How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents

By: Julia Alvarez

Narrated by: Blanca Camacho, Annie Henk, Annie Kozuch, Noemi de la Puente, Melanie Martinez

Length: 9 hrs and 24 mins

Publisher's summary

Hailed by the Los Angeles Times as "simply wonderful", How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents captures the vivid lives of the Garcia sisters, four privileged and rebellious Dominican girls adapting to their new lives in America. In the 1960s, political tension forces the Garcia family away from Santo Domingo and toward the Bronx. The sisters all hit their strides in America, adapting and thriving despite cultural differences, language barriers, and prejudice. But Mami and Papi are more traditional, and they have far more difficulty adjusting to their new country. Making matters worse, the girls, frequently embarrassed by their parents, find ways to rebel against them.

A touching coming-of-age tale, this enthralling book perfectly illuminates the intergenerational struggles and multicultural clashes so common to the American immigrant family.

©1991 Julia Alvarez (P)2006 Recorded Books

Critic reviews

"These interconnected vignettes of family life, resilience, and love are skillfully intertwined and offer young adults a perspective on immigration and families as well as a look at America through Hispanic eyes. This unique coming-of-age tale is a feast of stories that will enchant and captivate readers." ( School Library Journal)

First time

loved it, narrated very well
This was my first and I enjoyed it.
I will recommend.

how the garcia list their accents

loved the story and narration!
first audible read, cant wait to read the next! thanks

Good book, interesting story

Good narrators but you couldn't really distinguish the change in voices when it came to the different characters.

I loved it.

I really enjoyed this book.
its a truly lovely story told be a series of unrealisable narrators. It's a wonderful example of how a family stories, which are so engrained in our family's collective memory are usually remembered very different and how the stories that shape us evolved. I enjoyed the unusual structure of this book and the many truths it captures. Iencters are narated by different actors and I always enjoy that.

awesome

I really enjoyed the switch of narrators. I loved the book and plan to read it again.

Liked it

I like how the book went backwards in time as snapshots of moments in their lives. I read the book partially to better understand Dominican culture, and I feel that I do. It was read well and written well.

not what I expected

I found it difficult to finish. Not what I expected. The book was not that interesting.

better in paper form

I've both listened to this and read the book, and for one thing, I just think that this isn't a book that translates to audio well. It's non linear, which makes for a confusing listen for ANY audiobook. I actually really enjoyed reading, but listening, not so much. It doesn't help that the narrator (narrators? It lists multiple people but I only hear one, it seems) is AWFUL.

Reader

Needs to sound more realistic... Have some feelings you sound like a robot. Plus fix the fast forward effect. Thanks

Very poetic

It was a little scattered, but the stories were superbly written, and the imagery was stunning.