Litany of Saints: A Triptych

by Diana Rojas

In the opening piece, “The Lives of Saints,” an immigrant family from Costa Rica regularly prays to a litany of saints to help deal with all that life throws their way—including alcoholism, marital discord, illness and death—all while adjusting to their new circumstances as “Americans.” The narrator, a woman trapped in a subservient role supporting her husband, suffers in silence as the men completely disregard her in life-changing decisions. Recounting her family’s attempts to balance a traditional, more conservative culture with the new and exciting one in their adopted homeland, she is forced to reconsider gender roles, assimilation and religion.

Costa Ricans, or Ticos, living in the United States return to their native country in two of the three novellas in this thought-provoking collection. They discover it’s not the “Switzerland of Central America,” the perfect country with good healthcare, education and no standing army. In “Las Tres Marías,” three sisters raised in the comparative freedom of Massachusetts who return to live in their parents’ home country are barely teenagers when they’re labeled gringas and “doomed to become sluts.” In “La Familia,” Juan Manuel has made a life for himself in Chicago, but when his mother calls him home because his brother has been arrested as a terrorist, he faces an uncomfortable reckoning with his country’s involvement in regional violence as the Cold War spreads to Latin America.

Revealing the cultural dissonance experienced by immigrants, Diana Rojas’ characters grapple with their self-perception as they consider what they’re supposed to be and who they want to be. Issues of individualism versus community, loyalty to a distant homeland and a divided sense of identity pepper this intriguing debut.

Genres: Fiction, Latinx

212 pages, Paperback

Published April 30, 2024

Reviews

[Kath · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great surprise from a first time novelist! Truly an enjoyable, enlightening read. The novel is a triptych, three stories linked in that the protagonists are all Costa Rican born Americans negotiating their lives as expatriates, immigrants and emigrants, and perhaps most importantly, family members. Rojas remarkably captured the challenges, joys and rewards, faced by these new Americans who now belong in two places…or is it none? The writing is crisp, and moves the reader briskly but thoroughly through the lives of a “traditional” house-wife, a teenage girl, and a young man - all juggling and struggling to figure out how and where they fit with their Costa Rican families and new homes. Their stories are at times sad, triumphant, painful and informative. A great read.

[Erica M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book that captures the tightrope walk of family bonding so well.

[Raquel · Rating 5 out of 5]

In LITANY OF SAINTS, Diana Rojas’s debut novel, we’re given three stories of Costa Rican families straddling life between Costa Rica and the U.S. A wife in New Jersey uncovers truths of her husband’s past in Costa Rica that converts their faith in religion and each other. Three teenage sisters raised in the Boston suburbs move to Costa Rica and confront stereotypes of being “gringas” that challenge their sense of self. A young man living in Chicago returns to Costa Rica to help his brother who’s been arrested for terrorism, and faces a side of Costa Rica–and his family–he hadn’t known. Three different conflicts sharing that familiar tug of the immigrant experience, that constant search for grounding between the stories and fantasies we tell ourselves of our new home and of the one we left behind, a search that is ultimately one about creating your own self.

Rojas’s stories embody what I value in a good book–compelling prose that keeps me turning the pages, characters that accompany me throughout my days, and a storyline that nudges reflection.

[L Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

My new favorite book! The book is three stories about the myriad challenges different Costa Ricans face relating to identity, how they are perceived by themselves and others, who they are and who they really want to be. This book resonated with me on so many different levels! As a Latina and first generation American, I have either been in or known someone who was in a situation similar to those her characters were in. I've known many Ruths and Marias, and felt like John. I have struggled to balance being an American and being of Mexican descent, but never being fully accepted in either the US or Mexico. Always the "gringa" or "americana" in Mexico, and getting the "but, no, where are you really from" question in the US despite having been born here. I, too, feel relief and well up when the immigration official at the airport says "welcome home" as they stamp and hand me back my passport. A great read. Can't wait for her next book!

