America's droom

by Esmeralda Santiago

América Gonzales is op veertienjarige leeftijd het ouderlijk huis ontvlucht met haar vriend Correa en zwanger teruggekomen.
Veertien jaar later werkt ze als kamermeisje in een hotel in Puerto Rico. De geschiedenis dreigt zich te herhalen: haar dochter Rosalinda verdwijnt met haar vriendje Taino. Uit wanhoop vertrekt América naar New York, maar de jaloerse en geweldadige Correa achterhaalt haar adres.

Genres: Fiction, Novels, Latinx, Historical Fiction, Latino, Spanish Literature, Cultural

391 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published February 1, 1975

About the author

Esmeralda 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.

Reviews

[Jeannette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Before reading this novel, I'd read somewhere that Esmeralda Santiago based it on the story of her mother's life. Having read all three of Santiago's memoirs, I could definitely see places where she'd painted herself and her family into America's life. Unfortunately, the story started off rather slowly for me, and at first I found myself wishing I could simply read more about Santiago's life and her family.

As the story progressed, however, I became more wrapped up in the characters' lives and troubles. Living America's story with her was extremely frustrating as she leaves behind her sexist society to go and live in a racist one. Her helplessness ate me up inside - but then again, I grew up in the US and I speak English. Reading this made me re-think my own feelings on matters and I realized how many biases I myself hold from each culture. That was an eye-opening experience.

Actually, that is my problem with this novel. America, I feel, doesn't really get to have that many eye-opening experiences. She sees New York from various angles and she learns, but the end happens so quickly and violently that I'm not sure what that means to her. Every moment of the novel I found realistic and understandable up until that point. I completely understood that she wouldn't have a sudden revelation that allows her to take Rosalinda in hand (and man, that girl needed to be taken in hand and have her attitude readjusted!), or face off with Correa. That's not how most wounded people work. But I felt that having them fight it out, even if it ended in an accident, seemed a little out there - though I love that how it perfectly echoed the earlier fight.

I'm not sure how I would have preferred it, but the fight seemed off to me. Maybe if the book hadn't ended so quickly after that? Or if there had been more detail to the resolution after the fight? I'll have to continue puzzling over it. Overall though, I still love Santiago's style and this isn't a bad novel. I'd just recommend the memoirs instead.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sensitive portrayal.

[Purlewe · Rating 4 out of 5]

debut fiction novel from one of my favorite non-fiction authors.

This book has plenty of heartbreak. America's mother is an alcoholic, her daughter is 14 and run away from home, her boyfriend is married and is abusive. America gets the chance to leave her home and move to New York and work in the suburbs. She thinks she can disappear. She thinks she can start a new life.

Life always seems to follow you tho, no matter where you go. I liked how America was practical. She wasn't bliding herself with fantasy. She was realistic about her situation, her chances. But like anyone who has been in an abusive relationship knows.. it is hard to escape the past.

I enjoyed the book. The ending was tense, even if it was a little cliche. I think that the ideas that the author touches on are interesting.. immigration, class, economics, naturalization, abuse... these could all be individual books.. so she only touched on them. But I like where she went.

The only reason I would say not 5 stars was b'c I've read similar.. but not from a Puerto Rican point of view.

[Elinor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this book and read the first few pages to see if I would like it. An hour later, I was still reading. The main character America, a Puerto Rican hotel housekeeper, tells her own story in the first person. The single mother of a rebellious teenager and the mistress of violent brute, she soldiers on until one day she gets the chance to move to the United States and work as a nanny for a wealthy American couple. I couldn't wait for her to flee from her vicious boyfriend and start a new life. It was very interesting to read her observations of life in the U.S. compared to her homeland, but the real suspense was whether she would truly be allowed to escape her own past. I read and forget a lot of books -- this one I will remember.

