• The Book of Unknown Americans

  • A Novel
  • By: Cristina Henríquez
  • Narrated by: Various
  • Length: 9 hrs and 12 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (1,196 ratings)

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
The Book of Unknown Americans  By  cover art

The Book of Unknown Americans

By: Cristina Henríquez
Narrated by: Various
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $18.00

Buy for $18.00

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

A boy and a girl who fall in love. Two families whose hopes collide with destiny. An extraordinary novel that offers a resonant new definition of what it means to be American.

Arturo and Alma Rivera have lived their whole lives in Mexico. One day, their beautiful fifteen-year-old daughter, Maribel, sustains a terrible injury, one that casts doubt on whether she’ll ever be the same. And so, leaving all they have behind, the Riveras come to America with a single dream: that in this country of great opportunity and resources, Maribel can get better.

When Mayor Toro, whose family is from Panama, sees Maribel in a Dollar Tree store, it is love at first sight. It’s also the beginning of a friendship between the Rivera and Toro families, whose web of guilt and love and responsibility is at this novel’s core.

Woven into their stories are the testimonials of men and women who have come to the United States from all over Latin America. Their journeys and their voices will inspire you, surprise you, and break your heart.

Suspenseful, wry and immediate, rich in spirit and humanity, The Book of Unknown Americans is a work of rare force and originality.

©2014 Cristina Henriquez (P)2014 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“A triumph of storytelling. Henríquez pulls us into the lives of her characters with such mastery that we hang on to them just as fiercely as they hang on to one another and their dreams. This passionate, powerful novel will stay with you long after you’ve turned the final page.” (Ben Fountain, author of Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk)

Featured Article: 10 of the Best Hispanic Authors to Listen to Right Now


This list is in no way exhaustive, but it is a great place to discover—or rediscover—exceptional Hispanic writers, many with extensive back catalogs. It’s gratifying to hear these works in the language in which they were written, with gorgeous renditions en español. And while you’ll have plenty of their work to listen to, we also suggest you learn about the lives of each author. Their stories include struggles as immigrants, expatriates, and refugees.

What listeners say about The Book of Unknown Americans

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    692
  • 4 Stars
    341
  • 3 Stars
    128
  • 2 Stars
    28
  • 1 Stars
    7
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    722
  • 4 Stars
    231
  • 3 Stars
    71
  • 2 Stars
    20
  • 1 Stars
    3
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    602
  • 4 Stars
    278
  • 3 Stars
    127
  • 2 Stars
    30
  • 1 Stars
    10

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Amazing. heart wrenching but so worth the listen.

loved it. heart wrenching towards the end and but so worth the listen. just wow.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

My Favorite Audible Book

Where does The Book of Unknown Americans rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is my favorite audible book.

Have you listened to any of Various’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I enjoy listening to the other voices and their various stories.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

disappointing towards the end but overall good

What made the experience of listening to The Book of Unknown Americans the most enjoyable?

that i could listen anywhere i wanted

Would you recommend The Book of Unknown Americans to your friends? Why or why not?

yes definitely it is super efficient, you can do anything while listening to this audio version of the book

Which character – as performed by Various – was your favorite?

Mayor

Any additional comments?

the ending was not what i expected, it sucked!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Young Adult or Adult fiction

As a 45 year old mom of three, I enjoyed the overall story and the embedded short stories of "unknown" Americans that illuminates experienced of some migrants. The love story and much of the writing feels like it is written for young adults and teenagers. Enjoyable overall

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A painful and beautiful story.

Narration was great. The story was told well and I loved each of the characters.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Wow beautiful

I could not stop this is a breath taking and such a beautiful story. I totally recommended to any one to share with family

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Interesting perspective on the immigrant struggle

Enjoyed the Mayor Chapters the most. It is a good book. Interesting, but not extremely exciting. Be aware that it does have adult language.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

bruh

bruh bruh bruh bruh bruh bruh bruh bruh bruh bruh bruh bruh bruh bruh bruh bruh. good book narrator is that the one you sent me

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Beautiful

I loved the writing with clear narrative voices. It’s a beautiful story of an immigrant community from a number of distinct backgrounds

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

loved it

The performance for the different characters in this book were amazing. the book made me laugh and cry. great story!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!