. Something about this culture creates women who are monolithic, unmovable. But when they move, oh my. I relived my impatience in the face of this stuff with my office friend (thereby making me identify with the unseen Senior Workforce Program counselor who is the other end of Cara’s endless monologues). I felt all my frustration of the past. Sometimes wanted to wash my hands of Cara. But boy was it sweet to ride this out with her.
If this book hasn’t already been optioned for theatrical rights, I hope it is. This is a dream of a role for an older Hispanic actress and a creative director (maybe using overhead video for the interstitial official forms that separate the sessions Cara attends, ostensibly to find her employment after losing her job in the Recession (another point of personal identification. Ouch!).
November 20, 2022
My name is Cara Romero, and I came to this country because my husband wanted to kill me. Don't look so shocked! You're the one who asked me to say something about myself. ch.2
I was given an audiobook ARC of Angie Cruz's HOW NOT TO DROWN IN A GLASS OF WATER by NetGalley and MacMillan Audio and I was so impressed with this listening experience. It was more than just a great narrator in Rosemary Alente, although she was brilliant. There were also sound effects, which enhanced transitions and even character building. I was totally entertained and hooked on this story from the first chapter.
This is the smart, evocative story of Cara Romero, a mid-50's casualty of the 2008 recession, estranged from her gay son Fernando, jobless, and trying to navigate the bureaucratic maze separating her from the social benefits she needs to keep her rent controlled apartment in New York City. It's a tense, dramatic story that includes details about her professional life, her sex life, her abusive nuclear family, and her violent first marriage. In fact, the excerpt I shared above is the very first thing the main character says!
Cara's unemployment provides the fresh and clever form for this story, which is explained in the opening chapter: Cara tells her story to the woman who meets with her for twelve interviews to determine her fitness for job placement through New York's job and family services department. Cara rather defies the established form of those interviews, I'm sure; but the story she tells and the woman she presents are both unforgettable.
I highly recommend the audiobook for this one!
Rating 5 stars
Finished October 2022
Recommended for fans of literary fiction, women's fiction, feminist/intersectional themes; readers seeking lgbtq rep, poc rep, immigrant rep, older characters, realistic portrayals of motherhood
TW domestic violence, violence against children, narcissistic abuse (mostly off page or described), queer antagonism
I was given an audiobook ARC of Angie Cruz's HOW NOT TO DROWN IN A GLASS OF WATER by NetGalley and MacMillan Audio and I was so impressed with this listening experience. It was more than just a great narrator in Rosemary Alente, although she was brilliant. There were also sound effects, which enhanced transitions and even character building. I was totally entertained and hooked on this story from the first chapter.
This is the smart, evocative story of Cara Romero, a mid-50's casualty of the 2008 recession, estranged from her gay son Fernando, jobless, and trying to navigate the bureaucratic maze separating her from the social benefits she needs to keep her rent controlled apartment in New York City. It's a tense, dramatic story that includes details about her professional life, her sex life, her abusive nuclear family, and her violent first marriage. In fact, the excerpt I shared above is the very first thing the main character says!
Cara's unemployment provides the fresh and clever form for this story, which is explained in the opening chapter: Cara tells her story to the woman who meets with her for twelve interviews to determine her fitness for job placement through New York's job and family services department. Cara rather defies the established form of those interviews, I'm sure; but the story she tells and the woman she presents are both unforgettable.
I highly recommend the audiobook for this one!
Rating 5 stars
Finished October 2022
Recommended for fans of literary fiction, women's fiction, feminist/intersectional themes; readers seeking lgbtq rep, poc rep, immigrant rep, older characters, realistic portrayals of motherhood
TW domestic violence, violence against children, narcissistic abuse (mostly off page or described), queer antagonism
October 3, 2022
CW: domestic abuse, child abuse, homophobia, and death
Was this book perfect? No
Will it be for everyone? No
Is it now a new favorite book? Yes
This book felt like it was written for me and me only. I cried so much because I saw myself in both Fernando and Cara. I saw my frustrations and insecurities in this book. I understood Fernando’s pain dealing with a strict Dominican mom. However, I sympathized with Cara, because I saw every Dominican woman I know represented in Cara. I saw the real struggles and side effects of generational trauma. This is a book I will hold close to my heart for a long time.
