This Side of Providence

by Rachel M. Harper

“It is a book of such power that it is as if a completely new layer of the American experience has been exposed to our view...not one line is wasted and every single word rings true.” — Alice Walker , Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Color Purple

Arcelia Perez fled Puerto Rico to escape a failed marriage and a history of abuse, but instead of finding her piece of the American dream, she ends up on the wrong side of Providence. With three young children, Arcelia follows a rocky path that ultimately leads to prison and an agonizing drug withdrawal. But her real challenge comes when she’s released and must figure out how to stay clean and reunite the family that has unraveled in her absence.

Through rotating narrators, we hear from the characters whose lives and futures are inextricably linked with Arcelia’s own uncertain her charming, street-savvy son, Cristo, and brilliant daughter Luz; their idealistic teacher, Miss Valenti´n, who battles her own demons; and the enigmatic Snowman, her landlord and confidante.

This powerful story of hope and redemption reveals the un- acknowledged side of one of our oldest American cities, where even the bleakest of realities can’t destroy the bonds between parent and child. Rich in humanity, This Side of Providence is a novel of exceptional force and originality.

Genres: Fiction, Book Club, Literary Fiction, Addiction, LGBT, Family, Contemporary

392 pages, Paperback

First published April 12, 2016

About the author

RACHEL M. HARPER is the author of three novels: THE OTHER MOTHER, upcoming from Counterpoint Press; THIS SIDE OF PROVIDENCE, shortlisted for the Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence; and BRASS ANKLE BLUES, a Borders’ Original Voices Award finalist and Target Breakout Book. Her work has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize, and has been widely published and anthologized. Harper has received fellowships from Yaddo and MacDowell, and is on the faculty at Spalding University’s School of Writing. She lives in Los Angeles.

Reviews

[Aj Sterkel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review might be a little different from my normal reviews because I usually stay far away from stories about drug addicts. I’ve put up with more than enough crap from addicts in my real life. I don’t need fictional drug addicts in my world, too. I also have a hard time being impartial about addiction books. Sometimes the plots and characters get too close to my real life, and then I start loathing the book for bizarre reasons that actually have nothing to do with the book. So, usually it’s best for me to stay in my happy bubble and pretend that fictional addicts don’t exist.

Why did I put myself through reading this? I wanted to read This Side of Providence because I read the author’s other book, Brass Ankle Blues, last year. I loved the unflinching realism and the attention to detail. Luckily for me, those elements are also present in this book.

This Side of Providence follows a group of people who are living in poverty in Providence, Rhode Island. Arcelia, a Puerto Rican immigrant, is trying to raise her three children while battling a drug addiction. Miss Valentín, a teacher, is concerned that Arcelia’s oldest son, Cristo, is following in his mother’s footsteps. Meanwhile, Snowman—a black man with albinism—is trying to make a difference in a world that doesn’t understand him.

The story is told by rotating first-person narrators. Usually, I have problems with books that have multiple first-person points-of-view because the narrators can sound too similar. But, the narrators in this book are handled brilliantly. They are each very distinct, with different voices, different problems, different hopes for the future. Even though none of the characters are complete “good guys,” I love them all, and there are no POVs that I disliked reading.

Cristo is my favorite character because I can relate to him on a personal level. We’ve been through a lot of the same crap. My situation was never as dire as his, but I still feel like I understand him. He’s so desperate for his mother to get better that he overlooks dangerous warning signs. This is heartbreaking because he’s a child and shouldn’t be taking care of his mother. He’s forced to make difficult choices, and I have complete respect for the decision he makes at the end of the book. I actually had to make the same decision in my life, but I was much older than him when I made it. Addiction is hard on the family of the addict. I kept getting eerie déjà vu feelings from Cristo’s storyline because I’ve been there, done that.  

Rachel M. Harper is good at getting into the minds of her characters. They’ll intrigue you, give you hope, and break your heart at the same time.

