Not Much Sewing, Some Reading

I don't have much to share this week, sadly. My work assignments have been taking up all my time, so there hasn't been much sewing. I did finish a Designer Mystery block, but that is all I've managed.

I am listening to an excellent audiobook. Dominicana by Angie Cruz is a backlist title from 2019 that I've been meaning to get to. My reading resolution this year was to read the books on my shelves. The title is free with Kindle Unlimited right now. The book was shortlisted for the American Women's Prize for Fiction in 2020.

This book is Ana's story, which takes place in the Dominican Republic and New York City in the mid '60s. In a transactional arrangement, Ana is married off at the age of 15 to a man more than twice her age who moves her to New York City. You can't help but root for Ana as she tries to figure out life in a new country where she doesn't speak the language and is confused by just about everything she sees. As Ana's matures, her greatest desire is to be independent. She wants to go to school, she wants to make money, she wants to get out of the house and away from her domineering husband. Her life is anything but the American Dream, but she has big plans to change that. The book is charmingly written, but the deeper subject matter of the harsh realities of the immigration experience and how it affects the personal desires and opportunities of the individual will make you think.

Have a great weekend everyone. Hope to be back on Monday morning with some sewing to show you!