One thing I loved to see is that this was written for Latine readers. It had Spanish words, Dominican food, and culture and it didn’t explain it. It wasn’t written to cater to non-Spanish speaking readers. So if you don’t read/understand Spanish I recommend you look up what the words mean to get a full understanding of the story.
Do I recommend this? Maybe… this may be a bit triggering for a lot of people. Go into it with caution <3
Was this book perfect? No
Will it be for everyone? No
Is it now a new favorite book? Yes
This book felt like it was written for me and me only. I cried so much because I saw myself in both Fernando and Cara. I saw my frustrations and insecurities in this book. I understood Fernando’s pain dealing with a strict Dominican mom. However, I sympathized with Cara, because I saw every Dominican woman I know represented in Cara. I saw the real struggles and side effects of generational trauma. This is a book I will hold close to my heart for a long time.
One thing I loved to see is that this was written for Latine readers. It had Spanish words, Dominican food, and culture and it didn’t explain it. It wasn’t written to cater to non-Spanish speaking readers. So if you don’t read/understand Spanish I recommend you look up what the words mean to get a full understanding of the story.
Do I recommend this? Maybe… this may be a bit triggering for a lot of people. Go into it with caution <3
September 30, 2022
Incredible. I loved this story. Definitely one of the best books that I've read this year. Cara Romero is a character that you won't forget, maybe because you know her or you've met her in your life somewhere along the way.
The layout of the story was fascinating, the escalating sessions and the momentary revelations. The complexity of a woman, a survivor, a mother, a sister. Angie Cruz did something special with this one. I can't wait to read it again, this time I've got to get the audio!
The layout of the story was fascinating, the escalating sessions and the momentary revelations. The complexity of a woman, a survivor, a mother, a sister. Angie Cruz did something special with this one. I can't wait to read it again, this time I've got to get the audio!
November 28, 2022
This story seems to have pulled on the heartstrings of many readers. For grumps like me it felt like a story that has been told, many many times before
The audio narration does however add some atmosphere but it was not enough to win me over.
The story centers around Cara Romero, who recently got sacked from her factory job and her history unfolds during job counselling sessions in an attempt to find new employment.
I was a recruiter many years ago and I would have nipped conversations like these in the bud very quickly. Who tells their job counselor that their husband fucked other women (not my words), she is very shy (not true) her son has a restraining order against her and her sister's husband makes googly eyes at her? Well actually I have heard worse but it does not make for authentic reading.
The format felt gimmicky just to tell the story.
I appreciate that there is an audience for this type of story but for me it was a let down.
The audio narration does however add some atmosphere but it was not enough to win me over.
The story centers around Cara Romero, who recently got sacked from her factory job and her history unfolds during job counselling sessions in an attempt to find new employment.
I was a recruiter many years ago and I would have nipped conversations like these in the bud very quickly. Who tells their job counselor that their husband fucked other women (not my words), she is very shy (not true) her son has a restraining order against her and her sister's husband makes googly eyes at her? Well actually I have heard worse but it does not make for authentic reading.
The format felt gimmicky just to tell the story.
I appreciate that there is an audience for this type of story but for me it was a let down.
December 3, 2022
[3.5] I don't think I've ever read anything quite like this monologue of a book, narrated entirely by the appealing and spirited Cara. The problem with a one way conversation though is that it can get monotonous and my attention waxed and waned. But a strong ending left me happy.
July 31, 2022
I’m not sure what book the other reviewers read, it seems unlikely it was the same one I did, or perhaps receiving the book for free swayed their views but this was a painful, boring struggle to read. If you relate to this character in any way, personally or they remind you fondly of family, go to therapy. The characters and narrative format where wholly uninteresting.
December 6, 2022
"Lulú says that a person is never too old to do anything, especially to study."
Sau khoảng gần ba tháng, đây là cuốn sách Ngoại văn mà mình hoàn thành nhanh nhất (tính tới hiện tại). How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water mang đến một câu chuyện của Thời đại trước nhưng vẫn có thể khiến mình liên tưởng đến thời điểm hiện tại.
How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water lấy bối cảnh thời kỳ đại suy thoái Kinh tế. Cara Romero, người phụ nữ hơn năm mươi - người đã gắn bó lâu dài với công việc trong nhà máy sản xuất những chiếc đèn nhỏ, giờ đây Cara hay những người lao động khác đã thất nghiệp.
