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Las Hermanas Aguero
Explores the complexities of Cuban American family life in the story of two middle-aged Cuban sisters--one living in Havana, one in New York City--who have been estranged for more than thirty years.
Hardcover
First published January 1, 1988
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About the author
Cristina García
124 books370 followersAfter working for Time Magazine as a researcher, reporter, and Miami bureau chief, García turned to writing fiction. Her first novel, Dreaming in Cuban (1992), received critical acclaim and was a finalist for the National Book Award. She has since published her novels The Agüero Sisters (1997) and Monkey Hunting (2003), and has edited books of Cuban and other Latin American literature. Her fourth novel, A Handbook to Luck, was released in hardcover in 2007 and came out in paperback in April 2008.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 103 reviews
February 3, 2017
Garcia wove threads that she kept track of. Skillful.
The characters believable, particularly as family members. Believable.
The sisters were different enough due to who their parents were. Believable.
The social history of Cuba since la Revolucion easy enough to follow. Readable.
The description of Miami Cuban population. Credible.
And at times the story had me enthralled.
The characters believable, particularly as family members. Believable.
The sisters were different enough due to who their parents were. Believable.
The social history of Cuba since la Revolucion easy enough to follow. Readable.
The description of Miami Cuban population. Credible.
And at times the story had me enthralled.
September 30, 2016
I absolutely love Dreaming In Cuban and from what I can remember I enjoyed A Handbook to Luck (though I might have to reread that one and make sure after this), but The Agüero Sisters was a severe letdown. The story itself had great potential - the closing line of the book's first chapter in particular conveyed this: "Then he carried his wife seventeen miles to the nearest village and began to tell his lies." (p. 5) - but it was sadly squandered.
Even though García attempted to stylistically maintain her unique use of magical realism and imagery, the story was just lackluster through and through: there was little to no character development - it just felt like 200+ pages of treading water (if that). In general, the changes in narration among the book's characters gave the book the feel of numerous disparate stories with no binding agent, in spite of the familial connection between all of them. For me, Dulce's chapters were the most interesting (unfortunately hers were also the least in number).
García tries to pass off the relationship between Reina and Constancia's parents as that aforementioned agent, but this rings hollow once it becomes apparent to the reader (pretty early on) that the characters are more preoccupied with other (less interesting) pursuits. Even García's habitual use of oddities (which I've become accustomed to in her writing) became repellent in The Agüero Sisters. For example, Reina's peculiar fixation throughout the book with being breastfed, and at one point even requesting to be breastfed by her own niece (p. 241). Another character's (whose name I will omit so as to not include a spoiler) consumption of a dead loved one's ashes (p. 292) was also disconcerting. Even García's greatest strength (her use of words) felt overwhelmingly off in this novel, to the point of being heavy-handed and cliché: "Tía Constancia lives in New York and has two grown children. I like to imagine how cold it gets there. I'd like to wrap myself in fur and skate endlessly on frozen lakes. Round and round I'd go, my breath a trace of vapor behind me. In Cuba, there aren't any lakes. And only the future is frozen." (p. 54)
Save yourself the trouble and read the first 5 pages of the book and the book's last chapter to find out what really happened to/between the Agüero patriarch and matriarch. You can just skip everything in between - sadly, that's how truly insignificant the bulk of the novel felt. For me, Dreaming In Cuban remains García's best work to-date.
Noteworthy passages:
"In the tropics, twilight is such a swift affair, one flamboyant cloak exchanged for another, with a glare and a whirl. In New York City, she recalls wistfully, the days receded gradually, sulking for hours." (p. 41)
"When he died, Reina knew somehow that José Luis had chosen it. Death, she is certain, begins from within. It doesn't wait onstage like a retired general, eager for the podium, but overcomes a body cell by cell. For a few people, this happens long before the accidents and wrinkles, long before the conjugations of regret." (p. 70-71)
Even though García attempted to stylistically maintain her unique use of magical realism and imagery, the story was just lackluster through and through: there was little to no character development - it just felt like 200+ pages of treading water (if that). In general, the changes in narration among the book's characters gave the book the feel of numerous disparate stories with no binding agent, in spite of the familial connection between all of them. For me, Dulce's chapters were the most interesting (unfortunately hers were also the least in number).
