Everything Inside by Edwidge Danticat

My Rating: 3.0

Short stories with the tie being Haiti. They are all set in Port Au Prince, other Caribbean countries or Miami with the people being from Haiti.

Don't let my rating put you off of this book. It is extremely well written and each story captures so much. I am just not a fan of short stories and wanted each one to continue on. If you like short stories, you should enjoy this.

Next Year In Havana by Chanel Cleeton

My Rating: 3.5

After the death of her beloved grandmother, Marisol travels to Cuba where she unearths her family's identity. This flashes back and forth in time between Marisol in modern day Cuba and her grandmother Elisa back in the 1950's.

While the history of Cuba was interesting, at times it felt like being in school and being bombarded with too many dry facts.There was also a lot of fluffy romance and not a lot of character development. 

The Queen of Water by Laura Resau

My rating: 4.2 of 5 stars

This is the story of Virginia, who is born into a poor farming family in an Ecuador village. When Virginia is 7 yo, her family sells/gives her as a slave to a well to do family who treats her cruelly. Virginia isn’t clear if she has been sold or given. Should she be receiving money from the family? She teaches herself to read and write and looks for ways to improve her lot in life. This book is about so many things – cultural differences, class discrimination, forgiveness but, most of all, making your life better regardless of the circumstances. I would think any young girl would love this book.

State of Wonder by Ann Patchett

State of Wonder by Ann Patchett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Great character development and story line. I loved Bel Canto and this book was also wonderful leading me to ask, why I haven't read more by Ann Patchett? Definitely recommend!

View all my reviews