Cara bắt đầu tham gia vào một chương trình Hỗ trợ việc làm sau hai năm thất nghiệp.Trong mỗi phiên phỏng vấn, người tham gia sẽ phải trả lời các câu hỏi về thế mạnh/yếu của bản thân, để có thể tìm ra công việc phù hợp.
Với lối kể là các buổi phỏng vấn, và chỉ mỗi Cara là người kể xuyên suốt cuốn sách. Trong mỗi phiên phỏng vấn, Cara đã kể lại tất cả những gì đã xảy ra trong đời bà ấy: Làm thế nào bà ấy lại chạy trốn người chồng muốn giết bà ấy? Em gái thì lạnh nhạt? Con trai của Cara thì bỏ bà ấy mà đi?...
Với cách kể hài hước, châm biếm thì mình rất thích cuốn sách này. Từ những câu chuyện của bản thân, Cara đưa ra những điểm mạnh/yếu của bà ấy. Cara Romero là một nhân vật thú vị, bà ấy khiến mình đồng cảm và liên tưởng đến những người phụ nữ khác rất nhiều. Một cuộc sống đầy thăng trầm, hy sinh vì tất cả cho những người thân, bạn bè; bà Cara cho đi mà chẳng hề có suy nghĩ sẽ nhận lại. Là một người phụ nữ mạnh mẽ, đúng kiểu chơi "hệ tâm linh" :))) đôi lúc tình yêu thương của Cara cũng thái quá.
Không chỉ là mỗi "câu chuyện của Cara", Cara cũng kể về những người quen khác của bà ấy - những người có cùng hoàn cảnh với Cara, họ không hề có quan hệ máu mủ nhưng vẫn đối tốt với nhau. Dù những nhân vật phụ chỉ được nhắc trong "lời kể" của Cara nhưng họ vẫn để lại cho mình ấn tượng.
Sau tất cả những phiên phỏng vấn là những mất mát, vui cười đã và đang xảy ra trong cuộc sống của Cara Romero. Như đã nói, bối cảnh cuốn sách được đặt ở Thời kỳ suy thoái Kinh tế, và mình nghĩ cũng chẳng khác với hiện tại là bao, có rất nhiều nơi xảy ra tình trạng thất nghiệp, hay thậm chí là những kẻ dùng thời cơ để chuộc lợi cá nhân. Nhưng hy vọng mọi người vẫn giữ được sự lạc quan, như cách mà bà Cara Romero đã làm ♡
Sau khoảng gần ba tháng, đây là cuốn sách Ngoại văn mà mình hoàn thành nhanh nhất (tính tới hiện tại). How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water mang đến một câu chuyện của Thời đại trước nhưng vẫn có thể khiến mình liên tưởng đến thời điểm hiện tại.
How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water lấy bối cảnh thời kỳ đại suy thoái Kinh tế. Cara Romero, người phụ nữ hơn năm mươi - người đã gắn bó lâu dài với công việc trong nhà máy sản xuất những chiếc đèn nhỏ, giờ đây Cara hay những người lao động khác đã thất nghiệp.
Cara bắt đầu tham gia vào một chương trình Hỗ trợ việc làm sau hai năm thất nghiệp.Trong mỗi phiên phỏng vấn, người tham gia sẽ phải trả lời các câu hỏi về thế mạnh/yếu của bản thân, để có thể tìm ra công việc phù hợp.
Với lối kể là các buổi phỏng vấn, và chỉ mỗi Cara là người kể xuyên suốt cuốn sách. Trong mỗi phiên phỏng vấn, Cara đã kể lại tất cả những gì đã xảy ra trong đời bà ấy: Làm thế nào bà ấy lại chạy trốn người chồng muốn giết bà ấy? Em gái thì lạnh nhạt? Con trai của Cara thì bỏ bà ấy mà đi?...
Với cách kể hài hước, châm biếm thì mình rất thích cuốn sách này. Từ những câu chuyện của bản thân, Cara đưa ra những điểm mạnh/yếu của bà ấy. Cara Romero là một nhân vật thú vị, bà ấy khiến mình đồng cảm và liên tưởng đến những người phụ nữ khác rất nhiều. Một cuộc sống đầy thăng trầm, hy sinh vì tất cả cho những người thân, bạn bè; bà Cara cho đi mà chẳng hề có suy nghĩ sẽ nhận lại. Là một người phụ nữ mạnh mẽ, đúng kiểu chơi "hệ tâm linh" :))) đôi lúc tình yêu thương của Cara cũng thái quá.