García tries to pass off the relationship between Reina and Constancia's parents as that aforementioned agent, but this rings hollow once it becomes apparent to the reader (pretty early on) that the characters are more preoccupied with other (less interesting) pursuits. Even García's habitual use of oddities (which I've become accustomed to in her writing) became repellent in The Agüero Sisters. For example, Reina's peculiar fixation throughout the book with being breastfed, and at one point even requesting to be breastfed by her own niece (p. 241). Another character's (whose name I will omit so as to not include a spoiler) consumption of a dead loved one's ashes (p. 292) was also disconcerting. Even García's greatest strength (her use of words) felt overwhelmingly off in this novel, to the point of being heavy-handed and cliché: "Tía Constancia lives in New York and has two grown children. I like to imagine how cold it gets there. I'd like to wrap myself in fur and skate endlessly on frozen lakes. Round and round I'd go, my breath a trace of vapor behind me. In Cuba, there aren't any lakes. And only the future is frozen." (p. 54)
Save yourself the trouble and read the first 5 pages of the book and the book's last chapter to find out what really happened to/between the Agüero patriarch and matriarch. You can just skip everything in between - sadly, that's how truly insignificant the bulk of the novel felt. For me, Dreaming In Cuban remains García's best work to-date.
Noteworthy passages:
"In the tropics, twilight is such a swift affair, one flamboyant cloak exchanged for another, with a glare and a whirl. In New York City, she recalls wistfully, the days receded gradually, sulking for hours." (p. 41)
"When he died, Reina knew somehow that José Luis had chosen it. Death, she is certain, begins from within. It doesn't wait onstage like a retired general, eager for the podium, but overcomes a body cell by cell. For a few people, this happens long before the accidents and wrinkles, long before the conjugations of regret." (p. 70-71)
November 28, 2018
I picked this book up at a used bookstore, the cover interesting, and the back cover description enough to make me want to give it a try.
This is the first time I’ve read Christina Garcia’s writing, unfamiliar with her first book “Dreaming in Cuban”.
First of all, this is not a light easy read. (I’m not saying that’s a bad thing, but if that’s not what you’re looking for, it could be.) There is the switching of characters voices which make it difficult in the sense to know any one of them well.
This is the kind of book that would be best read not once, but twice, for gaining so much more of a connection with the various personalities.
The story is told in the voices of two estranged sisters, one living in the USA and the other in Cuba, who comes to visit the sister in the states. The story is not only told by both sisters, but their parents and their daughters. There is also the memory each sister has of their parents and their beliefs held surrounding the mystery of their mother’s death.
The book focuses on difficulties that arise when confronting the truth and letting go of an old reality.
Several lines in the book that stood out for me are:
Page 206
What we pass on is often as much of a burden as a gift, my mother told me. I used to wonder how I’d be able to tell the difference, how I’d ever know what the hell might save me.
Page 212
Constancia looked hard at her daughter, at the quiet defiance she knows so well. She’s convinced that by two years old, children have expressed all they will ever feel for the rest of their lives.
Page 243
After a certain point in life, nothing aimless and purely happy can ever happen again. Perhaps only death after all, the dead have many advantages over the living. Like being infinitely more revered.
There are lots of wonderful words and imagery throughout this book.
So if might just be worth adding to your to read list.
This is the first time I’ve read Christina Garcia’s writing, unfamiliar with her first book “Dreaming in Cuban”.
First of all, this is not a light easy read. (I’m not saying that’s a bad thing, but if that’s not what you’re looking for, it could be.) There is the switching of characters voices which make it difficult in the sense to know any one of them well.
This is the kind of book that would be best read not once, but twice, for gaining so much more of a connection with the various personalities.
