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Carol R. (Foster City, CA)
Navigating two very different worlds
Is leaving your home and culture to explore another world "selling out?" Is it possible to live in two different worlds, one the culture of birth and upbringing and the second the culture and rarefied air of an elite US college? These are two of the themes that "Making Your Home Among Strangers" explores. The book is raw and uncomfortable at times, especially in Lizet's Miami world. The story is interesting and the author does a good job at describing the two different cultures. The book is also an interesting read. However, the author's style of refusing to use quotations when her characters speak significantly
…more detracts from the reader's enjoyment. I'm not sure of the purpose, other than to perhaps make Lizet's world seem grittier and uneducated. Hugely eye-opening book as more and more first generation college students attend our elite colleges and universities. (less)This novel by Jeannine Capo Crucet rang true with me on several levels. It took me back to the excitement of leaving home and going away to school while my friends stayed home. The excitement of first snow from dorm mates, the tiptoeing around room mates, the lack of money, the trauma of making grownup decisions and of course, the drama of dealing with the opposite sex. The fact that it is told from a Cuban-American point of view didn't detract from my memories of that first year of college. Crucet weaves Cuban history into this tale and the Cuban family dynamic. The strong female characters and their
…more interaction with each other provides a glimpse into a culture that I think will intrigue new readers of Crucet. I would definitely recommend this book for my book club and hope that Crucet brings more outlooks into Cuban-American culture. (less)
Mary Lou F. (Naples, FL)
Culture Shock
A Cuban girl is a minority attendee at an elitist school with no idea of the differences in culture. Her family doesn't help as they don't encourage education and she is torn between her family and wanting something better for herself. Makes one think about backgrounds, familial ties and the chance to go beyond what you have always known.
Sharalynne P. (Valparaiso, IN)
Thanks for the opportunity to read this book!
I liked the book but didn't love it. However, I am glad I was given the opportunity to read it. I haven't read anything about the Cuban-American experience and this did bring back memories of the little boy Elian from many years ago. It was interesting to get a detailed perspective on how many of the Cuban people probably felt at the time, and some of the humor in the book had me chuckling out loud. Lizet reached out for a better life but didn't abandon her old life either.
Wendy F. (Kalamazoo, MI)
Interesting read
A couple of things made Make Your Home Among Strangers an interesting read. First, it hearkens back to the time of Elian Gonzalez and all the drama that unfolded during that incident in our history. But also with the new relationship between the United States and Cuba, it is good to see how lives of Cuban immigrants are different and see how they are similar. The book was a little slow for me but it may have been due to a busy schedule. I'm glad that I read it as it gave me insight into a culture I know little about.
Vy A. (Phoenix, AZ)
Make Your Home Among Strangers
The author has done an excellent job of depicting the struggle and frustration of a young Cuban lady who, against her families' wishes, displays ambition and strives for a better life through education. The contrast between her Cuban community in Miami and the privileged student society of an Eastern college where she managed to get a scholarship is striking. At times the main character, Lizet, exhibited what seemed to be unjustified erratic behavior, but perhaps that strengthened the theme of the story—how difficult it is to make a change in one's life when there is not only a lack of family support but
…more criticism as well. Excellent descriptive writing and dialogue but it took me some time to get used to the lack of quotation marks. I often had to re-read a section to see who was speaking (less)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
…more 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. (less)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
…more 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. (less)
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