Không chỉ là mỗi "câu chuyện của Cara", Cara cũng kể về những người quen khác của bà ấy - những người có cùng hoàn cảnh với Cara, họ không hề có quan hệ máu mủ nhưng vẫn đối tốt với nhau. Dù những nhân vật phụ chỉ được nhắc trong "lời kể" của Cara nhưng họ vẫn để lại cho mình ấn tượng.
Sau tất cả những phiên phỏng vấn là những mất mát, vui cười đã và đang xảy ra trong cuộc sống của Cara Romero. Như đã nói, bối cảnh cuốn sách được đặt ở Thời kỳ suy thoái Kinh tế, và mình nghĩ cũng chẳng khác với hiện tại là bao, có rất nhiều nơi xảy ra tình trạng thất nghiệp, hay thậm chí là những kẻ dùng thời cơ để chuộc lợi cá nhân. Nhưng hy vọng mọi người vẫn giữ được sự lạc quan, như cách mà bà Cara Romero đã làm ♡
May 13, 2023
Time well spent on this undocumented immigrant tale. I loved the weaving of Cara's resistance to assimilation as the folks around her give in. How poverty and lack of choices affect a single mother. Manages to be an uplifting story though one can imagine that these are common circumstances. What people endure trying to live and survive...sigh rtc... maybe
Almost 4.5 Stars
Listened to the audiobook. Superb performance by Rossmery Almonte and Kimberly M. Wetherell! Elevated the material!!
Almost 4.5 Stars
Listened to the audiobook. Superb performance by Rossmery Almonte and Kimberly M. Wetherell! Elevated the material!!
June 9, 2023
I am afraid this was a disappointment, though clearly many loved the book. It also appears that audio may have been a better option in this case, based on other reviews.
Cara Romero is the predominant character in this story. She runs aways from her husband (in the Dominican Republic), who she believes would have killed her, and settles in the US. She works in a factory for many years and raises her son, who is no longer close to her. She also has a complex relation with her sister. Out of a job in her 50s, she is looking to find ways of getting way to working, but it is tough.
I appreciated that this book portrayed Cara as a person of great resilience who weathers great many challenges in her life. There are also issues of racism, immigration and support systems the book references. The book is told entirely from Cara’s perspective (including sessions with a job counsellor) and I found her musings and responses to be pretentious. Her entries in application forms, for instance, I suppose should be viewed as a mix of her humble background and some humour but did not jell with me. I feel what could have been a story of a strong character was undermined by poor writing.
Cara Romero is the predominant character in this story. She runs aways from her husband (in the Dominican Republic), who she believes would have killed her, and settles in the US. She works in a factory for many years and raises her son, who is no longer close to her. She also has a complex relation with her sister. Out of a job in her 50s, she is looking to find ways of getting way to working, but it is tough.
I appreciated that this book portrayed Cara as a person of great resilience who weathers great many challenges in her life. There are also issues of racism, immigration and support systems the book references. The book is told entirely from Cara’s perspective (including sessions with a job counsellor) and I found her musings and responses to be pretentious. Her entries in application forms, for instance, I suppose should be viewed as a mix of her humble background and some humour but did not jell with me. I feel what could have been a story of a strong character was undermined by poor writing.
November 30, 2022
Top Tier Audiobook Performance!
Legit some of the best voice acting I've ever heard.
The story was insanely well written.
An intensely accurate depiction of a baby boomer immigrant with generational trauma trying to adjust to life in America.
My family is from an entirely different island in an entirely different body of water with a very different language, and yet this story was so relatable.
The responsibility to one's community/codependency, the casual emotional abuse, the love/hate relationship with American culture, and the refusal to accurately see how one's actions impact others.
I wasn't sure how I would feel about the format before I started the book, but it roped me right in.
I will say that if you're the child of an immigrant, you have to be in a specific part of your relationship with your parents to enjoy this book. You have to be past the part where you've made excuses for your parent's behavior and then past the part where you're justifiably mad. You have to at least be at the stage in your relationship where you can calmly see that they tried to be better parents then they had, but their unwillingness to deal with their own trauma caused them to pass some on to you and they're responsible for that.
Legit some of the best voice acting I've ever heard.
