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Las madres
De la galardonada autora bestseller de Cuando era puertorriqueña , nos llega una poderosa novela sobre la familia, la raza, la fe, el sexo y el desastre que transita entre Puerto Rico y el Bronx, revelando las vidas y los amores de cinco mujeres, y el secreto que las une.
Se hacen llamar “Las Madres”, un grupo muy cercano de mujeres que, junto con sus hijas, han creado una familia basada en la amistad y los lazos de sangre. Su historia comienza en Puerto Rico, en 1975, cuando Luz, de quince años, la niña más alta en su academia de baile y la única negra en un mar de cisnes de piel clara, pequeños y delicados, se lastima de gravedad en un accidente de auto. Trágicamente, sus padres, ambos científicos multilingües brillantes, también mueren en el accidente. Huérfana ahora, Luz sortea las presiones de la adolescencia mientras lidia con las secuelas de una lesión cerebral, cuando dos nuevas amigas entran a su vida, Ada y Shirley. Los días de Luz quedan consumidos por dolores y molestias, y su memoria después del accidente queda por completo en blanco, pero sufre episodios que envían su mente a otros lugares y momentos que no puede compartir con nadie más.
En 2017, en el Bronx, la hija adulta de Luz, Marysol, desearía que su madre la comprendiera mejor. Pero, ¿cómo, si Luz apenas recuerda su propia vida? Para ayudar, la hija de Ada y Shirley, Graciela, sugiere que el grupo entero se vaya de vacaciones a Puerto Rico como una oportunidad para que Luz desentierre recuerdos largo tiempo enterrados y Marysol aprenda más sobre los primeros años de su madre. Pero a pesar de toda su cuidadosa planeación, dos huracanes, uno tras otro, alteran su bienvenida y sacan a la luz un secreto que hace estallar sus vidas. En una voz que canta con calidez, humor, amistad y orgullo, la celebrada autora Esmeralda Santiago desarrolla una historia sobre la sexualidad, la vergüenza, la discapacidad y el amor de las mujeres dentro de una comunidad sacudida por el desastre.
ENGLISH DESCRIPTION
From the award-winning, best-selling author of When I Was Puerto Rican , a powerful novel of family, race, faith, sex, and disaster that moves between Puerto Rico and the Bronx, revealing the lives and loves of five women and the secret that binds them together.
They refer to themselves as “las Madres,” a close-knit group of women who, with their daughters, have created a family based on friendship and blood ties.Their story begins in Puerto Rico in 1975, when fifteen-year-old Luz, the tallest in her dance academy and the only Black girl in a sea of petite, light-skinned, delicate swans, is seriously injured in a car accident. Tragically, her brilliant, multilingual scientist parents are both killed in the crash. Now orphaned, Luz navigates the pressures of adolescence and copes with the aftershock of a brain injury, when two new friends enter her Ada and Shirley. Luz’s days are consumed with aches and pains, and her memory of the accident is wiped clean, but she suffers spells that send her mind to times and places she can’t share with others.
In 2017, the Bronx, Luz’s adult daughter, Marysol, wishes she better understood her. But how can she, when her mother barely remembers her own life? To help, Ada and Shirley’s daughter, Graciela, suggests a vacation in Puerto Rico for the extended group, as an opportunity for Luz to unearth long-buried memories and for Marysol to learn more about her mother’s early life. But despite all their careful planning, two hurricanes, back-to-back, disrupt their homecoming, and a secret is revealed that blows their lives wide open. In a voice that sings with warmth, humor, friendship, and pride, celebrated author Esmeralda Santiago unspools a story of women’s sexuality, shame, disability, and love within a community rocked by disaster.
Se hacen llamar “Las Madres”, un grupo muy cercano de mujeres que, junto con sus hijas, han creado una familia basada en la amistad y los lazos de sangre. Su historia comienza en Puerto Rico, en 1975, cuando Luz, de quince años, la niña más alta en su academia de baile y la única negra en un mar de cisnes de piel clara, pequeños y delicados, se lastima de gravedad en un accidente de auto. Trágicamente, sus padres, ambos científicos multilingües brillantes, también mueren en el accidente. Huérfana ahora, Luz sortea las presiones de la adolescencia mientras lidia con las secuelas de una lesión cerebral, cuando dos nuevas amigas entran a su vida, Ada y Shirley. Los días de Luz quedan consumidos por dolores y molestias, y su memoria después del accidente queda por completo en blanco, pero sufre episodios que envían su mente a otros lugares y momentos que no puede compartir con nadie más.
En 2017, en el Bronx, la hija adulta de Luz, Marysol, desearía que su madre la comprendiera mejor. Pero, ¿cómo, si Luz apenas recuerda su propia vida? Para ayudar, la hija de Ada y Shirley, Graciela, sugiere que el grupo entero se vaya de vacaciones a Puerto Rico como una oportunidad para que Luz desentierre recuerdos largo tiempo enterrados y Marysol aprenda más sobre los primeros años de su madre. Pero a pesar de toda su cuidadosa planeación, dos huracanes, uno tras otro, alteran su bienvenida y sacan a la luz un secreto que hace estallar sus vidas. En una voz que canta con calidez, humor, amistad y orgullo, la celebrada autora Esmeralda Santiago desarrolla una historia sobre la sexualidad, la vergüenza, la discapacidad y el amor de las mujeres dentro de una comunidad sacudida por el desastre.
ENGLISH DESCRIPTION
From the award-winning, best-selling author of When I Was Puerto Rican , a powerful novel of family, race, faith, sex, and disaster that moves between Puerto Rico and the Bronx, revealing the lives and loves of five women and the secret that binds them together.
They refer to themselves as “las Madres,” a close-knit group of women who, with their daughters, have created a family based on friendship and blood ties.Their story begins in Puerto Rico in 1975, when fifteen-year-old Luz, the tallest in her dance academy and the only Black girl in a sea of petite, light-skinned, delicate swans, is seriously injured in a car accident. Tragically, her brilliant, multilingual scientist parents are both killed in the crash. Now orphaned, Luz navigates the pressures of adolescence and copes with the aftershock of a brain injury, when two new friends enter her Ada and Shirley. Luz’s days are consumed with aches and pains, and her memory of the accident is wiped clean, but she suffers spells that send her mind to times and places she can’t share with others.
