Of Women and Salt

A Novel

By: Gabriela Garcia

Narrated by: Frankie Corzo

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

A GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK

This program includes a bonus conversation between the author and Roxane Gay.

A sweeping, masterful debut about a daughter's fateful choice, a mother motivated by her own past, and a family legacy that begins in Cuba before either of them were born

In present-day Miami, Jeanette is battling addiction. Daughter of Carmen, a Cuban immigrant, she is determined to learn more about her family history from her reticent mother and makes the snap decision to take in the daughter of a neighbor detained by ICE. Carmen, still wrestling with the trauma of displacement, must process her difficult relationship with her own mother while trying to raise a wayward Jeanette. Steadfast in her quest for understanding, Jeanette travels to Cuba to see her grandmother and reckon with secrets from the past destined to erupt.

From 19th-century cigar factories to present-day detention centers, from Cuba to Mexico, Gabriela Garcia's Of Women and Salt is a kaleidoscopic portrait of betrayals—personal and political, self-inflicted and those done by others—that have shaped the lives of these extraordinary women. A haunting meditation on the choices of mothers, the legacy of the memories they carry, and the tenacity of women who choose to tell their stories despite those who wish to silence them, this is more than a diaspora story; it is a story of America’s most tangled, honest, human roots.

A Macmillan Audio production from Flatiron Books

"Of Women and Salt is a fierce and powerful debut. Garcia wields narrative power, cultivating true and profound work on migration, legacy, and survival."--Terese Marie Mailhot, bestselling author of Heart Berries

“Gabriela Garcia captures the lives of Cuban women in a world to which they refuse to surrender and she does so with precision and generosity and beauty.”--Roxane Gay, bestselling author of Hunger and Bad Feminist

"[A] beautifully evocative first novel...This book is shaped, and given buoyancy, by Garcia’s sharp prose and by Jeanette’s ability to continue believing that the unexpected is possible, even as it repeatedly fails to materialize." —New York Times Book Review

Worth reading/listening to

The characters had so many facets and dimensions and to hear perspectives that are real, fluctuating gives them so much depth and realness… none of us feels the same all the time and being allowed to change or not change one’s mind or see things in a variety of lights is refreshing. …Especially in the male dominated world with so much presented as black and white.

captivating

loved this book! it took me a couple of chapters to ' get it'. I can understand why some reviews describe it as 'separate ' stories - however, pay attention from the beginning to names identifying the characters, and you will be enthralled with the story that connects so nicely. I could not put it down. it really describes well the experience of many immigrants, the pain.... and resilience.

An immigrant story that is not a cliche

I loved this novel. As an immigrant married to another immigrant I know there is no one story that describes the journey of the millions of people that every year come to this country from all over the world. These immigrants and their children and their children’s children are all affected in different ways and some suffer a lot more than others. This book explores that and I found myself in some parts of the story but not all of them, like It should be. Also, women carry the biggest burden as immigrants and this novel reflects that beautifully. I highly recommend it

Tears and Truths

I was tearfully transfixed and transported through Gabriela Garcia's masterful tapestry of words woven with energy, intelligence, imagination, and love. Written as a MFA thesis , this brilliantly cathartic and excellent example of expository writing is a gorgeous gem and treasure. Especially notable is the vibrant voice and narration of Frankie Corzo in the Audible book reading! The final chapter is truly a stunner! ~ Susie Hilton, Naples, Florida USA.

Incredible!

I don’t k ow what you’re doing, but drop it and read/ listen to this book! It’s fantastic! You’ll enjoy the rich descriptions and robust themes!