Mamey: a Spanglish novel

by Anny Caba, Amanda M. Ortiz (Editor)

Written entirely in Spanglish (70% English/30% Spanish).

Mamey [ma-may] is about the enduring power of family bonds that can both create and heal our deepest wounds.

When Dena’s mother, Gloria, passes, she must return to la República Dominicana for la novena, nine days of prayer dedicated to the deceased. At the funeral, a mysterious event hints at a long-buried secret. With the help of a handsome campesino, Dena begins to reconnect with her breathtaking motherland and uncover Gloria’s enigmatic past.

Growing up in rural DR, Gloria’s life was marked by duty, as she worked to pick and peel fruit for her family’s dulce business. Everything changed when she met a boy at the finca. Torn between her heart and the promise of freedom, she had to make sacrifices that redefined her family’s destiny.

Genres: Spanish Literature, Literary Fiction

269 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 5, 2025

Reviews

[bookworm Rosie 🤓📚]

To read a book that is written in Spanish and English was awesome! I had the opportunity to practice reading in Spanish. I loved that ! Being Dominican I can definitely relate to the story and what each and every character went through in this book . It was about family and betrayal. An amazing read !

[Raquel Fuell]

I loved this book. You could really see the heart and soul of the author and the love of her culture leaping from the pages. I loved that it was Spanglish because honestly that happens a lot when I talk to my friends so it truly felt like just having a really good conversation with a gf.

[Tanya Zuñiga]

As a first-gen Mexican-American, the idea of a Spanglish novel was immediately attractive. Turns out, I almost dnf’d because through no fault of the author, decoding Spanglish while also decoding Spanish slang that’s very different from my own made it very hard to get into the plot.

Thankfully, I decided to give it another go as a buddy read. Once I pushed through the initial struggle I could appreciate how beautifully the author wove two generations of a family’s story together. The cultural differences between the family that stays in the home country and the family members who make a life in the U.S is something that I think anyone in that situation will find relatable whether you’re Dominican or not. Details as simple as the mangos being more expensive and not at juicy in the U.S really brought the whole story home for me.

One last thing I’d like to mention is that the ending caught me off guard at first because it felt like too many loose ends and I just wasn’t expecting the book to end yet, but I am a sucker for a realistic ending that focuses on character growth rather than tying everything in a perfect bow, so it works for me.

[Kelsey]

I absolutely loved the use of Spanglish throughout the story. It felt so natural and comforting to read in both languages. It created a sense of home and authenticity that made the characters and their experiences feel even more real.

This book truly moved me. There were moments that made me tear up, especially as the story unfolded its layers of secrets and emotional depth. The way it explores grief is incredibly powerful. It shows how people grieve in different ways, some quietly, some loudly, some in ways that are not always understood, and that felt so honest and human.

Overall, Mamey is a beautifully written, emotional read that captures love, loss, and identity in such a meaningful way. It is the kind of book that makes you pause, reflect, and feel deeply. I will definitely be adding this to my top reads of 2026.

[Omayrax3]

This was one of the best books I’ve read all year . I rate very critically , this was such an immersive and heartfelt book, as a Dominican myself it literally took me an a nostalgic trip back to my country . You can tell the author is very in touch with her culture and roots and it seeped through the pages . So happy to have randomly come across this book on TikTok and read it . Best choice ever .

[Miguel]

When Dena, a young Dominican woman, travels to the Dominican Republic with her sister Jess to bury their mother she delves into a world of family secrets that uncover her mother’s past and reconnects her to her own heritage. A debut novel that is written in ‘Spanglish’ spins a beautiful tale that reminds us that we can always return home again to reestablish our roots.

[vianny]

4.5 stars. This one hit me somewhere personal.

The first 30 pages had me emotional in a way I wasn't expecting. As a Dominican woman living in NYC, I saw so many of my own family members in this, the ones here in the US and the ones still in the DR, reflected on the page. That kind of recognition is rare, and it got me immediately.

Mamey is about complicated family dynamics, the secrets families keep, and grief. What I loved most
is how Anny Caba unravels those secrets across the nine days of mourning we take in the DR. Letting
the truth come out little by little over those nine days was so smart and so specific. It gave the grief room to breathe.

You'll love this if you love:
- Dominican / diaspora stories
- complicated family dynamics and buried secrets
- grief explored with cultural specificity
- Spanglish storytelling

[Carolina Itajahy]

3.5

[Nelly Zuniga]

As I was reading the story, I saw my own life unfolding before me. Like Dena, I grew up with a mother who was overly strict and what seemed like a never-happy woman. As I grew up, I came to learn the story behind why my mother was the way she was. It’s unfortunate that for Dena, she came to learn this after the death of her mother. I thought it was incredibly strategic of the author to hide Gloria’s tragic event from Dena or Jess because the reality is for many of us, we don’t get to learn the full story. Our parents often shield us from the truth and trauma they once experienced hoping that we avoid similar situations but the reality is if we had the opportunity to hear their stories, we’d learn greater things from it.
The book discusses Gloria’s ultimate “American dream”, which for many of us who have experienced this very disappointment, we know that it exists for far fewer of us. Gloria expected that arriving in the US she would leave behind her laborious lifestyle only to quickly realize it was no different here in the states. It’s frustrating. Many immigrants live through this very experience.
As a first generation child of immigrants, I was taught to never glorify my parent’s home country. This largely comes from their own experiences but as an adult, I’ve also learned to respect and appreciate our native homes. At the end of the story, Dena and Jess both realize they have so much more of their roots tied to their land than they realized, making them appreciate it more. This story was beautiful and tragic, all in one.