The story is told in the voices of two estranged sisters, one living in the USA and the other in Cuba, who comes to visit the sister in the states. The story is not only told by both sisters, but their parents and their daughters. There is also the memory each sister has of their parents and their beliefs held surrounding the mystery of their mother’s death.
The book focuses on difficulties that arise when confronting the truth and letting go of an old reality.
Several lines in the book that stood out for me are:
Page 206
What we pass on is often as much of a burden as a gift, my mother told me. I used to wonder how I’d be able to tell the difference, how I’d ever know what the hell might save me.
Page 212
Constancia looked hard at her daughter, at the quiet defiance she knows so well. She’s convinced that by two years old, children have expressed all they will ever feel for the rest of their lives.
Page 243
After a certain point in life, nothing aimless and purely happy can ever happen again. Perhaps only death after all, the dead have many advantages over the living. Like being infinitely more revered.
There are lots of wonderful words and imagery throughout this book.
So if might just be worth adding to your to read list.
May 25, 2009
This book was a more challenging read for me- harder to follow and grasp the general understanding the author is aiming at. (Not a great first book club book... I hope I don't sound like an idiot when I'm talking about it.)
The story begins with a murder- and then the fallout(?) in the lives of the individuals effected. The father, who can't seem to forgive himself, the daughter who embraces her dead mother's spirit and the other duaughter who wants to erase her memory entirely. It also vaguely follows the life ofr Reina's daughter- a girl lost in her own identity, perhaps because her mother never really adopted her own.
Much of my analysis of this book is speculation - I was confused a lot. (In fact my analysis above could be highly inaccurate, I'm so unsure.) But maybe the confused feeling is supposed to be felt- the remaining family members certainly feel confused and uncertain about their histories and future. Maybe the author wants us to feel that same sense of uncertainty.
For me, I need the story to be more cut and dry-- and much of this book seems to be lost in translation to me. On the surface the story in basics stays with me, but much of the characters motivations befuddled the "gist" of it for me.
The story begins with a murder- and then the fallout(?) in the lives of the individuals effected. The father, who can't seem to forgive himself, the daughter who embraces her dead mother's spirit and the other duaughter who wants to erase her memory entirely. It also vaguely follows the life ofr Reina's daughter- a girl lost in her own identity, perhaps because her mother never really adopted her own.
Much of my analysis of this book is speculation - I was confused a lot. (In fact my analysis above could be highly inaccurate, I'm so unsure.) But maybe the confused feeling is supposed to be felt- the remaining family members certainly feel confused and uncertain about their histories and future. Maybe the author wants us to feel that same sense of uncertainty.
For me, I need the story to be more cut and dry-- and much of this book seems to be lost in translation to me. On the surface the story in basics stays with me, but much of the characters motivations befuddled the "gist" of it for me.
August 1, 2011
A well-crafted story of the reunion of two sisters separated from early life by disparate familial loyalties, and later by political paths following the rise of El Comandante in Cuba. There is a wealth of ironies and mystical significance bordering on magical realism, yet the complex personalities are not compromised and remain as strong entities in the reader's imagination. García also provides a complex modern perspective on the Cuban situation, going right to the heart of the issues facing Cuban patriots and Cubans-in-exile in Miami. This novel came to my list from the Seattle Public Library's reading list "Reading Across the Map: Latino Fiction", and from Nancy Pearl's Book Lust category "Cuba Si!".
September 30, 2019
An absorbing story of the two Cuban sisters who are reunited after many years apart. Told through their eyes, and that of their father, the story is beautifully crafted with elements of magical realism, so totally fitting in terms of the characters and the settings. The descriptions of Cuba, Miami and elsewhere are rich and vibrant, transporting the reader to each place as the story moves forward.
Various family secrets are uncovered as the narrative progresses leading to a satisfying conclusion.
A well-written book.
Various family secrets are uncovered as the narrative progresses leading to a satisfying conclusion.
A well-written book.