The story was insanely well written.
An intensely accurate depiction of a baby boomer immigrant with generational trauma trying to adjust to life in America.
My family is from an entirely different island in an entirely different body of water with a very different language, and yet this story was so relatable.
The responsibility to one's community/codependency, the casual emotional abuse, the love/hate relationship with American culture, and the refusal to accurately see how one's actions impact others.
I wasn't sure how I would feel about the format before I started the book, but it roped me right in.
I will say that if you're the child of an immigrant, you have to be in a specific part of your relationship with your parents to enjoy this book. You have to be past the part where you've made excuses for your parent's behavior and then past the part where you're justifiably mad. You have to at least be at the stage in your relationship where you can calmly see that they tried to be better parents then they had, but their unwillingness to deal with their own trauma caused them to pass some on to you and they're responsible for that.
September 18, 2022
Me to Google: What does it mean to drown in a glass of water:
Google to Me:
Spanish speakers use this idiom to refer to someone who gets overwhelmed by ordinary circumstances. The person may not see it, but the situation they are in is not as dire as they think. In other words, they can't see that they're not alone in the ocean, simply in a glass of water.
Ah okay yes. I certainly get this now. This was a beautiful book about a strong lady of a certain age struggling with her circumstances.
So, my only regret is that there were a lot of Spanish words mixed in with English words and I missed some of the context. Read this with your translator near by!
All of the following was written personally to me. Cara is my age and I get her straight up:
“I’m lucky because I’m fifty five years old—wait, did I say fifty-five? I’m fifty-six! I stopped counting. If I don’t, I’ll be in a coffin sooner than I’m ready.”
“I did it because I wanted to change my life. We step in the shit on purpose so we’re forced to buy new shoes”
“You can plan all you want, but nature will always show you who’s el jefe.”
“We should be like the animals, she said. The animals don’t think of the future or the past; they pay attention to what is happening in the present….we can’t fight what we can’t control. She said she missed her friends last breath because she was busy with the hope. She should have been breathing with her.”
“Learn this from me: sometimes when you can’t change your animo you have to have people like Hernan to remind you about the important things in life. Sometimes we need help to not drown in a glass of water.”
“Leave no space for negativity. Focus on the positive. Focus on love. Focus on what is possible. And then if you do that, the good things will fill your life and there will be no space for the bad things”
“It is not a surprise that it is the grandmother [whale] that makes sure that every whale in the family eats. That they prove their value after la menopausia. Because not having to make babies makes them focus on taking care of the community. Which tells me women of a certain age are more valuable to the community. Isn’t that incredible?”
“I asked La Vieja Caridad many times if losing the connection to her family to live a different life valio la Peña. She said who wants to live a lie? Freedom is being able to live your truth without having to apologize for it.”
“If anyone asks, tell them that I died without regrets.”
“Don’t live with regrets. Be present. Trust yourself.”
Google to Me:
Spanish speakers use this idiom to refer to someone who gets overwhelmed by ordinary circumstances. The person may not see it, but the situation they are in is not as dire as they think. In other words, they can't see that they're not alone in the ocean, simply in a glass of water.
Ah okay yes. I certainly get this now. This was a beautiful book about a strong lady of a certain age struggling with her circumstances.
So, my only regret is that there were a lot of Spanish words mixed in with English words and I missed some of the context. Read this with your translator near by!
All of the following was written personally to me. Cara is my age and I get her straight up:
“I’m lucky because I’m fifty five years old—wait, did I say fifty-five? I’m fifty-six! I stopped counting. If I don’t, I’ll be in a coffin sooner than I’m ready.”
“I did it because I wanted to change my life. We step in the shit on purpose so we’re forced to buy new shoes”
“You can plan all you want, but nature will always show you who’s el jefe.”
“We should be like the animals, she said. The animals don’t think of the future or the past; they pay attention to what is happening in the present….we can’t fight what we can’t control. She said she missed her friends last breath because she was busy with the hope. She should have been breathing with her.”
“Learn this from me: sometimes when you can’t change your animo you have to have people like Hernan to remind you about the important things in life. Sometimes we need help to not drown in a glass of water.”