Despite my reservations about this book, I’m glad I read it. The writing style is vivid and gritty. The dark side of Providence pulled me in and kept me hooked. This is one of those books that I was still thinking about long after I finished it. If you can handle the difficult subject, I’d highly recommend reading this one.

[Kim DeNero · Rating 5 out of 5]

I rarely write reviews, but this book was so powerful that I had to fight back tears multiple times. I rooted for every one of the narrators, each written with a unique and distinctive voice. Harper does a skilled job at letting this story unfold, with small scenes that stay with you. This isn't just a family drama; there's also astute commentary on how the poor receive substandard service in every realm of life -- from drug addiction treatment to decent grocery stores, from quality schools (although the educators in this book are dedicated to their students) to housing options. Some of the characters never had a chance, which might make it tougher to read, but this book deserves your time and attention.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceptional portrayal of poverty, single parenthood and addiction all set in PVD. The author really captured life in and around Atlantic mills. I could not put it down and I was sad when I finished. A great book to own!!!

[ALINE SHIRAZI · Rating 5 out of 5]

Li devagar com a intenção de aproveitar mais das palavras, dos personagens e leria um 2 com Cristo jovem adulto facilmente.

[Rhea Lovell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book for my book club and I am so glad I did. As a social worker, working with people who have substance use disorders and experience homelessness in Providence, not much has changed in these systems since this book was written. A great depiction of addiction and the way it affects families and the individual.
Fantastic

[Toni · Rating 4 out of 5]

A rich and heartbreaking story of addiction, abuse, family, love, hope, etc. So beautiful and human.

[Igor Melo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Um livro dramático do início ao fim, com muita previsibilidade e ótimos personagens.
Este Lado de Providence foi uma boa surpresa ao trazer a tona a história de uma família porto-riquenha que se muda para os Estados Unidos e vive momentos de grande sufoco na montanha russa que é ter uma mãe viciada em drogas.
No decorrer da narrativa, nos vemos apegados a inocência e confiança de Cristo; na maturidade e inteligência de Luz; no senso de proteção de Snowman; no sonho de vida da Srta. Valentín, e na esperança de melhora de Arcélia. Além de trazer repulsa por outros personagens que fazem a trama chegar onde chegou.
As primeiras 150 páginas são de uma repetição de azar sem fim, que faz parecer que haverão muitas pontas soltas na história. Felizmente, o livro se desenvolve eficazmente da metade pro fim, com uma conclusão mais atrativa e realista do que a introdução se propôs.

Obs: É lindo como o livro retrata a escrita como uma forma de alívio e salvação para os personagens.

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not my kind of novel. But after meeting Rachel I wanted to read her book. The text is beautifully written, and the story is driven forward through the first person pov of several different character. Rachel captures this method of storytelling well (I’ve read several lately that do not). After being hooked in the first few pages I knew the sad truth. Having worked with children who were removed from homes seen in this book, I didn’t know how the novel would end with any kind of happy ending. Still the realism of these kids’ life is capture making you care deeply for them. It’s a strong slice of life story and well worth a read.

[Dina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was discussing this book with a friend who said "I still don't know if Snowman is good or bad". In my mind the answer is both and neither. And that for me is the beauty of this book. It steers clear of the usual archetypes we see used for the disenfranchised and instead gives us intimate portaits of those trying to make the most with the little they have.

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book broke my heart so many times. A redemption story that doesn’t shy away from confronting addiction, HIV, and poverty. I really rooted for these characters, each of whom takes turns telling their own story.

[Luana de Mattos · Rating 4 out of 5]

The depiction of each of the characters was deeply touching and, having lived in a completely sheltered reality in Providence in the late 2010s, coming into contact with the deep sorrow co-habitating in the city was very meaningful.

[LJ Strauss · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, just wow!! This is one of those books that I absolutely couldn’t put down. I cried many, many times as I read this amazing story about the cruelness of addiction and its effect on love and family. The character development was just incredible and I won’t forget Cristo or Luz for a long time. It will be hard to find the next book that will top This Side of Providence.