In 2017, the Bronx, Luz’s adult daughter, Marysol, wishes she better understood her. But how can she, when her mother barely remembers her own life? To help, Ada and Shirley’s daughter, Graciela, suggests a vacation in Puerto Rico for the extended group, as an opportunity for Luz to unearth long-buried memories and for Marysol to learn more about her mother’s early life. But despite all their careful planning, two hurricanes, back-to-back, disrupt their homecoming, and a secret is revealed that blows their lives wide open. In a voice that sings with warmth, humor, friendship, and pride, celebrated author Esmeralda Santiago unspools a story of women’s sexuality, shame, disability, and love within a community rocked by disaster.
384 pages, Paperback
First published August 8, 2023
294 people are currently reading
14787 people want to read
About the author
Esmeralda Santiago
28 books929 followersEsmeralda Santiago (born 1948 in San Juan, Puerto Rico). Is a renowned Puerto Rican author In 1961, she came to the United States when she was thirteen years old, the eldest in a family that would eventually include eleven children. Ms. Santiago attended New York City's Performing Arts High School, where she majored in drama and dance. After eight years of part-time study at community colleges, she transferred to Harvard University with a full scholarship. She studied film production and graduated in 1976 magna cum laude. Shortly after graduation, she and her husband, Frank Cantor, founded CANTOMEDIA, a film and media production company, which has won numerous awards for excellence in documentary filmmaking.
Her writing career evolved from her work as a producer/writer of documentary and educational films. Her essays and opinion pieces have appeared in national newspapers including the New York Times and the Boston Globe, and on mass market magazines like House & Garden, Metropolitan Home, and Good Housekeeping.
Her writing career evolved from her work as a producer/writer of documentary and educational films. Her essays and opinion pieces have appeared in national newspapers including the New York Times and the Boston Globe, and on mass market magazines like House & Garden, Metropolitan Home, and Good Housekeeping.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 267 reviews
August 9, 2023
Las Madres is a captivating take on identity, memory, loss, disability, family, love and healing.
This novel is narrated in a way that goes back and forth between the present and the past. On one hand, Las Madres follows a Puerto Rican teenage girl Luz, who has to learn how to live again after a terrible accident. We learn that before this event, Luz worked hard and strived to become a ballerina, while being black and tall, challenging the appearance stereotypes of a pale and petite classical dancer. Suffering a memory loss, Luz has to retrieve and piece her memories together mainly through the others and their stories. On the other hand, we get to know Luz a few decades after the accident - she is still struggling with memory loss, at the same time, she is now a mother and living in the United States in a supportive community with her adoptive mothers “las madres”, their daughter and her own daughter “las nenas”.
These two cleverly interwoven timelines provide a glimpse into the bigger picture. This works quite well up until two thirds of the novel, after which there is a shift in the narrative and overall feeling of this novel. From here it feels like the author decided to write a completely different work. I understand Santiago’s best intentions to convey a certain message, but the narration takes on an almost journalistic tone and the connection with the main premise feels very loose. Moreover, the characters and their relationships become rather flat as a result. I appreciate a felling of closure in the dénouement, yet the novel’s evocative intensity so promising in the beginning doesn't hold up. This feels a bit like a missed opportunity - I believe Santiago is a talented writer and this novel could have been excellent. Although I don’t work in the publishing industry and my opinion is one of an untrained reader, I feel this might have been an editing issue, not a writing issue per se.
Nevertheless, this novel was a positive reading experience for me, it put me on a train of thought about what makes up a family, how people support each other and unpredictable connections they make. Thanks to this novel, I learned about some important aspects of Puerto Rico’s history and culture, its complicated relationship with the US and its independence/statehood debate.
Another feature that I enjoyed is the way the author mixes English, Spanish, French and German in some dialogues - it may sound quite overwhelming for some readers, but it’s how some people who have been exposed to different languages might actually speak.
Esmeralda Santiago is a writer known for her narrative memoirs and trans-cultural writing, revolving around stories about migration, cultural dissonance and acculturation. In Las Madres, the author touches upon some of these themes - despite the struggles and challenges of leaving home and moving across the ocean, there are positive outcomes too. I’m interested in her narrative memoirs as well as her future work.
In addition, after reading this novel I discovered that in 2008 Esmeralda Santiago suffered a stroke which affected Wernicke’s area of her brain and made it unable to read and write in both Spanish, her native language, and English. The author had to relearn how to read and write anew - I really admire her strength and passion for the power of words.
Many thanks to Knopf who kindly provided me with an advanced reading copy via NetGalley.
3.5/5
This novel is narrated in a way that goes back and forth between the present and the past. On one hand, Las Madres follows a Puerto Rican teenage girl Luz, who has to learn how to live again after a terrible accident. We learn that before this event, Luz worked hard and strived to become a ballerina, while being black and tall, challenging the appearance stereotypes of a pale and petite classical dancer. Suffering a memory loss, Luz has to retrieve and piece her memories together mainly through the others and their stories. On the other hand, we get to know Luz a few decades after the accident - she is still struggling with memory loss, at the same time, she is now a mother and living in the United States in a supportive community with her adoptive mothers “las madres”, their daughter and her own daughter “las nenas”.
These two cleverly interwoven timelines provide a glimpse into the bigger picture. This works quite well up until two thirds of the novel, after which there is a shift in the narrative and overall feeling of this novel. From here it feels like the author decided to write a completely different work. I understand Santiago’s best intentions to convey a certain message, but the narration takes on an almost journalistic tone and the connection with the main premise feels very loose. Moreover, the characters and their relationships become rather flat as a result. I appreciate a felling of closure in the dénouement, yet the novel’s evocative intensity so promising in the beginning doesn't hold up. This feels a bit like a missed opportunity - I believe Santiago is a talented writer and this novel could have been excellent. Although I don’t work in the publishing industry and my opinion is one of an untrained reader, I feel this might have been an editing issue, not a writing issue per se.