“Leave no space for negativity. Focus on the positive. Focus on love. Focus on what is possible. And then if you do that, the good things will fill your life and there will be no space for the bad things”
“It is not a surprise that it is the grandmother [whale] that makes sure that every whale in the family eats. That they prove their value after la menopausia. Because not having to make babies makes them focus on taking care of the community. Which tells me women of a certain age are more valuable to the community. Isn’t that incredible?”
“I asked La Vieja Caridad many times if losing the connection to her family to live a different life valio la Peña. She said who wants to live a lie? Freedom is being able to live your truth without having to apologize for it.”
“If anyone asks, tell them that I died without regrets.”
“Don’t live with regrets. Be present. Trust yourself.”
November 16, 2022
At the heart of this novella is Cara Romero. She is 56 years old, living in NYC (circa 2008) and originally from the Dominican Republic. Cara is enrolled in a job placement program, due to having lost her factory job and running out of her unemployment benefits. We as readers learn her life story through the talks that Cara has with her vocational counselor. Cara is a lively, self-taught woman who in many ways, is a survivor.
The story is narrated exclusively by Cara herself. We hear her thoughts and conversations through Cara's monologues. Unfortunately for me, I would have preferred to hear real dialogue with the other characters in the story. Cara's family and friends are a colorful bunch. It would have been interesting also, to hear the young counselor's reactions to Cara.
I was more sympathetic to Cara during the first half of the story. She had been abused first by her mother and then by her husband. She left them behind in the Dominican Republic to carve out a better life for herself and her young son in the U.S. Later in the story, Cara regretfully divulged that she herself, had been abusive towards her son and nephew on occasion.
Cara emerges as a passionate woman with strong attachments to her son, sister and neighbors in the apartment building. She finds the time to cook dinner every night for an elderly neighbor, pick up her sister's children from school and look after them, and help a mother in the building with her disabled middle-aged daughter. She is also sly like a fox. When the vocational counselor selects jobs for Cara that Cara doesn't really want to do, she finds ways of flubbing her job interviews.
Readers who enjoy character studies will like meeting Cara.
3.8 stars
Content Warning: Domestic and Child Abuse
The story is narrated exclusively by Cara herself. We hear her thoughts and conversations through Cara's monologues. Unfortunately for me, I would have preferred to hear real dialogue with the other characters in the story. Cara's family and friends are a colorful bunch. It would have been interesting also, to hear the young counselor's reactions to Cara.
I was more sympathetic to Cara during the first half of the story. She had been abused first by her mother and then by her husband. She left them behind in the Dominican Republic to carve out a better life for herself and her young son in the U.S. Later in the story, Cara regretfully divulged that she herself, had been abusive towards her son and nephew on occasion.
Cara emerges as a passionate woman with strong attachments to her son, sister and neighbors in the apartment building. She finds the time to cook dinner every night for an elderly neighbor, pick up her sister's children from school and look after them, and help a mother in the building with her disabled middle-aged daughter. She is also sly like a fox. When the vocational counselor selects jobs for Cara that Cara doesn't really want to do, she finds ways of flubbing her job interviews.
Readers who enjoy character studies will like meeting Cara.
3.8 stars
Content Warning: Domestic and Child Abuse
December 7, 2022
“Cara Romero is still here. Entera.”
Broooo, who’s got you crying like that??? ANGIE CRUZ!!
Raw, vulnerable, and honest. I have no words to describe how amazing this book is. READ IT 🙌😩
Broooo, who’s got you crying like that??? ANGIE CRUZ!!
Raw, vulnerable, and honest. I have no words to describe how amazing this book is. READ IT 🙌😩
November 4, 2022
4.5 stars, rounded up.
How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water (cool title, huh?) is an emotional and humorous book with a tremendously memorable narrator.
Cara Romero never dreamed she’d be looking for work in her mid-fifties. But when the factory where she’s worked for years moves to Costa Rica, she has to find work again before her unemployment checks stop coming. She enrolls in a program where she’ll meet with a job counselor and try to find the right type of job.
Over the course of 12 sessions, she defiantly tells the counselor she wants to work. (But she’s a little particular about what, and where, a potential job should be.) More than that, however, in each of the sessions, she gives her counselor far more than she bargained for in hearing about her life.
Cara tells her counselor about her early life in the Dominican Republic, the marriage that made her flee to the U.S. She talks about her best friend, Lulú, and her difficult relationship with her sister, Ángela, who resents her for many things. But what plagues her the most is that her son, Fernando, abandoned her. She was just being a good mother and trying to protect him and toughen him up so the world didn’t take advantage of him. Why was that so bad?