[Bookisshhh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Providence, Rhode Island, an underclass community populated with the working poor, aid-dependent folks, drug dealers and addicts... Citizens get by on what they can and public aid pays the rest. Schools are underserved and parks are replaced by potholes filled with sand where children act out their stories amid traffic. This is the story of Arcelia Luna Perez and her struggle to ditch her drug habit and keep her children. Using a cast of rotating first person narrators, readers endure their struggle to stay connected to each other and their community.

What is most outstanding is Harper’s ability to demonstrate the goodness inherent within the characters in spite of dangerous and illegal choices they struggle with throughout the story. Harper's novel is filled with drug abuse, dealers, theft, slum-lording, violence and abuse of public aid dollars. Providence dwellers have limited options and choosing toward social advancement is not widely abundant among them.  For example, Cristo, Arcelia’s 5th grade son, has to steal food in order for them to eat and he delivers mysterious, illegal packages to earn money toward future rent. Other characters designed with this dichotomy include, Snowman, an albino African American landlord and drug-lord middleman ensures the safety and welfare of Arcelia and Cristo during her last days of life. There are more characters, many more, who when duty calls respond responsibly to its cry and others who quickly turn the other cheek to crime. Ironically, constant disappointment undoes no one as characters continue on with their business of living.

The narrative structure alternates from narrator to narrator demonstrating the many points of view on the family’s breakdown. At the onset of mid to end chapters are dreamlike flashbacks which piece together Arcelia’s tragic back story during which she fled from Puerto Rico and landed in Providence. Peppered throughout the novel too, are a series of letters some in English and one Spanish that offer readers insight to Arcelia's self-discovery and that of significant characters as well. 

On an unsuccessful note, and in light of how too many hard knocks in life cause us to age beyond our years, Harper may have given the character’s too much emotional insight, maturity, prevailing goodness. The wisdom of the younger characters seemed somewhat exaggerated and should've included the negative reactions to the stress of childhood poverty. “This Side of Providence” allows socially isolated readers to believe that good people can come from bad circumstances because they can and do.  The only way to find out is to cross the other side of the tracks and see. 

[Kate Corcoran · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are many good reviews of this book so read them for details. All I want to say is that it's the best book I've read in a long time. The writing is wonderful. Loved the different voices. I grew to care about all of them.

[Lisa Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this book in exchange for an honest review through the Library Thing program. It's been a long time since I cried reading a book -- and if I had let myself, I might have just sobbed. I had to take a few breaks also, the book is pretty desperate and dark. This is a story of Arcelia, a Puerto Rican immigrant who is a heroin addict and also the mom of three kids. The story is told in first person from the viewpoint of several different characters, which some people don't like, but I had no problem with. Perhaps part of what was so hard for me is that one of the main narrators is her 5th grade son, and I have a 5th grade son. I just can't imagine my sweet 5th grader having to live the life this poor boy lived. The book is realistic, even though you wish it wasn't. The progression and ending is what you can expect when you read or hear about a heroin addict.

[Ed Boland · Rating 5 out of 5]

An extraordinary novel. There were passages where I gasped out loud because of the beauty of its writing and the honesty of its story. Its characters, so human, flawed and real, come together in a beautifully woven arc. Harper’s fiction gives voice to stories and characters that are too often overlooked in our society. It is a book that I won’t soon forget.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading Brass Ankle Blues, I was excited to pick up a copy of Rachel Harper's second book, This Side of Providence. It is a compelling, powerful story. One of the best books I've read all year.

[J.J. Gesher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-drawn characters from the wrong side of the tracks.
Compelling plot and strong sense of place.
Engaging style. Liked how the voices told their own stories but kept overall plot moving forward.

[Kelli Harmon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Character-driven, thought-provoking, heartbreaking and triumphant, all at once.