Nevertheless, this novel was a positive reading experience for me, it put me on a train of thought about what makes up a family, how people support each other and unpredictable connections they make. Thanks to this novel, I learned about some important aspects of Puerto Rico’s history and culture, its complicated relationship with the US and its independence/statehood debate.
Another feature that I enjoyed is the way the author mixes English, Spanish, French and German in some dialogues - it may sound quite overwhelming for some readers, but it’s how some people who have been exposed to different languages might actually speak.
Esmeralda Santiago is a writer known for her narrative memoirs and trans-cultural writing, revolving around stories about migration, cultural dissonance and acculturation. In Las Madres, the author touches upon some of these themes - despite the struggles and challenges of leaving home and moving across the ocean, there are positive outcomes too. I’m interested in her narrative memoirs as well as her future work.
In addition, after reading this novel I discovered that in 2008 Esmeralda Santiago suffered a stroke which affected Wernicke’s area of her brain and made it unable to read and write in both Spanish, her native language, and English. The author had to relearn how to read and write anew - I really admire her strength and passion for the power of words.
Many thanks to Knopf who kindly provided me with an advanced reading copy via NetGalley.
3.5/5
April 25, 2023
Luz is a teenager living in Puerto Rico with her parents, who are both scientists. which is considered surprising because they are black. (Apparently Puerto Rico also has racism.) On the way home from an event at her dance school, they are in a terrible automobile accident; both parents are killed, and Luz is seriously injured, not only physically, but also with a traumatic brain injury which allows her to remember nothing after a few minutes. At first she is cared for by her grandmother; then her grandfather takes her in and arranges for a tutor, Ada. Ada, who along with her partner Shirley and their daughter Graciela, becomes like family to Luz and her daughter Marysol, a nurse, who cares for her mother in their Bronx apartment. When the women decide to travel to Puerto Rico, they find themselves trapped there as Hurricane Maria descends. Secrets come to light as they and their neighbors struggle to survive. Santiago has crested unforgettable characters, and the description of the storm ravaged island is something I won't soon forget. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this advance copy.
January 24, 2023
I am a huge fan of Esmeralda Santiago and jumped at the opportunity to read Las Madres. I initially thought this would be multigenerational story about the ways that women support one another in Puerto Rican families. I was not expecting this to be a brilliant exploration of family secrets, trauma healing, sexuality, religiosity, shame, and most importantly disability.
The way Santiago is able to portray the life of her protagonist, Luz, truly took my breath away. The only way to understand the depth of the loss Luz endured is to start from the beginning and that's what this story does.
The novel is structured so that we meet Luz prior to the accident that killed both her parents and left her with severe brain damage. We get to discover the girl that she was as a successful dancer prior to losing it all. She spends some time living with her extremely religious maternal grandmother as she struggles to piece together the parts of her memory she can still hold onto. Though her memories come and go and her recollections never last for too long, she knows enough to know she cannot stay under her grandmother's roof. She decides to move in with her grandfather and when she loses him due to cancer two friends decide to take her in to care for her. Luz, Shirley and Ada raise their children together and their daughters lovingly call them "Las Madres."
The third part of the book is an opportunity for Luz to return to her homeland of Puerto Rico where her family hopes memories will resurface and perhaps she will feel connected to the spirit of her parents. Instead, Hurricane Maria threatens the safety of everyone on the island and we worry about whether or not our beloved characters will make it through unscathed. But other threats are looming.
At the end of the story, a long kept family secret is revealed that changes the way characters view each other but not how much they love one another. When the hurricane ends, Miriam says: "We barely got out with our lives" and I feel like this is a statement that Las Madres can relate to throughout the story. They barely made it to the end of the story with their lives and yet, because they had one another, they survived.
Thank you to the author and publisher for the e-arc copy!
The way Santiago is able to portray the life of her protagonist, Luz, truly took my breath away. The only way to understand the depth of the loss Luz endured is to start from the beginning and that's what this story does.
The novel is structured so that we meet Luz prior to the accident that killed both her parents and left her with severe brain damage. We get to discover the girl that she was as a successful dancer prior to losing it all. She spends some time living with her extremely religious maternal grandmother as she struggles to piece together the parts of her memory she can still hold onto. Though her memories come and go and her recollections never last for too long, she knows enough to know she cannot stay under her grandmother's roof. She decides to move in with her grandfather and when she loses him due to cancer two friends decide to take her in to care for her. Luz, Shirley and Ada raise their children together and their daughters lovingly call them "Las Madres."
The third part of the book is an opportunity for Luz to return to her homeland of Puerto Rico where her family hopes memories will resurface and perhaps she will feel connected to the spirit of her parents. Instead, Hurricane Maria threatens the safety of everyone on the island and we worry about whether or not our beloved characters will make it through unscathed. But other threats are looming.
At the end of the story, a long kept family secret is revealed that changes the way characters view each other but not how much they love one another. When the hurricane ends, Miriam says: "We barely got out with our lives" and I feel like this is a statement that Las Madres can relate to throughout the story. They barely made it to the end of the story with their lives and yet, because they had one another, they survived.
Thank you to the author and publisher for the e-arc copy!
August 7, 2024
3.5 stars, rounded down to 3. I enjoyed the book, but it didn't really move me as much as I thought it should. I will say, however, that what we learn about why one of the main characters's early life and trauma hit hard. And being Puerto Rican and having my family live through and survive Hurricanes Iris and Maria, the book brings that to life in some vivid and important ways. I would recommend the book.
Many thanks to NetGalley and to the publisher for a digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.
Many thanks to NetGalley and to the publisher for a digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.