March 24, 2014
I liked this book at times but the style of writing, the magical/santeria elements, and some of the loose ends left were not really my cup of tea. The book provided some interesting insight into the lives, cultures, and mindsets of Cubans living on the island and contrasts it with those who made it to Miami both historically and more contemporarily. I was only really drawn to one or two of the characters and found it difficult to relate but that may have been a personal preference as I was irritated and became disengaged at times with the use of magic as the answer to conflicts/problems, the old-fashioned and at times misogynistic attitudes of the characters (even and perhaps especially the women), and the goals/actions which did not seem logical to me and were not always made clear through the characters thought processes or a cultural lens. Either way an interesting read.
September 25, 2010
I can't decide for sure how I feel about this one. The writing drew me into the lives of the family members, and her representation of memory was intriguing. I just hated all of the characters, with the exception of maybe Ignacio. I felt like I SHOULD like Reina, but I couldn't. I hated everything about Blanca, in particular. I get tired of reading stories about "strong" women who are either crazy or completely heartless and cruel. Surely there is some middle ground between this and the "angel on the hearth," where truly awesome women can exist.
July 25, 2021
Didn't enjoy this one as it feels like a soft play on the magic realists. Obsessed with business endeavours and fairly predictable characters. Occasional shift to 1st person offers little and Cuba didn't feel very well treated with story focused on Cuban family migrating to America.
August 19, 2009
Overall rather slow moving. Never really cared for the characters. Ending was odd. There were many parts that didn't have any resolution. Did Ignacio murder Blanca intentionally? Is Reina pregnant? (At 48?). Is Dulcita dying of cancer, suffering from STD, pregnant or going thru menopause? Is Isabel crazy now, like her grandmother, Blanca? What was deal with the crazy fish bite on Blancas heel, and bite on isabels hand and the mark on baby raku? Was the fragment of bone that Blanca kept in the pouch her mothers?
I enjoyed how the author created the family history and how it also showed the history of the island. I would have liked a bit more hitstorical fiction componet. Ie: Ignacios parents- lector at the cigar factory and musicians. Eugenia Mestre as Matriarch and saint-like figure.
Smell/Scent reoccurance
Dulcita sharp saffron scent (p38)
Sweet Fishy scent (p83)
Rain subdued stink of skin to a bearable mixture of vinegar and suede (p101)
"malordorous skin"
Dulcita in reference to "boyfriend" Bengt "he gives off a sharp tresspassing smell" (p147)
Theme: birds- collecting specimens. Killing them. Birds going extinct.
Preserving things. Killing things to "understand them" as Ignacio says.
Theme: things aren't always what they seem.
Reina sees a woman in Cuba and makes the comment "she looked festive from afar but looking closer there is no mistaking her misery" (p97)
Blanca tells Reina "you don't know how much of what you see you never see at all" (p98)
Eugenia says "in a country of the blind the one eyed men are kings"
Ignacio says "I would have gladly chosen blindness over this sorrow" (p262)
Theme of immortality and remembrance
Reina says "who will remember mami? Papi? Me? We hold only partial knowledge of eachother". (P201)
Dulce "I search for somewhere to leave my mark" (p207)
In reference to eating a cuban sandwich "made me realize how close we are to forgetting everything- how close we are to not existing at all" (p288)
Theme: death
Reina in reference to Jose Luis's drowning"Death begins from within (p70)
Ignacio "one simply had to kill a creature to understand it" (p150)
Blanca says "everywhere this reckless procession toward death" (p186)
Blanca kept a series of pet crows.
Silvestre: "after a certain point in life, nothing aimless and purely happy can happen again. Perhaps only death. After all, the dead have many advantages over the living. Like being infintely more revered.
Theme: magic/spirituality vs science
I enjoyed how the author created the family history and how it also showed the history of the island. I would have liked a bit more hitstorical fiction componet. Ie: Ignacios parents- lector at the cigar factory and musicians. Eugenia Mestre as Matriarch and saint-like figure.