[Harvey Hênio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rachel M. Harper é uma escritora estadunidense cuja carreira está em pleno crescimento. Já publicou três romances com excelentes repercussões. É filha de um aclamado poeta – Michael S. Harper -, nasceu em Boston e cresceu na cidade de Providence cercada de livros e influências literárias. “Este lado de Providence”, publicado em 2016, é o segundo romance da autora. A obra foi elogiadíssima por ninguém menos do que a grande Alice Walker, autora do clássico “A cor púrpura”. Acerca de “Este lado de Providence” Walker afirmou:

“Um livro tão poderoso que é como se uma camada completamente nova da experiência americana tivesse sido exposta ao nosso olhar... não há uma linha desperdiçada, e cada palavra soa verdadeira”.

A concisa e precisa análise de Alice Walker é perfeita para avaliar “Este lado de Providence”.
A obra é realmente um livro poderoso com um relato cru, direto e envolvente eivado de personagens carismáticos que cativam até o mais insensível dos leitores.
Basicamente “Este lado de Providence” narra a verdadeira saga da família de Arcelia, imigrante porto-riquenha, que, fugindo do marido violento e insensível, tenta a vida nos USA com os três filhos: as crianças Cristo e Luz e a bebê Trini (que ela gerou nos USA após um relacionamento que não deu certo). Uma vez nos USA Arcelia se torna dependente química e contrai o vírus da AIDS. Presa, ela deixa os três filhos sozinhos.
Nessa dramática situação outros personagens entram na história: Lucho a companheira de Arcelia que também é dependente química e que se torna a relutante guardiã das crianças, Vanessa Valentín, professora de Luz e Cristo que se apega às crianças, Scottie, pai de Trini que deseja tirar a criança de Arcelia e o dúbio e algo misterioso “Snowman” que ganha a vida com alguns negócios lícitos, outros nem tanto.
O drama da família de Arcelia é narrado de forma multifacetada com cada capítulo narrado por um personagem diferente e de acordo com seu ponto de vista. Esse recurso, muito usado nos dias de hoje, é muito bem estruturado e valoriza, sobremaneira, a narração.
Vale a pena ressaltar a forma chocante e incrivelmente realista com que a autora descreve a relação de amor e ódio que Arcelia desenvolve com o seu vício que ameaça destruir a sua família e a ela mesma e do qual, contraditoriamente, ela não consegue se livrar. O trecho a seguir, reflexão da personagem Arcelia, é uma amostra muito fiel desse drama que, infelizmente, é a realidade de milhões de pessoas mundo afora:

“Sempre que fico sóbria, mesmo que apenas por uma ou duas horas, me arrependo. Penso em Cristo, no que prometi, e falo para mim mesma que vou parar. Toda vez é a última vez. Juro que vou voltar a tomar os remédios, que vou remarcar as consultas médicas que perdi. Quero parar – juro por Deus -, mas não sei qual é a sensação de estar cheia, de estar completa. Não sei o que significa estar satisfeita. Na maior parte das noites, fico com medo de não encontrar o fundo do poço.
O que sei nos breves momentos de sobriedade é que odeio ser uma viciada. A sensação que cresce dentro de mim, a fome voraz, quero que isso seja extirpado de meu corpo, como uma doença. A princípio tento ignorar, mas é como tentar ignorar um tiro na cabeça. Por isso, tento acalmá-la, tento oferecer só uma coisinha para controlar. Mas, não importa o que eu faça, nunca é o bastante. A necessidade se torna tão grande que não posso fazer nada. Acabo cedendo. E, quando cedo, ela só aumenta. Não entendo por que precisa ser tão monstruosa.
Ficar limpa da primeira vez quase me matou, e sei que só funcionou porque eu estava presa. Não tinha escolha. Do lado de fora, as coisas são diferentes. Ninguém pode me forçar. Ninguém se importa com que acontece. Um dia, tenho o que minha antiga mentora costumava chamar de momento de clareza, quando a gente vê o futuro, e vejo que só sendo presa de novo vou conseguir parar. Mas também sei que não vou sobreviver à prisão dessa vez. Não tenho força de vontade para sobreviver a mais nada”.

