I ended up reading AFTERLIFE by Julia Alvarez twice this month, first in print and then again via audio. It's a slim novel, but there's so much to unpack that I had to reread it. Essentially, this is an introspective story about a woman, Antonia Vega, and the grief she experiences after having lost her husband, and trying to figure out how she can possibly go on without him. But it's also a lot more than that. It's about an English teacher with a deep love of literature, her complicated relationship with each of her sisters, mental illness, and how the pressing issue of immigration affects Antonia's life both directly and indirectly. There are many side-plots to the overarching story, but personally I found they each fit together beautifully to tell a cohesive and thought-provoking narrative. Alvarez's writing style completely pulls you in from the first page, and like me you probably won't be able to put this book down until it's finished. I highly recommend this book if you're currently looking for a shorter novel that feels poetic and emotional.

How can life continues after a big circle has closed? Antonia has recently lost her husband and has to move on with her life. She is about to encounter some serious difficulties, both her and her sisters and cope with issues referred to immigration and mental illness, along carrying the bereavement of her husband who was her world. Undoubtedly this story is emerging a life perspective I've never experienced and how one may feel In their deepest emotions. I'm giving 5 stars because Julia Alvarez is delivering us not only a novel but also knowledge for life.

I have nothing negative to say about this book. The writing was straight forward, but with occasional gems. I felt very immersed in Antonia's thoughts and feelings about the things she was struggling with externally and internally. Dealt with illegal immigration, grief, mental illness, family, and so much more. I liked it, but it wasn't the kind of book that's going to stick with me or one I would personally revisit.

Everything Julia Alvarez writes is a gift, and Afterlife is no exception. I truly believe everyone can find something to connect to within this book. This book offers hope during an unprecedented time in recent American History.

Once in a while, a book comes along where you want to cherish each sentence of the book. You want to remember how beautifully every emotion was described in the book. Afterlife is that book.
It was when I finished reading the first chapter that I realized that I am going to love this book. Afterlife is about love, loss, and emotions that you often feel but cannot described articulately. The want of trying to be a better person, but also wanting to be your own person, is chronicled beautifully in this book.
If you read the blurb of this book, you might think that there are a lot of things happening simultaneously, but the way all the situations are interwoven and the flow progresses is mesmerizing. There are no quotations in this book (I have come to love this style of writing), but I don't think that should deter you from reading this book.
Afterlife is a book which I wanted to reread as soon as I finished it, just so that I could read the beautiful prose again. This book will make you hug your significant other and miss your siblings.

This is a funny, moving novel that addresses life, love, and loss. Alvarez is a wonderful storyteller weaving together issues of immigration and family dynamics. This was a terrific read!

Afterlife tells the story of Antonia, one of four sisters, who is a recent widow and retired college English teacher. She helps an immigrant working for a neighbor, and responds to a crisis with her eldest sister. The relationships with her sisters becomes strained and she fears losing herself in all her responsibilities, questioning how much she can take on and remain true to herself. Afterlife is well written, poetic and engaging.

Thanks to Netgalley for the arc in exchange for a review.

I enjoyed this story. This was about Antonia, an immigrant English teacher who is now a widower. As she works to put her life back together, her eccentric sister goes missing. She must come together with her sisters to try and find out what is going on. At the same time, a lost immigrant teen ends up at her house.

Throughout all this Antonia must decide what matters in her life.

How does life change when you only have yourself to answer for? Antonia is finding that it also means all the decisions are your responsibility, which can be good or bad.

When Antonia’s role as wife ends, she’s not sure what’s left. Almost a year after her husband’s death, she’s forced to re-enter the world more fully as a sister, and then as a member of her community without her husband by her side.

Antonia is one of four sisters whose parents passed away years ago. Now when one sister disappears while on her way to visit the other three, Antonia spends a lot of time in her own head, contemplating the roles and responsibilities they each have in the sisterhood.

Then she returns home to find a very young, very pregnant immigrant without papers in her garage. Antonia knows the important humanitarian role her husband played in their community as a doctor and defender of the underdogs.

All of this plays alongside Antonia’s need to find the right words. She relentlessly remembers quotes and passages from favorite and influential authors who she read and taught to her students. Finding the right words will solve her dilemmas, she’s convinced.

Overall, I’d give this book 3.5 out of 5 stars. The unique writing style of Antonia’s internal monologue felt a bit awkward at first, but charming and beautiful as the story developed.

"Afterlife," the first adult novel written by Julia Alvarez in almost fifteen years, is a deep, multi-layered book with several intertwining themes from immigration to grief and loss to family interactions and roles in Latina sisterhood. There is a real depth in both Alvarez's exploration of these topics and her character's subsequent findings.

The story revolves around Antonia, a recently widowed, retired university professor living in Vermont. Her neighbor owns a farm who employs mostly illegal immigrants from Latin America. She is dealing with the loss of her husband Sam when two new developments in her life threaten to unravel her entire life: a pregnant, female immigrant has taken up residence her garage, and her sister has gone missing.