Smell/Scent reoccurance
Dulcita sharp saffron scent (p38)
Sweet Fishy scent (p83)
Rain subdued stink of skin to a bearable mixture of vinegar and suede (p101)
"malordorous skin"
Dulcita in reference to "boyfriend" Bengt "he gives off a sharp tresspassing smell" (p147)
Theme: birds- collecting specimens. Killing them. Birds going extinct.
Preserving things. Killing things to "understand them" as Ignacio says.
Theme: things aren't always what they seem.
Reina sees a woman in Cuba and makes the comment "she looked festive from afar but looking closer there is no mistaking her misery" (p97)
Blanca tells Reina "you don't know how much of what you see you never see at all" (p98)
Eugenia says "in a country of the blind the one eyed men are kings"
Ignacio says "I would have gladly chosen blindness over this sorrow" (p262)
Theme of immortality and remembrance
Reina says "who will remember mami? Papi? Me? We hold only partial knowledge of eachother". (P201)
Dulce "I search for somewhere to leave my mark" (p207)
In reference to eating a cuban sandwich "made me realize how close we are to forgetting everything- how close we are to not existing at all" (p288)
Theme: death
Reina in reference to Jose Luis's drowning"Death begins from within (p70)
Ignacio "one simply had to kill a creature to understand it" (p150)
Blanca says "everywhere this reckless procession toward death" (p186)
Blanca kept a series of pet crows.
Silvestre: "after a certain point in life, nothing aimless and purely happy can happen again. Perhaps only death. After all, the dead have many advantages over the living. Like being infintely more revered.
Theme: magic/spirituality vs science
January 11, 2019
This is the first time I've read this author. The book is interesting but not riveting. It tells the stories of the Aguerro family. Constancia & Reina are sisters who grew up very differently with varying degrees of attention from their respective parents. Their father narrates some of the chapters as does Constancia, Reina & Reina's daughter Dulce.
Their father fell in love with their mother Blanca who is the strangest of all the characters and unfathomable. It is never clear Blanca's thoughts, intentions or even much of her background. It is all mysterious the strange actions of this woman.
The father's background is laid out and you understand most of his character. Constancia is initially raised by her mother until a few months after Reina is born & then she is banished to her paternal father's family and eventually goes to boarding school (as does Reina) and eventually to America.
Reina is raised by both parents, goes to boarding school stays in Cuba. Their relationship is strained because of Constancia's banishment (she is mistaken as to the reason she was banished) and they are not close at any point in their lives.
This book is a story, with no plot, just a running history of the sisters, the father, a little of Dulce & a spattering of Blanca. It was as I previously said an interesting read but it wasn't something that kept my attention. The ending was very strange the whole thing with Constancia & Reina in the boat. I did not understand that scene anymore than I understood Blanca's actions. Other than the one fact that it seemed Constancia was violently opposed to the truth.
Their father fell in love with their mother Blanca who is the strangest of all the characters and unfathomable. It is never clear Blanca's thoughts, intentions or even much of her background. It is all mysterious the strange actions of this woman.
The father's background is laid out and you understand most of his character. Constancia is initially raised by her mother until a few months after Reina is born & then she is banished to her paternal father's family and eventually goes to boarding school (as does Reina) and eventually to America.
Reina is raised by both parents, goes to boarding school stays in Cuba. Their relationship is strained because of Constancia's banishment (she is mistaken as to the reason she was banished) and they are not close at any point in their lives.
This book is a story, with no plot, just a running history of the sisters, the father, a little of Dulce & a spattering of Blanca. It was as I previously said an interesting read but it wasn't something that kept my attention. The ending was very strange the whole thing with Constancia & Reina in the boat. I did not understand that scene anymore than I understood Blanca's actions. Other than the one fact that it seemed Constancia was violently opposed to the truth.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 22, 2012
This is the story of two Cuban sisters, estranged for 30 years -- one living in Cuba, the other in the United States.
The two are quite different, shaped in separate ways by their childhood and disparate memories of how their parents lived and died.
Rather than being the story of the early Cuban exile community from the 1950's and 1960's, this tale mostly takes place in the early 1990's -- even later than the Mariel boatlift that saw so many of Cuba's unwanted and criminal element dumped on our shores by a clever Fidel Castro.
