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Dominicana
- Narrated by: Coral Peña
- Length: 10 hrs and 13 mins
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Dominicana
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Summary
Shortlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction 2020.
A poignant and nuanced portrait of a Dominican teenager's arranged marriage and immigration to New York City in the 1960s.
Fifteen-year-old Ana Canción never dreamed of moving to America, the way the girls she grew up with in the Dominican countryside did. But when Juan Ruiz proposes and promises to take her to New York City, she must say yes. It doesn't matter that he is twice her age, that there is no love between them. Their marriage is an opportunity for her entire close-knit family to eventually immigrate. So on New Year's Day, 1965, Ana leaves behind everything she knows and becomes Ana Ruiz, a wife confined to a cold six-floor walk-up in Washington Heights. Lonely and miserable, Ana hatches a reckless plan to escape. But at the bus terminal, she is stopped by César, Juan's free-spirited younger brother, who convinces her to stay.
As the Dominican Republic slides into political turmoil, Juan returns to protect his family's assets, leaving César to take care of Ana. Suddenly, Ana is free to take English lessons at a local church, lie on the beach at Coney Island, dance with César at the Audubon Ballroom and imagine the possibility of a different kind of life in America. When Juan returns, Ana must decide once again between her heart and her duty to her family.
In bright, musical prose that reflects the energy of New York City, Dominicana is a vital portrait of the immigrant experience and the timeless coming-of-age story of a young woman finding her voice in the world.
This audiobook includes an exclusive interview between author Angie Cruz and narrator Coral Peña.
Critic reviews
"A thrilling, necessary, and unforgettable portrait of what it means to be an immigrant." (Patricia Engel)
"Dominicana is beautiful, engaging, and cuts right to the heart of what it is to be a dutiful young female from a poor country who is bright in every sense of the word, full of love and hope." (Mary Gaitskill)
"An intimate portrait of the transactional nature of marriage and the economics of both womanhood and citizenship." (New York Times Book Review)
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What listeners say about Dominicana
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Tracey
- 07-04-22
Weak storyline
Boring & predictable. Didn’t finish. Waiting for the story to progress but nothing really happens.
Not my thing.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- P Irving
- 15-09-20
A wonderful read
I read this book not knowing much about Dominican culture or their experiences in the US, but this was such an engrossing and delightful read. The narrator did a great job of transporting you into the story with her voice. This is long listed for the Man Booker prize I hope it ends us on the shortlist as it deserves to be read widely.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Dunja
- 12-10-20
Great novel, narration was lacking
I've managed to enjoy the novel despite being quite irritated by the narrator's reading style - she has a lovely, sexy voice but reads everything like it's the most intense slam poetry so the parts when the main character is cooking a meal is equal to when she's making the most crucial life decision. Maybe get a paperback instead.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- M.certified
- 13-04-21
Simply powerful
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. There are so many nuances and the story development was incredible.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Lizzy h
- 25-06-20
Dominican arrives in America
I really enjoyed this story, which explores how Latina women negotiate migration, thrive and survive.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Imogen
- 28-06-20
A whole new world opens up to me
I knew very little about Dominican Republic; I knew very little about New York in the 1960s. All I could have said was that undoubtedly there were many people whose lives were invisible, so to speak, as they crossed from one to the other and tried to make it work in their new life. And now here is Anna, to beautifully illustrate that point, and Juan and the rest. What a beautifully textured novel. I can smell the cooking. I can feel the loneliness, and the hope. What a great read!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mary
- 23-03-21
So great
The performance was outstanding
But the story itself was so moving and it touched upon so many important subjects. I also loved the context of the 60s in New York it added a nice touch
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Mike
- 10-06-20
Spoiled by narration.
the voice was great, credible, but speed of narration spoiled the book.Somehow,an unsatifactory listen, but it had me listening to the end!
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 19-08-20
Stunning Book
Beautifully written, heart-wrenching story which is incredibly immersive! Highly recommend listening /reading, simply incredible read!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- S. Will
- 19-07-21
Page Turner... Addictive... Thoroughly enjoyable
Addictive. I couldn't put the book down so to speak. The story speaks to a struggle of a young girl / woman born in Dominican Republic and her move to New York. Her relationships with a myriad of people, her communities both in New York and back home, and trajectory through the struggles life. A beautiful book. One I thoroughly enjoyed.
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