August 15, 2023
Full review coming soon...
did-not-finish-aka-dnf
March 7, 2023SHUT the FRONT DOOR! I need this book in my hands! When I Was Puerto-Rican was and forever will be one of my all time favorite books, a new book by Esmeralda Santiago is something big to look forward to :)
Update 3/7/2023: The Book Gods have deemed me worthy, I have an eGalley! STOKED!
Update 3/7/2023: The Book Gods have deemed me worthy, I have an eGalley! STOKED!
September 12, 2023
READING VLOG
the only work of fiction i know that stans 𝘋𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘰...
yes. the song.
Across multiple languages in a grand family, we look at how we care for family and how family cares for us. The un-caring too. The betrayal. The lies. The ways in which we defend or protect. Here, Santiago paints a family portrait from the heart, let lives, post Hurricane Maria.
It wasn't until the Coda and Acknowledgements portion did I understand where Santiago was coming from. To paint histories that have been lost. But there were portions of the novel that were too heavy-handed, lines too quotable that it lost the genuine touch of the story. There's a difference between writing a great line and writing purposeful lines to maintain story. Santiago aimed for the former due to a colossal cast of characters preoccupied with code-switching between languages that comes off as a party trick flair than earnest (see Ocean Vuong's 𝘖𝘯 𝘌𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘞𝘦'𝘳𝘦 𝘉𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘧𝘭𝘺 𝘎𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘰𝘶𝘴).
Overall, a very important piece of Puerto Rican literature with a lot of love. I thought too much of my own grandmother. How I've failed to care while remembering all the ways I have and she has for me. If you miss your grandmother, this is for you. If you're thinking about how complicated family is, this is for you.
*editorial note, not sure who the French editor for the text was, but felt the French was too textbook-y. Reading "oui" in dialogue made me cringe. The language felt too rigid, especially when existing in dialogue.
the only work of fiction i know that stans 𝘋𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘰...
yes. the song.
Across multiple languages in a grand family, we look at how we care for family and how family cares for us. The un-caring too. The betrayal. The lies. The ways in which we defend or protect. Here, Santiago paints a family portrait from the heart, let lives, post Hurricane Maria.
It wasn't until the Coda and Acknowledgements portion did I understand where Santiago was coming from. To paint histories that have been lost. But there were portions of the novel that were too heavy-handed, lines too quotable that it lost the genuine touch of the story. There's a difference between writing a great line and writing purposeful lines to maintain story. Santiago aimed for the former due to a colossal cast of characters preoccupied with code-switching between languages that comes off as a party trick flair than earnest (see Ocean Vuong's 𝘖𝘯 𝘌𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘞𝘦'𝘳𝘦 𝘉𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘧𝘭𝘺 𝘎𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘰𝘶𝘴).
Overall, a very important piece of Puerto Rican literature with a lot of love. I thought too much of my own grandmother. How I've failed to care while remembering all the ways I have and she has for me. If you miss your grandmother, this is for you. If you're thinking about how complicated family is, this is for you.
*editorial note, not sure who the French editor for the text was, but felt the French was too textbook-y. Reading "oui" in dialogue made me cringe. The language felt too rigid, especially when existing in dialogue.
September 12, 2023
3.5 stars
Thanks to Knopf for the copy of this book!
Las Madres is a story of three mothers and their daughters who are brought together by blood and friendship. It explores family dynamics, race, sexuality, colonization, and disaster through a Puerto Rican perspective, and is told in dual timeline from 1975 to 2017.
I appreciated this Own Voices read, especially as Esmeralda Santiago narrates this audiobook herself and had a very touching author's note at the end. Las Madres shows us how skin tones, language, place of residency, and tragedy come into play for Puerto Ricans. Revisiting Hurricane Maria from 2017 through these characters' eyes was so heartbreaking. Since it was a disaster minimalized by the time's President, I think a lot of Americans don't realize just how devastating the hurricane was. This book made me think a lot about Puerto Rico's status as a territory and what that really means for its people.
Read if you:
- remember Hurricane Maria in 2017
- love Own Voics reads
- want a Puerto Rican perspective
- enjoy dual timeline reads
Thanks to Knopf for the copy of this book!
Las Madres is a story of three mothers and their daughters who are brought together by blood and friendship. It explores family dynamics, race, sexuality, colonization, and disaster through a Puerto Rican perspective, and is told in dual timeline from 1975 to 2017.
I appreciated this Own Voices read, especially as Esmeralda Santiago narrates this audiobook herself and had a very touching author's note at the end. Las Madres shows us how skin tones, language, place of residency, and tragedy come into play for Puerto Ricans. Revisiting Hurricane Maria from 2017 through these characters' eyes was so heartbreaking. Since it was a disaster minimalized by the time's President, I think a lot of Americans don't realize just how devastating the hurricane was. This book made me think a lot about Puerto Rico's status as a territory and what that really means for its people.
Read if you:
- remember Hurricane Maria in 2017
- love Own Voics reads
- want a Puerto Rican perspective
- enjoy dual timeline reads
May 12, 2023
Yikes, I got dizzy between the large cast of characters (who all sounded the same) and the four languages used in the dialogue: English, Spanish, German, and French, which for the most part didn't provide context so...oh well.
Themes tackled: Racism, sexuality, religion, classism, and disability.
I wondered why the title was called Las Madres when it was really mostly about Luz, one of the three madres, a dark-skinned Puerto Rican who had a fateful accident that changed her life. I couldn't picture how old some of the characters were (some were late 50s, late 60s, Mid 30s, and a 40-year old ) because they all pretty much sounded the same and the words didn't quite fit the personalities, especially the disabled person who went from being perfectly normal (she shares insights that feels perfectly lucid and even masturbates!) to being totally out of it, (after all, she has severe brain trauma). It all made the story clunky and hard to follow.
When the shocking betrayal comes to light, it was kind of a big deal and then it was just business as usual.
Review access provided by the publisher.
Themes tackled: Racism, sexuality, religion, classism, and disability.