“Este lado de Providence” é um livro para ler e reler. Um verdadeiro convite à reflexão acerca das relações humanas, do preconceito, do drama das drogas e a sempre inquietante questão da imigração.
Excelente!

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story of This Side of Providence is told as a blend of voices, all so concerned with the people around them that they forget to save some concern (and time, and love) for themselves; they reach out to help each other with one hand while shoving away help more forcefully with the other. Despite these outwardly-directed concerns, though, there's a general sense of helplessness, of recognizing the other characters' needs for help but being unable to provide it themselves, mostly by projecting their own neediness onto others, as the characters are even worse at expressing the need to be loved than they are at expressing love; in this way, the reader is put in the same position as the characters, feeling for and wanting to help the players involved here but being powerless to do so. Much of the book is concerned with accepting and coming to terms with this powerlessness, or the inability to do so; it mirrors the twelve-step programs it portrays in that way. The sharing of the responsibility for the narration is essential, because it highlights the reliance on others to complete the narrative of a life.

The obvious referent for Harper's structure here is As I Lay Dying, a high bar under any circumstances, and one she complicates even further by the ages of some of the first-person narrators. There's always a minimal margin for error when writing from the perspective of young characters; they often come off as inappropriately advanced for their age, or need to be specifically written as precocious, which is nearly as improbable. Another pitfall is to write them at an age-appropriate level, basic to the point of being almost even more frustrating, where obvious insights have to be presented as profound. Cristo, an eleven-year-old who's supposed to be weak enough at English to need to still be in a bilingual classroom for nearly all of the book, is positioned in a sort of middle-ground between these approaches, but is still clearly narrating at a level beyond his abilities. Luz, too, comes acorss as more advanced than is realistic, and even Trini, who gets a late Vardaman-esque turn, is too self-consciously literate in her one sentence; she speaks in a simile, where Vardaman spoke in metaphor, which come across less as conscious formulation than as a direct expression of a thought and a mental connection.

It can be forgiven to a degree, though, and this is a book that, like its characters, does need occasional forgiveness of its sins--some allowances made, some work put in to justify choices, some overlooking of wrong details or plot holes--but it's winning enough to make it easy to do, and without any bitter aftertaste. One can choose to read the advanced linguistic ability as a representation of the way the children's lives have been unfairly accelerated, forcing them to think and behave like adults, and their questionable credulousness as their way of trying to preserve innocence that no longer exists to be preserved, and while the disconnect feels notable at the beginning, it fades into the background. This is because the characters work better and more convincingly as characters than narrators, and so the interest created in these lives overpowers the nits that could be picked--Harper's occasional failure to notably differentiate between voices, her use of the first-person to too-overtly spell out motivations and dump exposition, and the deck-stacking that occurs in favor of the characters she chooses to narrate while never selecting more villainous characters who would seemingly be able to provide fascinating insight (I was hoping for Scottie and Kim segments, and even for Mrs. Reed, on a less villainous note). (The ways to forgive those last few failures, by the way: she's choosing to differentiate narrators more by concerns than by voice, the counterpoint of her use of Arcelia's dream's as an example of more effective and poetic exposition that doesn't stand out as or feel like exposition, and the argument that she is consciously denying the villains a voice as they've had too much impact already.)