Her sessions become increasingly emotional as Cara shares secrets and fears—but she still wants to work, mind you. Cara is the type of woman who has faced life head-on and as much as she has experienced setbacks, she still believes in herself.
This was such a fascinating story. Cara is funny, proud, stubborn, and sad, and as the sessions go on, the layers of her life and personality are slowly revealed. She’s definitely a character I’ll think about for a long while!
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/getbookedwithlarry/.
How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water (cool title, huh?) is an emotional and humorous book with a tremendously memorable narrator.
Cara Romero never dreamed she’d be looking for work in her mid-fifties. But when the factory where she’s worked for years moves to Costa Rica, she has to find work again before her unemployment checks stop coming. She enrolls in a program where she’ll meet with a job counselor and try to find the right type of job.
Over the course of 12 sessions, she defiantly tells the counselor she wants to work. (But she’s a little particular about what, and where, a potential job should be.) More than that, however, in each of the sessions, she gives her counselor far more than she bargained for in hearing about her life.
Cara tells her counselor about her early life in the Dominican Republic, the marriage that made her flee to the U.S. She talks about her best friend, Lulú, and her difficult relationship with her sister, Ángela, who resents her for many things. But what plagues her the most is that her son, Fernando, abandoned her. She was just being a good mother and trying to protect him and toughen him up so the world didn’t take advantage of him. Why was that so bad?
Her sessions become increasingly emotional as Cara shares secrets and fears—but she still wants to work, mind you. Cara is the type of woman who has faced life head-on and as much as she has experienced setbacks, she still believes in herself.
This was such a fascinating story. Cara is funny, proud, stubborn, and sad, and as the sessions go on, the layers of her life and personality are slowly revealed. She’s definitely a character I’ll think about for a long while!
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/getbookedwithlarry/.
October 13, 2022
Brilliant!
To all you audiobook naysayers, listen up. AHEM!
Put down your hardcover or paperback. Let your kindle rest. There’s something magical about the narration by Rossmery Almonte. She will win awards for this! Wait- do audio awards even exist? They should. Regardless, she’s gets a gold trophy from me!
The vibrant plot centers around 56-year old Cara Romero’s life, as she tells it, over 12 senior workforce unemployment counseling sessions in Washington Heights, NYC. That’s all the spoilers you’ll get from me. Just know you’re in for a funny (sometimes devastating), simply GLORIOUS time!
I promise you will be hooked.
To all you audiobook naysayers, listen up. AHEM!
Put down your hardcover or paperback. Let your kindle rest. There’s something magical about the narration by Rossmery Almonte. She will win awards for this! Wait- do audio awards even exist? They should. Regardless, she’s gets a gold trophy from me!
The vibrant plot centers around 56-year old Cara Romero’s life, as she tells it, over 12 senior workforce unemployment counseling sessions in Washington Heights, NYC. That’s all the spoilers you’ll get from me. Just know you’re in for a funny (sometimes devastating), simply GLORIOUS time!
I promise you will be hooked.
September 18, 2022
3.5* rounded up
A poignant portrait of one frank, sometimes amusing, sometimes disappointed Dominican woman in her mid-50s living in Washington Heights and her battles with motherhood, bureaucracy, gentrification and the Great Recession. What made Cara such an appealing character was her willingness not just to grapple with every dreadful situation life throws her way but to honestly admit so many of her deepest secrets to a perfect stranger.
A poignant portrait of one frank, sometimes amusing, sometimes disappointed Dominican woman in her mid-50s living in Washington Heights and her battles with motherhood, bureaucracy, gentrification and the Great Recession. What made Cara such an appealing character was her willingness not just to grapple with every dreadful situation life throws her way but to honestly admit so many of her deepest secrets to a perfect stranger.
Shelved as 'abandoned-dnf'
June 5, 2024DNF'd @ 8% It just didn't work for me. I almost immediately disliked the main character, so I decided it was best to just move on.
September 20, 2022
A phenomenal book that’s not to be missed!!! I was completely amazed by the way Angie Cruz so very eloquently humanized our protagonist in the pages of this book. I laughed, I cried.. the telling went deep saying so much about the challenges faced in our country today. This story touched my heart in so many ways.♥️ 5 stars — Pub. 9/13/22
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