I wondered why the title was called Las Madres when it was really mostly about Luz, one of the three madres, a dark-skinned Puerto Rican who had a fateful accident that changed her life. I couldn't picture how old some of the characters were (some were late 50s, late 60s, Mid 30s, and a 40-year old ) because they all pretty much sounded the same and the words didn't quite fit the personalities, especially the disabled person who went from being perfectly normal (she shares insights that feels perfectly lucid and even masturbates!) to being totally out of it, (after all, she has severe brain trauma). It all made the story clunky and hard to follow.
When the shocking betrayal comes to light, it was kind of a big deal and then it was just business as usual.
Review access provided by the publisher.
October 24, 2023
I have a lot of thoughts about this one, but even now writing this review, I don't know how to properly articulate them. I don't really like novels where there is no obvious storyline, (like Marrying the Ketchups) however, what this book does differently from Marrying the Ketchups is it got me to emotionally identify with the characters because we're all Puerto Rican. Every single character had an interesting past and present, and it really made me sit and think about my experiences as a modern gen z Puerto Rican born in America. My experience is vastly different from my grandmother's, just like the future generations to come after me if I have children. I very much resonated with Luz's experience with her abuela, in fact when she left her abuela to move in with her abuelo I started crying because if in her shoes I would have done the exact same thing. I was also very scientifically interested in Luz's health journey even though I know it's fiction. I could have easily read about that for the entirety of the novel.
What really got me about this novel, though, was reading about Maria and the author's codex at the end of the novel. Maria is something that the island has never fully recovered from, and has been exacerbated and made worse by Irma and other tropical storms that have hit the island. My dad's family was lucky, they had minor flooding and no other issues. The neighbors directly across the street lost their entire home and were completely displaced much like Oliver and Miriam. It broke my heart to read about it happening in "real" time in the novel. Many Americans today still underestimate what actually happened because of Trump's trip to San Juan. I could write a lot more but I'm not going to. It was a phenomenal novel and I'd read more from Santiago again.
Pa'lante siempre pa'lante!
What really got me about this novel, though, was reading about Maria and the author's codex at the end of the novel. Maria is something that the island has never fully recovered from, and has been exacerbated and made worse by Irma and other tropical storms that have hit the island. My dad's family was lucky, they had minor flooding and no other issues. The neighbors directly across the street lost their entire home and were completely displaced much like Oliver and Miriam. It broke my heart to read about it happening in "real" time in the novel. Many Americans today still underestimate what actually happened because of Trump's trip to San Juan. I could write a lot more but I'm not going to. It was a phenomenal novel and I'd read more from Santiago again.
Pa'lante siempre pa'lante!
October 29, 2023
I absolutely love reading books about families, and at the heart of it, the women who are at the heart of them, the ones who create families, nurture them, and see through them. What’s even more wondrous is when they create families such as these with their dearest friends. I remember feeling the same way reading, “Las Madres”, as I did when I first read, “The Joy Luck Club”.
Las Madres is the story of three mothers – Luz, Ada, and Shirley, and the two daughters – Graciela and Marysol. They are all bonded for life – though they live in different places – all hailing from Puerto Rico – daughters born in New York though – each of them struggling to find their place in the world, living life day after day. The story is set in two different time periods – the 70s, and 2017, told alternatively, with different perspectives and voices – as secrets come to fore, ambition is noticed, desire runs deep, and friendships are formed and forged for life, through thick and thin of it all.
I enjoyed the 70s timeline more, but that’s just because I have lived through the 2010s, and the 70s timeline seemed very nostalgic and had me hooked to the past. Santiago takes us through the emotional turbulence amongst families, of how friends become families we never knew we needed, and more than anything beautifully weaves the story with the political upheavals of its time, and the issues of the day.
Santiago builds characters with care and love, easing you into their lives, the characters linger, and as you get to know them – the five women, and the people associated with them – the story remains and in turn makes this impact in your heart and brain, not very easy to let go off.
Las Madres is the story of three mothers – Luz, Ada, and Shirley, and the two daughters – Graciela and Marysol. They are all bonded for life – though they live in different places – all hailing from Puerto Rico – daughters born in New York though – each of them struggling to find their place in the world, living life day after day. The story is set in two different time periods – the 70s, and 2017, told alternatively, with different perspectives and voices – as secrets come to fore, ambition is noticed, desire runs deep, and friendships are formed and forged for life, through thick and thin of it all.
I enjoyed the 70s timeline more, but that’s just because I have lived through the 2010s, and the 70s timeline seemed very nostalgic and had me hooked to the past. Santiago takes us through the emotional turbulence amongst families, of how friends become families we never knew we needed, and more than anything beautifully weaves the story with the political upheavals of its time, and the issues of the day.
Santiago builds characters with care and love, easing you into their lives, the characters linger, and as you get to know them – the five women, and the people associated with them – the story remains and in turn makes this impact in your heart and brain, not very easy to let go off.
August 8, 2023
This is a fierce, touching, and insightful intergenerational novel about heritage, memory, and secrets, but most of all family, especially the family we create with our dearest friends.
Written by Esmeralda Santiago, this is the story of three mothers—Luz, Ada, and Shirley—and two daughters, Graciela and Marysol. The five are bonded for life, even though Luz and Marysol live in the Bronx, while Ada, Shirley, and Graciela live in Maine. All hail from Puerto Rico, and even though the daughters were both born in New York, they feel Puerto Rican.
The novel switches between two pivotal years: 1975/1976 and 2017. In October 1975, Luz is 15 and living with her parents, Federico and Salvadora, both accomplished scientists, in Puerto Rico. She is a gifted ballet dancer with high hopes of dancing professionally. But those dreams are shattered when tragedy strikes, leaving her disabled and orphaned. After months of hospitalization and rehab, her grandparents—one on each side—step in to care for her. It is when she is living with her grandfather, Alonso, that her life improves thanks to a loving tutor, Ada, and new friends. But Luz has brain damage that greatly impairs her memory, and this lasts for the rest of her life. Something may happen now, and in five minutes she has no memory of it. It's as if Luz is reborn every day.
