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There are currently 27 member reviews
for Make Your Home Among Strangers
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Vicky S. (Torrance, CA)
Nowhere to call home - Living among Strangers
There were parts of the book that I appreciated such as learning about another culture - the Cuban immigrants in Miami, the title of the book relating to the main character's feelings when away at university or going "home" and the story or Ariel being among strangers though they felt like family. I also enjoyed the parallel to the child Elian from 15 years ago - something that was in the back of my mind while reading but that I had to look up to remember.
The main character's quick emotional changes annoyed me at times. She felt deserving at times and then could in moments feel as though she had no right to be anywhere. (I wondered whether she would have benefited from Cognitive Behavior Therapy.) Some of her reactions seemed unbelievable but maybe it has been too long since I as that age to remember the drama. I was engrossed at the end and though there were challenges and possibly regrets she made better decisions for herself which I appreciated.
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Gloria Ganderbilt
Nicely written about a rather unlikable character
I was really puzzled by this book. It could have been a pleasant book about a Cuban girl named Lizet who, despite her dysfunctional family, was able to attend a first rate college and had the opportunity make something of herself. Instead it turned out to be a litany of Lizet's complaints about everything. I was frustrated and disappointed in her. I just wanted to say to her, "deal with it" and get on with your life. She seemed to wallow in self-pity, an action for which I have zero tolerance. Now that said, the writer did a good job with her descriptive phrases. She made me feel the cold or the silence or whatever she happened to be describing. The story flowed nicely and was easy to follow. Her characters were well developed, I just didn't like some of them very much. Reading the book was not a particularly enjoyable experience. This reader kept hoping Lizet would, "get it together" and live up to her potential. I closed the book with the feeling that Lizet would spend her life complaining no matter what good fortune might come her way.
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Daniel A. (Naugatuck, CT)
No Quotation marks?
I enjoyed reading this story for the most part, but I had some difficulty in determining which protagonist was speaking. There are no quotation marks. Instead, a long dash is at the beginning of the sentence to signify someone speaking. Somewhere in the dialogue, the person speaking is revealed. I have encountered this in some other books, but with little or no difficulty. Maybe it's something I have to get used to, if other writers follow suit.
Overall, the story is interesting and entertaining. I'm just not used to this particular writing style.
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Joan P. (Owego, NY)
Make Your Home Among Strangers
I now have a better understanding of what it feels like to be a second generation Cuban in America. Lizet is torn between her personal ambition and loyalty to her cultural heritage. She is a scholarship student at a prestigious college in upstate New York. She has to adjust to cold weather and academic problems due to her inadequate preparation for higher education. Back in Little Havana her family is broken and her mother has become involved as an activist in the case of Elia Hernandez. This is obviously the Elian Gonzalez controversy from fourteen years ago. How Lizet deals with her new life makes an interesting story.
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Erin J. (Milwaukie, OR)
Not the right book for me
I hate to post a negative review here, but I find myself making excuse after excuse not to pick this book up to finish it because I just do not like the main character. She lies and makes stupid choices all the time and for no good reason, doing all kinds of unnecessary damage to herself and others. I can't stand spending time with her, and I'm having a hard time seeing how any college would think she were smart enough to be accepted, which makes the foundation of the story completely unbelievable. I was really expecting a book that told the story of a first-generation Latina college student trying to cope with unfamiliar customs and traditions, which I guess this is, but she'd have a much easier time adjusting if she were a nicer, smarter person with even an ounce of common sense. :( I'm basing my review on the first 115 pages of the book, so feel free to take my opinion with a grain of salt if you read the whole thing.
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Leah L. (Lawrence, NY)
Bogged in detail
Reading books is a passion but I was pushed hard on this one. It was bogged down in local detail that detracted from what might have been a more engaging story. For those who read reviews, you know this is not usual.
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