I suspect that if Harper realized how engaging her characters are--and engaging not even in a flashy or even necessarily a "relatable" (that horrible word) way, just deeply human (though I suspect most people will be able to identify closely with at least one character; in my case, it was Snowman)--she wouldn't feel the need to put them through so much, and through so many bog standard literary scenarios (though she does get credit for creating characters deserving of love while not falling into the trap of loving them too much herself to hurt them). It was so refreshing and delightful to read a book set in my beloved Providence, of all places, instead of one of the usual literary mainstay metropolises (New York, Paris, London, Tokyo, Los Angeles, etc.), and it was almost heartbreaking to see the relative genericness of the situations overlaid on the specificity of Providence and her characters; I wish Harper had similarly allowed her characters to navigate situations that were less recognizable and more unique. Part of the problem may have been a simple failure of imagination; Ms. Valentín's background makes her seem closely parallel to the author, and it may not be an accident that her story feels the most personal and closely felt, and the further we get from her, through Cristo on out, the stories feel less and less personal, culminating in Arcelia, who despite being a central character feels peripheral and plotted, like she could have been transplanted from more or less any similar book.

I found This Side of Providence harder to put down than I find even overtly plot-driven books, mainly because of the interest generated in the characters and in seeing who will get their turn next in the narrator's seat; Harper's abilities shine brightest far from the plot, the exposition, or the dialogue, most perfectly preserved in the little, gestural, interstitial moments she allows her characters, that showcase how well she knows them and how well they know each other. She shows great technical strength too in knowing just how much she has to give the reader and giving nothing more, which leads to some very elegant transitions; there is an understated example of such a transition on pages 112-13 that might play as slightly-too-recognizable foreshadowing elsewhere, but here undergirds the remainder of the book with a glimmer of hope that may be the only thing that allows readers to endure the recounting of hardships to come. It's this ability that makes me think Harper might be primed for a breakthrough in her next book; she has formalist inclinations, a strong sense of locale and characters, and is hampered only by a bit too much reliance on narrative framework, "relatable" characters, and standard motivation-driven actions as cogs in cause-and-effect plotting. If she realizes that with her technical ability, she doesn't need to bother with much in the way of plot (just as great inventors of plot hardly need to add much extraneous style) she may be able to trim completely the standard trappings that adorn her story and produce something more wholly sui generis and personally inspired; there's evidence, also, that her technique needs only slight honing in her treatment of issues such as class, where for the most part she deals with wonderful subtlety but occasionally slips and artlessly brings the issue too far to the foreground, in so doing unintentionally hurting herself by making the message too clear and thus less effective.

The small grace notes outshine the plot arcs, and it's fitting, because the underlying message of the book defies clean arcs; it's about the difficulty of change, the cyclical, rather than linear, nature of making progressing and losing ground again. Even the way the arcs progress is realistically un-smooth, stumbling, as if by happenstance; characters mostly just follow their intuitions, for better or worse. Much of the book is about how hard it is merely to exist in the world, and how hard it additionally it is to co-exist with others, and how much harder we make both those tasks by being prideful and refusing assistance, preferring failure to indebtedness. The luckier characters come to recognize in their own ways that such efforts for self-reliant fulfillment are futile by definition, as all success is unearned and undeserved in any recognizable way, as are grace and forgiveness, and that indebtedness just might not be such a bad thing after all.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lendo somente agora, em 2025, trazendo uma porção de maior de amargor (além da que a história por si só já traz) ao saber o que está sendo feito com os imigrantes e seu dourado “sonho americano” de uma vida melhor, mais digna, para si e para os filhos. É realmente de cortar o coração e desesperançar da humanidade em face de tão imenso desafio, quase intransponível, que é esse de vencer o sistema e fazer dar certo quando parece que tudo foi feito pra ruir mesmo.

A grande mensagem que fica, pra mim, é uma grande defesa do direito das crianças a serem crianças. Vi muitos comentários quanto à estranheza das palavras e diálogos tão graves nas bocas de crianças tão pequenas mas é uma realidade facilmente verificável em famílias onde, por qualquer que seja a circunstância, filhos ainda crianças tenham que ocupar o lugar dos pais. A luta pela sobrevivência atalha caminhos… acelera um amadurecimento que deveria chegar com o tempo, seguido de conselhos e ensinamentos, no processo natural da vida.