Fast forward to 2017. Luz and her daughter Marysol (who is in her 30s), live in New York City. Along with their dear friends Ada and Shirley and their daughter, Graciela, Luz and Marysol visit Puerto Rico to celebrate Shirley's 70th birthday. The mothers (las madres) left in 1977 and have never returned, while the daughters (las nenas) have never been. Their timing couldn't be worse. Hurricane Irma just passed, fortunately skirting the island, but unbeknownst to them when they land for several days of partying and fun, Hurricane María is headed to Puerto Rico for a direct hit.
The story is slow to develop, but it hits its stride about two-thirds of the way through. Stick with it! It's worth it because what was once somewhat plodding becomes a riveting tale as the five women experience not only the full force of Hurricane María, but also lean on each other as long-held secrets are revealed, threatening to tear them all apart.
This is a novel that examines the importance of memory. After all, it is our memories that give us our sense of self, but it is our friends and family who become the rock of our lives—especially when those lives are shattered.
A note on the text: There is a lot of Spanish woven into the story, and I found the Kindle translation feature essential for understanding the narrative. In addition, Luz and her parents are quadrilingual in English, Spanish, French, and German and mix and match the four languages—sometimes combining two languages in a single sentence. The Kindle translate feature was indispensable!
Written by Esmeralda Santiago, this is the story of three mothers—Luz, Ada, and Shirley—and two daughters, Graciela and Marysol. The five are bonded for life, even though Luz and Marysol live in the Bronx, while Ada, Shirley, and Graciela live in Maine. All hail from Puerto Rico, and even though the daughters were both born in New York, they feel Puerto Rican.
The novel switches between two pivotal years: 1975/1976 and 2017. In October 1975, Luz is 15 and living with her parents, Federico and Salvadora, both accomplished scientists, in Puerto Rico. She is a gifted ballet dancer with high hopes of dancing professionally. But those dreams are shattered when tragedy strikes, leaving her disabled and orphaned. After months of hospitalization and rehab, her grandparents—one on each side—step in to care for her. It is when she is living with her grandfather, Alonso, that her life improves thanks to a loving tutor, Ada, and new friends. But Luz has brain damage that greatly impairs her memory, and this lasts for the rest of her life. Something may happen now, and in five minutes she has no memory of it. It's as if Luz is reborn every day.
Fast forward to 2017. Luz and her daughter Marysol (who is in her 30s), live in New York City. Along with their dear friends Ada and Shirley and their daughter, Graciela, Luz and Marysol visit Puerto Rico to celebrate Shirley's 70th birthday. The mothers (las madres) left in 1977 and have never returned, while the daughters (las nenas) have never been. Their timing couldn't be worse. Hurricane Irma just passed, fortunately skirting the island, but unbeknownst to them when they land for several days of partying and fun, Hurricane María is headed to Puerto Rico for a direct hit.
The story is slow to develop, but it hits its stride about two-thirds of the way through. Stick with it! It's worth it because what was once somewhat plodding becomes a riveting tale as the five women experience not only the full force of Hurricane María, but also lean on each other as long-held secrets are revealed, threatening to tear them all apart.
This is a novel that examines the importance of memory. After all, it is our memories that give us our sense of self, but it is our friends and family who become the rock of our lives—especially when those lives are shattered.
A note on the text: There is a lot of Spanish woven into the story, and I found the Kindle translation feature essential for understanding the narrative. In addition, Luz and her parents are quadrilingual in English, Spanish, French, and German and mix and match the four languages—sometimes combining two languages in a single sentence. The Kindle translate feature was indispensable!
January 2, 2024
This was the story of mothers and daughters, truths and lies, of what constitutes family. Esmerelda is a master at building complex characters and the relationships they have with one another.
2023
October 16, 2025Latine Heritage Month TBR
📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf
📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf
February 22, 2024
Some novels I like are good, others are great and then there are some novels that touch my heart and I just know will live with me for a long time. Las Madres is the latter. I am not Puerto Rican but I felt a beautiful Latina kinship with Las Madres and their daughters Las Nenas. This novel is a multilayered multigenerational story of a Puerto Rican family. My hat off to Esmeralda Santiago. Luz is a character that touched me and will be in my mind for a long time. As a girl, she suffered a traumatic brain injury and loses he parents in an accident at the same time. Through her altered perspective, life is difficult but still fullfilling in the small island even after many hurricanes and disasters. FIVE Enthusiastic stars.
January 26, 2024
I enjoyed the characters in this book, but felt the ending left a lot of questions. As discussed in book club, maybe shorter stories could have helped. Or was the ending a representation of a day in Luz's life?
A line that will stay with me, "most people are forgotten by the third generation that follows them, and she mourns the silence stories, the knowledge and wisdom that vanished when her patients die"
A line that will stay with me, "most people are forgotten by the third generation that follows them, and she mourns the silence stories, the knowledge and wisdom that vanished when her patients die"
December 14, 2023
Good book. Focuses on 5 Puerto Rican women. They have a strong love for their native country although they’ve lived in the US for more than 30 years. One character, Luz, suffers from a brain injury caused by a car accident when she was 15 which killed both her parents. She can’t remember things. The madres decide to take a vacation to Puerto Rico and end up being there when a major hurricane lands. Good family drama.
Read
August 17, 2023DNFing @ around 30%
September 1, 2024
this book was so slow at the beginning that it made it hard for me to connect with the characters. it didn't start fitting together until halfway through when they traveled to PR. I also think I expected something else so I wasn't that into it, but it is a nice story about women loving each other no matter what.
September 7, 2025
*4.5, rounded down
January 13, 2024
The first half of this book was good. I like that the chapter switch from past to present. So I liked the first half that talked about the mother’s past and the daughter present as a nurse in the Bronx. The book got boring to me in the second half when the family went back to Puerto Rico and they experienced hurricane maria. It was truly terrible to go through for the people on the island, I just wasn’t expecting such a large portion of the book to be about it. After the hurricane portion of the book I was just reading to get through the book but I wasn’t enjoying it anymore.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 26, 2023
2.5 stars. I wanted to like this book more, but I just couldn't. It was one of those where I kept reading, expecting something to happen, and then of course nothing much happened until about 75% of the way through, when it became a downhill slog until the end. Depressing and boring. I wish this had been better.
