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Mamey: a Spanglish novel
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 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.
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 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.
269 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 5, 2025
70 people are currently reading
293 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
September 22, 2025
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 !
December 16, 2025
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.
December 7, 2025
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 .
October 15, 2025
**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
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
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 1, 2026
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.
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.
August 12, 2025
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.
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.
January 5, 2026
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.
September 13, 2025
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.
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.
January 17, 2026
Such a deeply profound book. I loved every second of it!!
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews