“A fierce and powerful debut. Garcia wields narrative power, cultivating true and profound work on migration, legacy, and survival.”

NO MAJOR SPOILERS

Just finished Of Woman and Salt by Gabriela Garcia. Audio book version.
This is the story of a young woman named Jeanette who is battling a drug addiction. One night while alone in her apartment she witnessed a neighbor being arrested because she is undocumented. Later that evening the neighbor’s young daughter returns to an empty house. Jeanette takes her in for a few days until she can find someone to help the child.
The story then reverts to Jeanette and her troubled relationship with her mother Carmen.

Because of their strained relationship Jeanette goes to Cuba to visit with her grandmother, who is totally estranged from Carmen. She is seeking out the reasons for the huge rift in the family, where her own mother would never allow her to go to Cuba.
Ann’s story is also followed, and the issue of migrants is front and center in the book.
Culture has an important part in this book, and the love of a mother and her child, no matter what the circumstances, is seen to be so hard to break.
Highly recommended.
At the end of the audio version there is a nice short interview with the author.

 

Reviewed by:

Richard Franco

Added 29th April 2021

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Richard Franco