Perhaps my view of this book was tainted because I grew up in Miami, Florida and continue to live there.
But, in the end, this is not a purely Cuban exile story but a family drama full of tragedy and pathos. Humor plays well and surprisingly because each sister is a sort of caricature. One is a lusty daughter of the revolution who prefers to stay behind in Cuba, working at jobs more typically taken by men. But she is all woman -- pursued by many men. The other sister, Constancia, lives with her husband in the U.S. and we join them as they move to Florida for what is only a semi-retirement for Constancia and a political awakening by her capitalist husband.
I didn't go along too much with the mystical elements of the story -- Constancia seems to follow santeria, a kind of black magic practiced in the exile community.
But, overall, this was a good little book with rich, well-developed characters. We probably all know people just like them, but of different cultures.
The two are quite different, shaped in separate ways by their childhood and disparate memories of how their parents lived and died.
Rather than being the story of the early Cuban exile community from the 1950's and 1960's, this tale mostly takes place in the early 1990's -- even later than the Mariel boatlift that saw so many of Cuba's unwanted and criminal element dumped on our shores by a clever Fidel Castro.
Perhaps my view of this book was tainted because I grew up in Miami, Florida and continue to live there.
But, in the end, this is not a purely Cuban exile story but a family drama full of tragedy and pathos. Humor plays well and surprisingly because each sister is a sort of caricature. One is a lusty daughter of the revolution who prefers to stay behind in Cuba, working at jobs more typically taken by men. But she is all woman -- pursued by many men. The other sister, Constancia, lives with her husband in the U.S. and we join them as they move to Florida for what is only a semi-retirement for Constancia and a political awakening by her capitalist husband.
I didn't go along too much with the mystical elements of the story -- Constancia seems to follow santeria, a kind of black magic practiced in the exile community.
But, overall, this was a good little book with rich, well-developed characters. We probably all know people just like them, but of different cultures.
July 5, 2012
(3.5/5)
"Constancia considered him a hazard, like languor or sunstroke, and resisted his contagion. But it only drove him toward her all the more. The day Gonzalo took her hand, he left a live stain. It colonized her arm, overpowered her heart. Constancia and he shattered all language their first month together. Then Gonzalo had nothing left to say." (76)
"Meanwhile, roses arrive for Reina by the dozens, red and humming, as if invisible microphones were recording their decay. Constancia's apartment is dense with the scent of a hundred dying blossoms. Her sister seems indifferent to the daily onslaught of flowers, to the magnitude of her attraction. Reina wants to open the windows to release the aroma, afflictive to her as weddings, but Constancia refuses to let in the fresh air. Instead she floats about late at night in a state of vague feverishness." (172)
"Constancia considered him a hazard, like languor or sunstroke, and resisted his contagion. But it only drove him toward her all the more. The day Gonzalo took her hand, he left a live stain. It colonized her arm, overpowered her heart. Constancia and he shattered all language their first month together. Then Gonzalo had nothing left to say." (76)
"Meanwhile, roses arrive for Reina by the dozens, red and humming, as if invisible microphones were recording their decay. Constancia's apartment is dense with the scent of a hundred dying blossoms. Her sister seems indifferent to the daily onslaught of flowers, to the magnitude of her attraction. Reina wants to open the windows to release the aroma, afflictive to her as weddings, but Constancia refuses to let in the fresh air. Instead she floats about late at night in a state of vague feverishness." (172)
March 14, 2015
Loved this book!
I agree with other reviewers in that I don't identify with the main characters, but they're two 60ish year-old Cuban ex-pat women!?!? How many of us do? I thought the story was lush, colorful, poetic and dreamlike. It engaged all of my senses and probably most of my emotions.
At times you feel very uncomfortable (refer to Reina/Isabel nursing scene, Constancia/Gonzalo hospital scene) but I also found it to be humorous, sometimes melancholic and very often sentimental.