August 3, 2023
Luz has trouble recalling her memories, a result from a traumatic experience in her teenage years. Along with her to Puerto Rico, she has her daughter, her two friends, and their daughter on this vacation, coming back to the land of where their roots are from. With the land being devastated with two concurrent hurricanes in a span of weeks, and them being able to experience the onslaught of the second, they try their best to overcome this tragedy as a community, stitching Luz’s missing memories, and unravelling well-kept secret.
The first half of the book mainly tackles about Luz’s condition, how she regrets not remembering memories before the accident, and how she mainly relies on other people’s words of who her parents were. She convinces herself that she is a burden to the people around her, the need to always repeat things until she retains the information. People think that her condition is a curse but also a blessing, that she would at least forget most of the ill events.
The second half discusses more about the state of Puerto Rico, the culture, the citizens, and the politics. The characters are thrown into the chaos of a disaster, fearing for their lives. The after effects of the hurricane does nothing to quell their anxiety, seeing that the place is indeed in a state of calamity.
I’ve never felt this strong of an attachment for a book, being vocal about my views and criticizing how real these events are. Definitely would recommend this book to anyone, and if I were to go back to high school, I’d definitely love to make a book report about it. Such a well-written book and I’m looking forward to more books from the author.
My review will mostly be relating their experiences and culture to that of my own, the Filipino culture. I saw many similarities between the two, especially when it comes to hurricanes. The Philippines has its fair share of storms and typhoons every year, that a typhoon was coincidentally raining over my city while reading this book. I will be tackling three main points for my review, Familial Ties, Nationalism, and Politics.
Familial Ties
There is a strong familial responsibility that Filipinos have, “utang na loob” or a debt of gratitude. It’s an unwritten rule that once a child becomes more independent, they are obligated to give back to their parents after all the sacrifices that the parents made. Filipino family gatherings are abundant, being able to meet second or even third cousins which leads to creating easier connections, somewhat akin to being a “nepo baby.” Relatives are ready to give a helping hand to those within the family, making an easier route by introducing one to an acquaintance.
Nationalism
It’s a widespread stereotype that Filipinos have a strong sense of Nationalism, always wanting to relate to any celebrity or artist who has even just an ounce of Filipino blood. Filipinos are also known for their resilience, most evident during donation drives where the citizens come together and help those heavily affected by tragedy. But the citizens can only give so much to the victims yet still do not expect anything in return; unlike politicians who hand out relief goods with their names and faces are plastered on the bag, hoping that this would lead them to winning the next elections.
Politics
Lastly, the corruption that circulates within the political circle. The country goes through an average of 20 typhoons every year, also earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are some of the disasters that plague the country. Poor planning and small fund allocation is set during states of calamities thus it takes a long time for a province or city to recover. All the promises that these politicians make during their campaigns don’t always make it to reality. It’s the citizens and NGO’s who come together to aid those in need, essentially taking the government’s job.
With successive typhoons raining down the country, Filipinos remain smiling even through the toughest of tragedies. Babangon tayo muli sa kahirapan basta’t tayo’y magtulungan. [We’ll stand back up from this tragedy as long as we help each other out.] A little help goes a long way.
The first half of the book mainly tackles about Luz’s condition, how she regrets not remembering memories before the accident, and how she mainly relies on other people’s words of who her parents were. She convinces herself that she is a burden to the people around her, the need to always repeat things until she retains the information. People think that her condition is a curse but also a blessing, that she would at least forget most of the ill events.
The second half discusses more about the state of Puerto Rico, the culture, the citizens, and the politics. The characters are thrown into the chaos of a disaster, fearing for their lives. The after effects of the hurricane does nothing to quell their anxiety, seeing that the place is indeed in a state of calamity.
I’ve never felt this strong of an attachment for a book, being vocal about my views and criticizing how real these events are. Definitely would recommend this book to anyone, and if I were to go back to high school, I’d definitely love to make a book report about it. Such a well-written book and I’m looking forward to more books from the author.
My review will mostly be relating their experiences and culture to that of my own, the Filipino culture. I saw many similarities between the two, especially when it comes to hurricanes. The Philippines has its fair share of storms and typhoons every year, that a typhoon was coincidentally raining over my city while reading this book. I will be tackling three main points for my review, Familial Ties, Nationalism, and Politics.
Familial Ties
There is a strong familial responsibility that Filipinos have, “utang na loob” or a debt of gratitude. It’s an unwritten rule that once a child becomes more independent, they are obligated to give back to their parents after all the sacrifices that the parents made. Filipino family gatherings are abundant, being able to meet second or even third cousins which leads to creating easier connections, somewhat akin to being a “nepo baby.” Relatives are ready to give a helping hand to those within the family, making an easier route by introducing one to an acquaintance.
Nationalism
It’s a widespread stereotype that Filipinos have a strong sense of Nationalism, always wanting to relate to any celebrity or artist who has even just an ounce of Filipino blood. Filipinos are also known for their resilience, most evident during donation drives where the citizens come together and help those heavily affected by tragedy. But the citizens can only give so much to the victims yet still do not expect anything in return; unlike politicians who hand out relief goods with their names and faces are plastered on the bag, hoping that this would lead them to winning the next elections.
Politics
Lastly, the corruption that circulates within the political circle. The country goes through an average of 20 typhoons every year, also earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are some of the disasters that plague the country. Poor planning and small fund allocation is set during states of calamities thus it takes a long time for a province or city to recover. All the promises that these politicians make during their campaigns don’t always make it to reality. It’s the citizens and NGO’s who come together to aid those in need, essentially taking the government’s job.
With successive typhoons raining down the country, Filipinos remain smiling even through the toughest of tragedies. Babangon tayo muli sa kahirapan basta’t tayo’y magtulungan. [We’ll stand back up from this tragedy as long as we help each other out.] A little help goes a long way.
