A vital, vivid portrait of the immigrant experience.

Genre: Drama

Pages: 319

First published: 2019

Original language: English

The plot: 15 year old Ana Cancion reluctantly accepts a marriage proposal from Juan Ruiz, a man twice her age whom she does not love. She accepts because he has promised to take her to New York City. The marriage is an opportunity for Ana, and eventually her family, to leave their home, the Dominican Republic, behind, and build a new life in America.

Depressed, lonely and confined to a miserable life in Washington Heights, Ana hatches a plan to escape. At the last moment she is stopped by Cesar, Juan’s younger brother. Persuaded to stay, Ana finds some measure of freedom when Juan is forced to return home. She forms a close bond with Cesar. She begins taking English lessons, and visiting Coney Island and discovering joy in everyday life. The possibility of a new life beckons.

What did I think of this book?

I often wonder if I was born without a sense of humour. Reviews of this book said that it blends a serious subject (the plight of immigrants) with humour. I didn’t laugh once. Indeed, I didn’t see much within its pages that was a laughing matter at all. Ana’s plight – the life she is persuaded to live by her family, the abuse she eventually receives at the hands of Juan – made me feel incredibly sad. I found myself hoping that she would eventually find the courage and strength to break away. Whilst there is a happy ending of sorts for Ana, it is clear that her struggle is not yet ended.

What was most interesting about this book?

The ending, whilst it is a welcome one, is sobering. Ana, whilst distancing herself from her abusive husband, decides not to build a new life with Cesar (with whom she has fallen in love), and instead remains in New York, hopeful that her family will soon join her. Her new life in Manhattan, and the life of her newborn daughter, is ultimately more important to her than personal happiness. I couldn’t help thinking that I wish she’d stood up for herself sooner. Ana was so poorly treated and finally given a chance at true happiness – did she deny herself because of low self esteem? Did she feel that she ultimately did not deserve happiness, that Juan’s abuse had left her so low? It is a saddening ending to a book that is ultimately a sobering read.

What am I going to take away from this book?

This book made me very conscious of how lucky many of us are to grow up in a country that accepts us – a country where most of us will be able to feed ourselves, live our daily lives without prejudice, and walk the streets without fear of violence. We are remarkably privileged in so many ways, yet so many of us take that privilege for granted. So many people just want to build a better life for themselves, but are denied the chance by people who reject them simply because they are an immigrant.

Books like Dominicana arose strong feelings in their readers, and do so much to highlight the plight of immigrants (not just to America, but to other countries too). We must read these books to educate ourselves, better our understanding and foster empathy. It isn’t always an enjoyable experience, but an important one.

Will I enjoy Dominicana?

If strong family dramas, with a dash of humour and a lot of pathos are up your street, you will enjoy Dominicana. It’s realism and doesn’t really serve as an escapist read, but is worthy of your time and will reward you appropriately.

Rating : 3/5