[Ashley Barros · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ashley Barros

6.b.
El libro, “El Sueño de América ”, escrito por Esmeralda Santiago, se trata de una mujer puertorriqueña, América, que vive una vida lleno de problemas. El ex-marido de América le ha maltratado desde que se conocieron, cuando fueron adolescentes, y tuvieron una hija. El siempre ha controlado su vida. Por mucho tiempo él decidía todo para ella, incluyendo, la ropa que se podria, donde saldria, con quien estaba todo el dia. Le acusaba constantemente de estar con otro hombre, cuando no era verdad. El se llenaba de rabia y celos y golpearía a cualquier hombre que él pensó era el amante de America. Hasta le golpeaba a América y cosas eran peor cuando andaba borracho. Le dejaba en mucho dolor, que era casi imposible de que se levantaría sola. Infortunadamente, ella nunca tenía el poder de parar este maltratamiento, y tenia miedo de tratar de buscar ayuda.
Si yo estaría en una situación similar como de América, yo no temería buscar ayuda. Encontraria una manera para que me ayudaran salir de esa situación peligrosa. No pararía de buscar formas para ayudarme a mis misma. Hablaría con personas, parque me ayuden a poder escapar posiblemente. Encontraría cualquier solución para que mi vida cambia. No me dejaría ser maltratada por tanto tiempo. Nadie merece sufrir y vivir en miedo. Yo no voy a querer vivir así. Si es posible escapar nuestros problemas, pero solo si tenemos el poder de hacer algo y cambiar las cosas, y yo si lo haria. No me importaria lo que tenga que hacer para poder estar en paz.

[Angie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I struggled to get through this, and if it weren't for a 3 hour plane ride on two separate days, I'd still be struggling. Parts of it were gripping, but most of it was overdescriptive and the plot was just another "she has a dream, but he beats her down" kind of story.

[jaine (pandawithabook) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[frances · Rating 3 out of 5]

okay. i didn't like the writing style, but lowk it kept me rlly engaged the whole time. p.s. it's summer and i am leisure reading now. thank. god.

[Maritza Garcia-Hernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This the second time I read this book. The first time was when it was first published. I truly enjoyed hearing Esmeralda give life and voices to the characters, especially America and Esmeralda.
How I wish she would do a sequel to this book and tell us how her daughter’s life has turned out and if she has broken away from the family trauma.
I’m Puerto Rican and my relationship with my mother was similar to this book through America and her mother.
Love the author and all her books.

This is a must read or listen if you are a Puerto Rican Woman in your Mid 40’s and up. It will truly remind you of family members and their stories and struggles.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5
This novel is the kind of novel I wish I read when I was growing up. My little Hispanic teenage heart would be bawling. These are the voices and stories I want to hear and read.

[Mona Frazier · Rating 3 out of 5]

Violence, family dynamics, and lots of descriptions of the "have" and "have-nots" makes this an interesting read.

Reading about a character who makes poor choices can often be a turn-off, however the author engages the reader by describing the protagonist and her backstory effectively.

Beautiful descriptive prose keeps you reading but the redundant descriptions on setting is sometimes too much and the eye wants to scan for the forward movement.

I love the dialogue, the emotional reactions, and interplay between the maids. I loved how the author gave us the dialogue between the mother and protagonist. The villain in the story was well played.I learned some things about Puerto RIco, the culture and language.

I didn't like the way the daughter's character was written. She had the same extremes of reaction over the entire book.

These glitches may be because this is the author's first novel (1996).

I would definitely read Esmeralda Santiago's other books.

[Lauren Salerno · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm familiar with Santiago's memoirs, so I was excited when her novel was an assigned book in one of my classes. Unfortunately, we never got around to reading it in the class. I held onto it because I knew ONE DAY I would pick it up and read it. 5 years later, here it is!

I have to say, I enjoyed Santiago's memoirs much more than I did her novel. There's an honesty in them that I just love. However, she's a great writer and it shows up here in this book.

America's Dream is about a Puerto Rican woman who takes a job in New York as a live-in housekeeper to get away from her life in Puerto Rico. It tackles domestic abuse, immigration issues, and the idea of what family means to different people.

Who would like it?: People who watch Oprah a lot, people who liked "The Help", feminists, chicano studies people.

[Lyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

"It’s an exhaustion she feels at times like this, when the whole world seems to have collapsed beneath her feet, leaving her at the bottom of a hole with sides so steep she can’t climb out. It’s the exhaustion of having attempted and failed so many times to crawl out that she’s just going to sit on the bottom and see what happens next." Pg 7

"Does one leave one’s old life behind and in less than a day forget everything? ... She doesn’t want to forget anything or anyone. She just wants not to have to think about them all the time."pg147

" I’m going to worry about myself from now on, about what I want and what I need. I can’t count on any of them. On anyone. I’m alone, and it’s my life, and I’m not going to let them spoil it anymore." Pg 231

[George Zedan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was quite a quick read, but very engaging. The story telling style that Santiago uses is straightforward and stripped down. I liked the use of Spanish words that bring the reader into the world of America, the protagonist. The story is average and the ending not terribly surprising, but the reading is worth it. As a white man I don't have a concept of the worldview of a Puerto Rican female but this book does a good job a representing the differences between "Yankee" culture and Puerto Rican culture.

