Richland Library Southeast
The Monday Book Group
Monday, May 13, 2024 6 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Join us for a book group discussion of this month’s title, Dominicana, by Angie Cruz. For more information or to arrange to pick up a book, call Richland Library Southeast at 803-776-0855.
Join us at 6:00 p.m., May 13, for a lively discussion of Dominicana by Angie Cruz.
Shortlisted for the 2020 Women's Prize for Fiction, Angie Cruz's Dominicana is a vital portrait of the immigrant experience and the timeless coming-of-age story of a young woman finding her voice in the world
Fifteen-year-old Ana Cancion never dreamed of moving to America, the way the girls she grew up with in the Dominican countryside did. But when Juan Ruiz proposes and promises to take her to New York City, she has to say yes. It doesn’t matter that he is twice her age, that there is no love between them. Their marriage is an opportunity for her entire close-knit family to eventually immigrate. So on New Year’s Day, 1965, Ana leaves behind everything she knows and becomes Ana Ruiz, a wife confined to a cold six-floor walk-up in Washington Heights. Lonely and miserable, Ana hatches a reckless plan to escape. But at the bus terminal, she is stopped by Cesar, Juan’s free-spirited younger brother, who convinces her to stay.
As the Dominican Republic slides into political turmoil, Juan returns to protect his family’s assets, leaving Cesar to take care of Ana. Suddenly, Ana is free to take English lessons at a local church, lie on the beach at Coney Island, see a movie at Radio City Music Hall, go dancing with Cesar, and imagine the possibility of a different kind of life in America. When Juan returns, Ana must decide once again between her heart and her duty to her family. ~ from the publisher
The Monday Book Group meets the second Monday of of every month from 6-7 p.m. at Richland Library Southeast. Please stop by or contact Richland Library Southeast at 803-776-0855 for a copy of this month's title!
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