[Elizabeth Pierce · Rating 5 out of 5]

The stories in this collection are wonderfully varied, each centering around universal themes of love and family. The first story is a homage to the complexities of marriage, love and family (in which you quickly realize that Rojas is actually writing about YOUR family, prompting tears for characters who have the same frailties and self-delusions that plague your own kin). Shame takes central stage in the second story. Rojas invites you to find compassion for every kind of human foible, from the arrogance of youth and beauty, to denial of the obvious, to fear when faced with an abuser. The third story is a political page turner – you’ll find yourself biting your nails with worry for the main character who has found himself in harm’s way due to brotherly devotion.
Each story is poignant and Roja’s writing is irresistible - - draws you in in a flash!

[cowboy · Rating 2 out of 5]

unfortunately not my thing, but i don't have any substantive/cerebral criticism to offer. the first story was the best but i lost interest from there. rojas clearly has potential and talent, i just felt as though most passages were either under or over-written.

HOWEVER -- i had the PLEASURE of meeting her in class today. she was a very lovely, well-spoken and respectful woman...antithetical to our last author's visit lol...

she also said she reads her goodreads reviews so i'm not even going to attempt to not be pugilistic or as mean-spirited as i was last time. it was truly a pleasure meeting her, a truly inspirational woman with a nuanced, fresh, exciting view on america/immigration/marginalization sans any mundanity or performance.

[Tamar Shapiro · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful triptych of novellas! All three stories explore themes of identity, belonging, and immigration in nuanced, poignant, enlightening and sometimes humorous ways. I particularly love how Litany of Saints unearths the connections between the deeply personal, the familial, and the historical. The book is beautifully written, and it was a pleasure to learn about Costa Rican political history while being drawn into the loves, losses, resentments, and hopes of these very engaging characters. I highly recommend this debut fiction!

[Laura Scalzo · Rating 5 out of 5]

If our secrets make us sinners, can keeping another’s make us a saint? Like the blue morpho butterfly, whose iridescence is a trick of light that simultaneously shows and conceals its truth, the characters in this triptych of tales mesmerize and surprise. They are unforgettable, as are their stories, which in the end is their salvation . . . and ours.

[Eduardo Rodriguez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Litany of Saints by Diana Rojas is a three story novel about characters of Costa Rican descent.The characters all have qualities that make you feel for them and their story. The subjects go through some very hard times and make a life through their circumstances. I was very moved by the depiction of their struggles. The lives she created in these three stories were deep and troubled with real world problems. Very well written and I cannot wait to read more of her future work.

[Colleen Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a pleasure to read this trilogy of novellas, all unique stories in their telling though all tied together by the centricity and sanctity of family (and specifically, Costa Rican/Tico immigrant families). As someone who has only been to Costa Rica on holiday and not known many Ticos in my life, I loved the stories’ insights into religion and its hold on society and family, the interplay between men and women in relationships, the beliefs held about American, tidbits about the role that some Ticos played in the various Central American civil wars and revolutions. The stories are vibrant and rich, with some heartbreak and also joy and good character depth! A great page turner and fun read.

[Georgina Fiorentino · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much that after reading the last page I wanted to start reading it all over again. I thoroughly enjoyed the author’s writing style and the genius way the book was split into 3 stories, each depicting the challenging life experiences from 3 different immigrant families from Costa Rica. This is a very impressive debut and I look forward to reading future books from Diana Rojas.

[Meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed these three novellas, and in particular how Rojas analyzes her characters and shares with the reader a real depth. Her writing style was probably my favorite aspect of the book, and I look forward to reading more from her in the future!

[Makiko Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m normally a slow reader but I could not put the book down! The characters in each story were so colorful, complex and alive in my head! Highly recommend!!

[Cristina Madrigal · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great read! Three wonderful stories which provide a view into the lives of each Costarican family. Congratulations on your debut novel Diana Rojas. Can’t wait to see what’s next!

[Naomi Ayala · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great first book by an author to keep an eye on.

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a Tica-Gringa myself, I treasured reading these novellas and savored every page. Rojas has a gift for sharp and succinct storytelling that is not afraid of life's many foibles and intricacies. In each of these tales, our migrant protagonists (and the family and culture they left behind), come to life in distinct yet accessible ways as they grapple with the no-man's land of a dual-national existence. They must contend with the old and the new, the lost yet longed for and that which may or may not be possible in a new context. It's the type of reading I love and that addresses so much of what remains unspoken in life. I can't wait to read more from this gifted storyteller!