[Elizabeth☮ · Rating 4 out of 5]

america is a maid at hotel in puerto rico. she has an alcoholic mother and a sixteen year old daughter. her boyfriend and the father to her daughter is an abusive, jealous type. she is offered a job in america and she takes it. she works for a wealthy family in massachusetts. it's not long before her ex discovers she's fled and comes looking for her. america is hard to sympathize with because she won't stand up for herself and tell him to beat it. i suppose the point is to show how she becomes stronger and more able to defend herself.

[Ginny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, wow, wow! Esmeralda Santiago does it again! This book kept me glued to it! I could not put it down!! The story is about a woman who had a child early in life (she was just fourteen!!) and the abuse she lived through by the child's father. She finally got a way from him (she sneaked away and headed to NY) but after a few months he found her. I was surprised at how it ends but pleased by it. Another hard read book but one everyone should read!

[Elba M · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was written in 1996 and it could have been written yesterday. The plot is so real that it hurts. If you can't handle physical and verbal abuse this book is not really for you. Her writing style is so detailed that you can feel in your skin all the abuse. Emeralda Santiago's books have not disappointed me. What I don't know is if she writes her books in English or in Spanish because I have read them in both languages and nothing is missing in them.

[Val Wilkerson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Story starts out on Viaques Island off Puerto Rico. The main character is named "America",
works as a maid, lives with her mother and her daughter, who is 14. the daughters father has
another family in Puerto Rico but he comes around often, and he abuses America. This story is
about women being abused and also about mother daughter relationships. I really enjoy Esmeralda
Santiago's writing.

[Kate Abbott · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the descriptive language in this novel, in particular the contrasts between life on the Island and in NY and CT. I found the characters a bit stereotypical, downtrodden, hardworking latina and her alcoholic two timing boyfriend. And the stereotype of the white working mother was a bit overdone. America came across as a bit one dimensional but the story itself was gripping.

[Kathleen Wells · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book, in Spanish, in my local library! It is the story of a young woman from Vieques, one of the islands of Puerto Rico, and her struggles with her possessive and violent lover, who considers her his property, even though he has other lovers and even a wife! America escapes to the United States, only to have him track her down and follow her. Suspenseful right to the end!

[Ammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is great
its about a hotel keeper whose dream is to escape from her molestor and abusive lover. At the hotel she meets this family that offers her a job in the united states. America feel running away from her problems may help till she gets a sad and scary surprise at her arrival.

[María Vega-Tiru · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book, Esmeralda explains the concept of "machismo" with such accuracy, detail and candidness, she will leave you feeling raw and bruised. This book introduced me to Esmeralda's work - and I will keep coming back for years to come

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved her book When I Was Puerto Rican. This novel is only okay - I've read too many similar stories to this one. If I had read this book in 1996when it was first published, I would have been more impressed because the idea/topic would have been fresh to me then.

[Lilybeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

The final three or four chapters MADE this book. The tension and fear were beating off the page.

I hope Esmeralda is working on another fiction story. Her memoirs are nearly perfect. I can't wait to read novel that can stand up against Almost a Woman.

[Tamara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping story of a PR woman's struggle and courage to leave her domestic violent husband and travel to the U.S. w/ her kids to start a new life but her past comes back to haunt her no matter how far she is.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Esto es un libro muy interesante. Me encanta esto libro porque soy una feminista y lo muesta un mujer poderosa en el fin al menos violencia domestica. Historas pueden ser poderosa en ayuando gente entender una problema.

[Lizzie Tannenbaum · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was a fast read. However, the begining was slow. Towards the end it went faster but left me with a few questions of my own. After reading Santiago's memoirs I felt the book could have had an additional chapter.

[Sue Kozlowski · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it. America lives on Vieques, off Puerto Rico. She works as a maid at a hotel. Lives with her mother and daughter, her husband beats her. She leaves him and goes to Westchester, NY to be a live-in maid.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I stumbled upon this book and on a whim, purchased and I was pleasantly surprised! A first novel and so well done. It's not a suspense novel, yet I found myself turning page after page throughout the second half of this novel; I couldn't put it down!

[Seven · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book about what people think the American Dream and when you find out its not what you thought