September 30, 2023
I just loved this. Another fave of the year! The story follows Luz, who is left disabled and orphaned after an accident as a teenager. She then meets Ada and Shirley, a couple that befriend and care for Luz as the years go, and eventually become las madres - along with Marysol and Graciela, daughters of the trio, also referred to as las nenas. It’s an intergenerational story that follows the lives of Puerto Rican women on the island, their diasporic experiences, survival, communal care, disability and how it shapes how they show up for each other.
I found the timelines easy to follow and I know some readers thought the first half was too slow paced but I personally found characters like Doña Cuca endearing and entertaining!
Santiago also describes what could only be understood as organized abandonment of the island and its islanders in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. I found this retelling particularly haunting and emotional as we see this response play out similarly during different climate emergencies, and I found the characters’ care for each other to be so soft, communal, and hopeful. I’m looking forward to reading more from this author!
I found the timelines easy to follow and I know some readers thought the first half was too slow paced but I personally found characters like Doña Cuca endearing and entertaining!
Santiago also describes what could only be understood as organized abandonment of the island and its islanders in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. I found this retelling particularly haunting and emotional as we see this response play out similarly during different climate emergencies, and I found the characters’ care for each other to be so soft, communal, and hopeful. I’m looking forward to reading more from this author!
April 23, 2024
Probably more like 3.5 stars - there were pros and cons!
Pros: Really interesting (and sad) storyline about the main character Luz, her traumatic accident and brain injury and how she navigated life. I loved the support community that surrounded her with so much care and love. That was beautiful and uplifting. I also appreciated the on-the-ground perspective from Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. So much devastation told in intense detail. Some was hard to read but necessary to fully understand the destruction of both people and property.
Cons: There was so much going on! The many characters (some of them unnecessary to the storyline?) made it hard to follow the plot at first and created a barrier to really get to know some of the main characters such as Graciela and Marysol. We got to know them through their conversation but not really their inner thoughts. Also there were several storylines that were not resolved, some rather big events just glossed over and never revisited (no spoilers!).
Overall, a good book with some caveats and I always enjoy seeing the world through different perspectives.
Pros: Really interesting (and sad) storyline about the main character Luz, her traumatic accident and brain injury and how she navigated life. I loved the support community that surrounded her with so much care and love. That was beautiful and uplifting. I also appreciated the on-the-ground perspective from Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. So much devastation told in intense detail. Some was hard to read but necessary to fully understand the destruction of both people and property.
Cons: There was so much going on! The many characters (some of them unnecessary to the storyline?) made it hard to follow the plot at first and created a barrier to really get to know some of the main characters such as Graciela and Marysol. We got to know them through their conversation but not really their inner thoughts. Also there were several storylines that were not resolved, some rather big events just glossed over and never revisited (no spoilers!).
Overall, a good book with some caveats and I always enjoy seeing the world through different perspectives.
July 8, 2023
Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC! This was a highly affecting novel of a largely female Puerto Rican family consisting of both blood relatives and found family. This read somewhere between a novel and a memoir. It did not use plot devices that depended upon unlikely coincidence, but rather described events more or less as they would have happened. The book did not explore motives but expressed feeling and raw experience with great clarity.
The novel largely focuses on Luz, who loses much of her memory due to a disability. Unable to remember her own traumas, her family works hard to shield everyone else from them as well, even though it is doubtful that Luz herself would have made that choice. Puerto Rico provides the characters with an amazing extended family, but also creates a code of silence that impairs their relationships. This book is about a group of women trying to care for each other with great love under difficult circumstances but sometimes flawed technique. We should all be so lucky to have a family like this:). The descriptions of the island and the understanding of the culture are perfect.
The novel largely focuses on Luz, who loses much of her memory due to a disability. Unable to remember her own traumas, her family works hard to shield everyone else from them as well, even though it is doubtful that Luz herself would have made that choice. Puerto Rico provides the characters with an amazing extended family, but also creates a code of silence that impairs their relationships. This book is about a group of women trying to care for each other with great love under difficult circumstances but sometimes flawed technique. We should all be so lucky to have a family like this:). The descriptions of the island and the understanding of the culture are perfect.
May 10, 2025
Such a beautiful look at the many facets, struggles, and beauties of being a Puerto Rican woman. The author explores the themes of racism within PR and what it really means to be PR. As someone who faces imposter syndrome for my own ethnicity, I felt so validated by the character’s own insecurities regarding their culture and identity. Even if you’re not PR I highly recommend giving it a read as it also explores the effects of hurricane maría and the US’s role in PR as a nation.
I also wish my grandma was still here so I could talk to her about this book.
I also wish my grandma was still here so I could talk to her about this book.
November 15, 2025
Esmeralda Santiago packed a lot of punch into this one! I expected a multi-generational story of women supporting one another, but I got that and much, much more. Disability, family secrets, connection and disconnection to one’s heritage all feature prominently - along with a healthy dose of the political conundrum that is Puerto Rico. The last third of the novel takes place in the aftermath of hurricane Maria and addresses the lack of resources and respect for puertorriqueños, as well as historical wrongs that many readers will most likely learn about for the first time when reading. Overall, this is a memorable, educational book.
August 28, 2023
What an incredibly special book. Following the relationships between three mothers and two daughters, the story flashes back and forward in time as we get to know each of the women and their respective stories. I loved reading their unique relationships to each other, and to Puerto Rico. There were moments where this was difficult emotionally to read, but absolutely worth it. My first book by the author, but certainly not my last. Thanks for the ARC, Netgally!
January 29, 2024
She attempts to use this fictional story to tell about Puerto Rico and Puerto Ricans. I found it to be forced. It uses two time periods, and only the main character in her self in the earlier time period felt like a real character that i got a sense of as a person. I never really felt i had any understanding of the others as people. It is too bad, because it seemed like it could have been a good story. I have enjoyed her a couple of her previous memoirs, but this attempt at fiction did not work for me.
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