[Natasha Colon]

**3.5/5**
LOVED reading a book written in Spanglish. It helped me connect with the characters more reading their conversations written that way. Overall, the book is beautifully written. It put things into perspective that we all have some secrets we will take to our grave and honestly that is okay. I personally believe that Gloria did go through a lot, but at times I felt like she was too harsh to Dena. That probably came from either the fact they were so similar and Gloria felt maybe a jealousy that Dena had more freedom to live out her wild adventures compared to Gloria or simply the fact that she was Antonio’s daughter.
I was not a huge fan of the back and forth between Gloria and Dena. I am not sure why, but to me it didn’t flow that well, especially when Jess fell and we had to wait if something happened to her since there was a ‘Gloria’ chapter - it felt out of place.
The ending was beautiful. Overall, loved this book! 🇩🇴

“Mejor así! Calladita, te ves más bonita!” Page 52

“ needless to say, I left a bad taste in her mouth. Now religion felt like a childhood friend that she grew apart from, but still ran into one special occasions.” Page 74

“ te has ahogado? En agua, no pero en la vida sí” Page 260

[Rachel]

As a literary fiction lover who adores a multi-generational, multi-perspective story, this novel scratched a huge itch! I enjoyed every moment of it. It quite frankly had all the elements that for me make up a good literary fiction book. It has excellent writing that is not overly detailed or poetic (which for me makes a book too tedious and boring to read), but it was detailed enough to paint a picture and evoke the senses. I felt like I was with the characters on their land in the DR, smelling the fruit trees and feeling the cool river water on my feet. It has complex, well developed characters who are relatable. It examines universal themes such as grief, family dynamics, cultural dynamics, motherhood, sisterhood, trauma, etc. I loved being able to follow the emotional trajectory of Dena and her mother in her younger years. For us the diaspora (not only Dominicans but other Latin Americans---I'm Cuban), it was refreshing to read a book in Spanglish! It felt very authentic to the story and engaged my brain in ways English only books don't! Very well done, and actually surprising that this is a debut novel. Anna Caba hit it out of the park.

[Solange]

This book moved me in a way I didn’t expect. It tells the story of grief so honestly, but what made it unforgettable for me was how deeply it captured the first-generation Dominican American experience. There were so many small, specific details, little moments, family dynamics, unspoken emotions that felt instantly familiar. I kept thinking I know this family. They felt real, like people I’ve known my whole life.

Through the complicated, messy, and deeply human feelings of mourning, the story shows just how universal our experiences can be as Dominican Americans. The love, the tension, the traditions, the way grief lives alongside everyday life, it all felt so relatable and true. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it all since I finished it. It’s a beautiful, tender reminder of how shared and connected our stories really are.

There is love, family, a bit of a mystery and many funny moments between las tias 🥰.

[Reina Noriega]

Beautiful book

My heart!!! This book was everything and more. I laughed, I cried, my heartstrings were pulled. The author not only did an amazing job in perfectly capturing and encapsulating the Dominican culture so seamlessly into her story, but also the experience and feeling of being the eldest daughter, the frustrated, strong-willed woman in a Latinx culture, the harrowing experience of being an immigrant in a new country, and so on (no spoilers lol). I usually am one to fly through a book but I took my time with this one and really lived this story and these characters. A truly beautiful book, it felt like coming home.

[Daisy Murillo]

Representing the perspective of so many of us born and or raised in the US, but with significantly strong Hispanic, (especially Caribbean) roots, this book strikes right at the heart!! The colloquial Spanglish, the love/ annoyance relationships, the everyone in every other one’s business! This book paints the picture with heartfelt accuracy and pulls you into the real life of these two sisters figuring things out after their mother’s death

Entertaining, comically poignant portrayal of the way our families deal with tragedy, secrets and each other.

[Samantha]

I really enjoyed this. A multi-generational Dominican family drama. Filled with grief, secrets and, and a little Dominican family drama- this felt nostalgic. This is what a lot of 1st generation Dominicans go through. Somehow end up in NY and you grow up with your parents as they learn to navigate Los Estados Unidos. I enjoyed practicing my Spanish and reading a lot in Spanish. There’s a lot that happens to Dena and her family - I laughed and I cried. I felt like I was reading a story about one of my cousins.

[Cat C ✨]

This book being in spanglish felt “Homey”

This book was about grief , family secrets , sisterhood , forbidden love, and assimilation.

Being first generation American (in my experience) can leave you feeling not being enough of either or but still proud of both cultures. At the same time there’s a disconnect when you don’t fully understand your parents struggles and vice versa.

For any first gen grieving a relationship with their mothers despite of the reason … this one is for you.

[Christina]

10/10 recommend this book! Finished this book in 2 days! Couldn’t put it down. Reading it felt deeply personal, nostalgic, reflective, and genuinely curious to continue exploring my Dominican heritage. It sparked conversations, memories, and emotions that my sisters and I hadn’t fully explored before.

[Chrisbell]

literally my life in words

As a Dominican this story was amazing. I cried, I laughed, I reminisced and I had flashbacks. I love every bit of the story and the family. Reminded me of my family, my aunts, my uncles and my cousins.

I do need more on Dena and Ariel.

[Kat]

Such a deeply profound book. I loved every second of it!!

[Lesley C]

I absolutely loved this book. It felt so personal, like a reminder of home and a hug from my dearest family members. I cannot wait for the next book 🥹❤️

[Nayali]

Picked this up at book con and met Anny in person. It ended beautifully and had so many visceral moments. As a Dominican, I’m happy this book was written. I would recommend!

[Stephanie]

I absolutely loved this book. Had me reading up until 2am because I needed to know what was happening next. As someone who experienced going to DR for the nueve días I was able to relate to this book so much. The expectations for mourning, family sexism, kindness, love and finding yourself are a few of the themes in the book. Anny did an amazing job. The best is yet to come.