The Book of Unknown Americans

A Novel

De: Cristina Henríquez

Narrado por: Various

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

Reseñas de la Crítica

“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)

Amazing. heart wrenching but so worth the listen.

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

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.

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!

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

A painful and beautiful story.

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

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

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.

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

Beautiful

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

loved it

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