I think some readers are dismayed by the haziness of the story - seeing certain facets of each character that make it hard to determine if you like them or hate them and maybe that there's (*spoiler alert) not a discernible resolution to Blanca's death but I think that's how life is, it's not precise or cut and dry...
Anyways I loved it and was engaged throughout. Great job Christina Garcia!
I agree with other reviewers in that I don't identify with the main characters, but they're two 60ish year-old Cuban ex-pat women!?!? How many of us do? I thought the story was lush, colorful, poetic and dreamlike. It engaged all of my senses and probably most of my emotions.
At times you feel very uncomfortable (refer to Reina/Isabel nursing scene, Constancia/Gonzalo hospital scene) but I also found it to be humorous, sometimes melancholic and very often sentimental.
I think some readers are dismayed by the haziness of the story - seeing certain facets of each character that make it hard to determine if you like them or hate them and maybe that there's (*spoiler alert) not a discernible resolution to Blanca's death but I think that's how life is, it's not precise or cut and dry...
Anyways I loved it and was engaged throughout. Great job Christina Garcia!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 3, 2017
A sultry story, as langorous and lush as the Havana and Miami settings it depicts. Two sisters live two different lives in Cuba and the US, but they both reach back to a shared past for direction and explanation. When events bring them together, their shared questions force action to find answers.
Christina Garcia is a master of detail, well familiar with life in both locales. She offers an insiders view of life as a Cuban exile and as a Cuban. Her story is full of the tastes, sounds, sensations, and dreams of both worlds, and her introductions of magically realistic moments fit well within the tropical haziness of the setting and the Latin American themes. I learned a great deal about Cuba's indigenous natural resources, a side story that lends authenticity to this work of fiction.
A great read by a superb storyteller!
Christina Garcia is a master of detail, well familiar with life in both locales. She offers an insiders view of life as a Cuban exile and as a Cuban. Her story is full of the tastes, sounds, sensations, and dreams of both worlds, and her introductions of magically realistic moments fit well within the tropical haziness of the setting and the Latin American themes. I learned a great deal about Cuba's indigenous natural resources, a side story that lends authenticity to this work of fiction.
A great read by a superb storyteller!
September 6, 2007
There is plenty I liked about this book. The pair of sister-protagonists is unforgettable, & the landscapes are sumptuous. The Cuban natural history (which I assume has some basis in fact) is fascinating, as are the glimpses into recent-contemporary Cuban society both on the island & in Miami.
The storytelling style always held me at a distance from the characters, so I can't say it is my favorite kind of book, the kind that hooks me at a deep level & makes me laugh & cry with the characters. But I assume that Garcia is going for something different, an exploration of the mystery & otherness of human beings, even within close family relationships.
The storytelling style always held me at a distance from the characters, so I can't say it is my favorite kind of book, the kind that hooks me at a deep level & makes me laugh & cry with the characters. But I assume that Garcia is going for something different, an exploration of the mystery & otherness of human beings, even within close family relationships.
May 27, 2008
I don't know, Cristina Garcia is just such a lovely writer. Her writing is like a sensual, sexy, voluptuous woman with a robust appetite--that is the only way I know how to describe it. It's pleasurable, it's sexy, it's funny, it's beautiful, it's informative--I could go on and on. Her books are like a vacation. I had a good friend read this while in Hawaii. She said it was, indeed, the perfect book to read on the beach. I will always, ALWAYS be a sucker for delicious fiction and, for me, no one does it better than Cristina Garcia.
May 4, 2017
The story of Cuba is told through the memories of Reina and Constancia Aguero, and a few memoirs from their father. Ignacio, the father, tells about Cuba that was, a vibrant beautiful land Constancia tells of the bitter Cuban-Americans still longing for the land of their youth. And Reina shows some of Cuba of the 90s, stoic and downtrodden. Through it all you see the changes in the reflected in the wildlife of Cuba. You also relive generations of family history and memories with the Agueros. There's a lot to unpack here, but it's an engaging read.