Durante a leitura, em algum momento, a gente até torce e acredita na possibilidade de um final feliz. Especialmente quando Argélia decide sair da casa de Kim por considerar o ambiente prejudicial à sua recuperação. No entanto, ao simples retorno de Lucho, percebemos que não há futuro para aquela situação posto que diante de vícios tão viscerais, é mesmo necessário romper com tudo o que remeta à dependência, e Celie acabou sucumbindo em sua condição.

O texto todo escrito em primeira pessoa nos coloca pra dentro da narrativa muito intensamente. Senti quase que engolida para aquele ambiente onde todos estão andando por um fio, a todo tempo, cada qual em seus termos. É quase como um processo de cura para cada um dos personagens, já que falar tem o condão de “trazer à luz” e ajuda a construir as próprias narrativas individuais de cada um, assim como bem resume o último parágrafo escrito:

“Todo mundo acha que conhece a história da própria vida, mas tudo o que temos são as partes de que lembramos. E o que lembramos é apenas uma parte da história. Eu queria contar toda a verdade, mas a história real é maior do que a parte que sou capaz de contar sozinho. E talvez não haja problema nisso. Talvez o que importa seja como contamos nossas historias, ou simplesmente o fato que as contamos ”.

[Harrywei · Rating 4 out of 5]

Arcelia Perez fled Puerto Rico to escape a failed marriage and a history of abuse, but instead of finding her piece of the American dream, she ends up on the wrong side of Providence. With three young children, Arcelia follows a rocky path that ultimately leads to prison and an agonizing drug withdrawal. But her real challenge comes when she’s released and must figure out how to stay clean and reunite the family that has unraveled in her absence.
Through the rotating narrators, I seems the enter different character’s world, listen to their heart, feel their emotions, happy, sad, confuse, struggle. Just like Bible said, “not lead us into temptation, and deliver us from evil “, actually everybody is vulnerable, no matter how strong he looks, the best way is avoid temptation, because we don’t have the ability to resist; but the point is that as human, we have too much desire higher than our ability, our desire is endless, so we should say Arcelia is a ordinary woman, a good woman, but also pathetic, compassionate, nobody can change her fate, only watching her drop into abyss.
I like the three kids, I like the ideological teacher too, they represent the hope, the God show us the evil, at the same time, show us the light.

[Lú Rigobello · Rating 5 out of 5]

As vezes, quando tentamos voar, nos libertar e alçar novos caminhos, tentamos escapar da própria história e esquecer; nos apartarmos de nós mesmos. No livro, assim acontece com Arcelia.
Ela se perde, fica aprisionada e tenta se resgatar; recompor a relação com os filhos pequenos (Cristo, Luz e Trini), símbolos da busca da luz, da redenção e da possibilidade de esperançar.
Este lado de Providence narra uma rede de encontros e desencontros, na perspectiva dos diferentes sujeitos dessa história; da mãe, dos filhos, da professora, do marido, da namorada, do dono da casa. E a história se mostra viva, verdadeira e intensa.
Término o livro refletindo a importância de relembrar, nos contar ao outro, ouvir e compartilhar afetos; compor a nossa história com o vivido, o tangível, o desejado e o imaginado. A importância de vermos e sermos vistos, também no legado que deixamos na nossa passagem pelo mundo.
Gostei muito! ❤️

[Vicente Rosa · Rating 2 out of 5]

que ano fraquinho, dona Tag...
a história em si é bem escrita e desenvolvida, ritmo bom, etc.
PORÉM (e é um graaaande mas), descobri no meio do livro que a autora não é porto-riquenha, nem negra, e, pra piorar ainda mais, o pai dela é um autor famosíssimo nos EUA. então o livro virou outra coisa para mim.
sendo trans, eu fico bem desconfortável quando autores cis tentam escrever personagens da comunidade. são muitas nuances perdidas e eu fico no final "qual o interesse em contar essa história?". qual objetivo tu quer alcançar?
e, com essa autora, eu faço o mesmo questionamento: qual o interesse em escrever algo de uma comunidade/mundo que tu não faz parte? ainda mais quando é uma desgraceira dessas no Providence, por que escolher essa comunidade, essas questões raciais, de classe, de saúde pública...? lucrar em cima de pessoas que passam por coisas que ela nunca nem sonhou em passar? entendem meu ponto de vista?
posso estar muito enganado em relação a isso, mas foi algo que não me desceu.