November 1, 2017
The opening chapter of the story gives us a lot of questions, and with those questions we try to infer from what we understand in search of the truth. Truth, Garcia reveals to us, are like birds that come in many kinds, and is told any many forms depending who sees it. It presents itself to you, unannounced, and for you to understand. Truth relies on the person holding the shotgun, taking aim at the bird. All of this Garcia manages to translate through the stories of her protagonists--each holding on to a piece of their past, trying to understand what to do with it.
November 6, 2007
Since I am fascinated with latin cultures, this book about 2 estranged Cuban sisters was a compelling book. Riena is a tall, hypnotically beautiful member of the revolution. Constancia a petite , beauty expert, who lives in Miami and becomes haunted by the unexplained death of her mother many year earlier. The struggles of these sisters who were raised in dramatically different, but still Cuban cultures, caused me to be drawn into their story.
June 30, 2008
Like Dreaming in Cuban, this book gives us a glimpse into both Cuban and Cuban-American culture - and somehow without politicizing them - I haven't decided if that's good or not. I like the human, individual stories, but I also crave more political perspective, especially when it comes to Cuba. I miss the magical realism of Dreaming in Cuban - there is some, but I was expecting more.
July 11, 2010
I met Christina Garcia at Northwestern and was talking to her about writing and inspiration - she asked me what my major was, I told her engineering, we all laughed. What ever happened to my writing... or my engineering for that matter?? I might need to get back on the former - probably not the latter :) I found Christina Garcia's insight into Miami Latin culture very entertaining, I will always enjoy her novels.
September 27, 2010
Just-right magical realism that works for the story. There is a mystery within the story, but it is not a mystery novel. Constancia lives in New York City, having created a successful line of cosmetics. Her estranged sister Reina, the electrician, remains in Cuba. Reina is sexual, sizzling hot - even before she was struck by lightning while perched in a tree. Lovely, rich, evocative writing. I've read this twice. Yum.
March 13, 2012
I just recommended this book to someone as a #1 vacation read and realized I have never reviewed this book. Egads!! Just because it's a vacation read doesn't mean I think it's trashy. Maybe just a smidge, but in the classiest way possible. It's been so long since I've read this, it's difficult for me to remember the book. What I do remember is that it had me swooning the whole way through. Cristina Garcia is a gorgeous writer. I think I need to re-read this very soon.
December 15, 2009
This book was all about character development & the complicated relationship between sisters. I enjoyed the beautiful writing but found the story to be a bit slow (because it involves the daily activities of the sisters...and how they relate to one another after 30 years apart). I would recommend it as a quality read, but this is not a beach book or something to read quickly over a weekend!
October 16, 2010
I liked the prose of this book and the weird biologist father's reminiscing about catching and cataloging Cuban specimens. I wasn't such a fan of the bizarre sexually related (?) scenes, but I guess I understand that Garcia exaggerated some stereotypes and slightly changed them to make a point about widespread beliefs about Cubans.
April 9, 2011
Like her first novel Dreaming in Cuban, the Aguero Sisters also follows the lives of various Cubans, 2 sisters, one living in New York and Miami the other who is still in Cuba and their father, a scientist pre-revolution Cuba. I liked it slightly less than Dreaming in Cuba just because I did not like the characters as much, but I still would highly recommend it.
July 18, 2012
I picked this up at a beach house and was mesmerized by the various characters, descriptions of Cuba (past and present), language, and magic realism. However, when I returned home (and waited for it from the library) I was frustrated by the lack of follow-through and ambiguity. Perhaps if I had read it all at once I would have enjoyed it more.
October 12, 2007
Great story about 2 Cuban sisters--one living in Miami and one still living in Cuba--who reunite after 30 years to finally discover how their mother died when they were young and why their father committed suicide shortly after. Actually learned a lot about Cuban history by reading this book.
May 2, 2008
I truly enjoyed this book. The narrative is non-linear and jumps back and forth in time, which keeps the reader engaged with all the characters. The female characters in the novel are refreshing despite their flaws.
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