[Lauren Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rachel M. Harper’s This Side of Providence is the beautiful and devastating story of a broken mother trying to love her children and the unexpected people who step in to create the family her children so desperately need. While heart-breaking and hard, Harper also infuses the book with moments of hope and kindness that help lessen the pain that is the reality of these character’s lives. Harper’s writing reminds me of some of the greats from American Lit and not only did I ride the rollercoaster of emotions along with these unforgettable characters, but I also saw life through a lens very different from my own. Books that entertain AND teach are some of the finest in my opinion and this one lays bare the very real struggles of identity and assimilation for immigrants, the sometimes impossible road to addiction recovery and the painful effects of unresolved past traumas. This Side of Providence is an absolutely unforgettable book that imprints on your heart and should be placed front and center of every bookstore across the country.

[Renata Vicente · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Todo mundo acha que conhece a história da própria vida, mas tudo o que temos são as partes que lembramos. E o que lembramos é apenas uma parte da história”.
.
Arcélia foge de Porto Rico e de um passado de violência e abusos. Quando chega “na América”, acredita que será capaz de viver o “sonho americano”. Só que, infelizmente, ela acaba no lado errado de Providence com seus três filhos pequenos e seu vício em drogas. Após ser presa, é obrigada a passar pelo tortuoso processo de desintoxicação. Ao sair, encara seu maior desafio: manter-se limpa para ter de volta os filhos. Essa história, porém, não é contada apenas por Arcélia. Seus filhos e outros personagens ganham voz nas páginas dessa história, que mostra uma realidade que muitas vezes fingimos não ver mas que se faz presente na vida de muitas famílias.

[rebeca · Rating 4 out of 5]

We read the same moment in time, but read it from five different points of view from the poeple involved. Everyone's story is poetic and heartfelt. They each have their own wisdom and life-lessons that is acquired as the story progresses. Cristo, who could be said to be the main character, goes from being a young boy to a young man right before our eyes. He grows up the hard way, and we are there to witness it. And it's sad but also uplifting and hopeful. As you navigate through the different voices, you don't ever get confused except when it came to the voices of Cristo and Luz sometimes. But it wasn't always so.
I grew so attached to the characters, I was sad when I finished the book because I wouldn't get to be with them again.

[Ricardo Martini Kato · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decisões são fatos que nos molda e repercute na nossa vida pelo bem pelo mal. Mesmo que seja uma decisão desesperada, ela no fundo possui uma certa racionalização e devemos sempre conviver com as consequências.
“Este lado de Providence” trata basicamente de decisões e consequências. Focada numa família porto riquenha, o livro intercala os narradores de forma a montar um caleidoscópio em que cada escolha exige ponderações.
Apesar que todos personagens lutem por problemas diferentes, o livro acaba por não concluir de forma razoável os principais arcos que foram colocados. Excesso de personagens? Muitos temas abordados? Talvez. Mas acabamos a histórias nos questionando se realmente os personagens entenderam sobre as suas decisões…

[Shanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really hate finishing books this incredible. I am an attorney who represents parents like Arcelia...I live the ups and downs she goes through as they work to reunite with their children. Harper’s incredible gift of writing this story from every single characters’ perspective makes this, I believe, a must read for anyone in this line of work, or any human being frankly. In an age when compassions dying, along with the belief that you don’t judge people until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes, this unflinching, honest portrayal of real people, good people, living and loving through life’s hardest obstacles, is a must read. I am speechless to my core.