Ms. Alvarez does a splendid job of balancing the mystery of her sister's disappearance and the new "responsibilities" she cannot ignore as well as trying to navigate the unspoken "rules" in her family's hierarchy between her three other sisters. As the conflicting demands that need her attention pull her in every direction, she is forced to make difficult decisions about what matters most.

Fans of other books written by Ms. Alvarez will surely enjoy her latest offering. There is much poetry sprinkled throughout the novel as well as other tidbits of classic literature. As a retired English teacher, the protagonist is constantly referring back to discussions and lessons from her decades of teaching experience as she tries to bring to life the lessons learned from literature. I recommend the book to all literary fiction lovers, people who enjoy poetry, as well as fans of classic literature, who I believe would also thoroughly enjoy Julia Alvarez's newest novel, "Afterlife."

I received this eBook free of charge from Algonquin Books via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. I did not receive any fiscal compensation from either company for this review and the opinions expressed herein are entirely my own.

Admittedly, I haven't read much of Alvarez's work, but what I have read, I have loved. Her prose is always gorgeous, and her characters always complex. I quickly put this on my to-read shelf late last year hoping for much of the same.

"Afterlife" follows Antonia, a recently-retired college professor and widow, as she wades the rough waters of grief, a year after the passing of her husband, Sam. She becomes entangled with the drama of an immigrant couple -- Mario and Estela -- as they try to navigate their relationship and living undocumented in America. And to add onto all of that, her eldest sister, Izzy, has gone missing.

Despite there being plenty of conflict throughout this short novel, I didn't find it entirely engaging. I understood how all three aspects of the plot were intertwined by the end, which made the ending more poignant, but along the way I found it difficult to read more than one chapter in a sitting. Alvarez covers a lot of social and political issues in this one, but I felt like she attempted to cover so much that most of these were not fully fleshed out and read a little "preachy", as if mentioning it once and not addressing it again would suffice. Some of the issues were connected into the conflict, but I wanted even more! There were also moments where the transitions between scenes or days were so fast (see the mention of driving between Indiana and Massachusetts several times) that the timeline of events read confusing.

As always, Alvarez's prose was gorgeous in places. I wrote down a lot of quotes and found myself rereading a few sentences here and there. I think her development of Antonia's character was probably my favorite part of this book; she is dynamic, but convincingly so, not going so far as exaggeration. As someone whose life will likely not include children, I found this book cathartic and reassuring.

I received a reviewer copy of Afterlife by Julia Alvarez from the publisher Algonquin Books from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

What It’s About: Antonia is a recently widowed and retired woman living in Vermont, she finds her life impacted by two simultaneous crises: an undocumented neighbor trying to help his girlfriend cross the border and her older sister's disappearance.

What I Loved: I have a soft spot in my heart for books set in Vermont and New Hampshire, as I'm from there. This book looks at the undocumented community in Vermont something I know little about and found intriguing and believable. Also Alvarez's writing is gorgeous and I really loved how she set up the story with Antonia trying to be a kind person but also knowing her own limitations and struggles, the way she speaks about this struggle is touching. Additionally, I loved the elements of the sisterhood and sisters when you are in your senior years, it's rare this is talked about.

What I didn’t like so much: At times the book feels repetitive and sometimes that can be frustrating but it's also part of the style. The writing for the introduction was also an unusual style that made it hard to read.

Who Should Read It: People who like books with beautiful writing. People who like books about family and sister. People who like complex and diverse stories.

General Summary: A story about a woman balancing her grief and mental health in the midst of two crises.

This book is raw, it's funny, it's sad, but most of all, it's wonderfully, and flawlessly, written. A central theme of the book is what do we owe each other? This is a question the narrator, Antonia, returns to over and over again and it is not simply answered. The story shows the emotions that our short, beautiful lives are filled with, love, sadness, hope, and loss. I think this is a great story and definitely recommend reading!

While I own When the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents, another book of Julia Alvarez's, I hadn't gotten around to reading it yet when I agreed to be part of Afterlife's blog tour. I was a bit hesitant since I wasn't familiar with her works, but oh how glad I am to have read this upon its release. What a beautiful look at growing old, at learning to deal with loss and grief as it comes upon you more frequently, at how sisterhood is such a unique and strong bond no matter the years. I truly appreciated following Antonia on her journey as she learned to live through the end and beginning of old and new relationships, as her life shifted towards her new normal. Her bond with her sisters, and how each and every one of them has their own very unique personalities, while also still blending into what they've dubbed 'the Sisterhood', was wonderful to read and experience. Alvarez's writing is a treat, and you can feel her own thoughts and questions surrounding the issues Afterlife touches upon through Antonia's voice. The inclusion of Estela and Mario's storyline, and the immigrant issues within Antonia's community in Vermont, was also handled very well, highlighting how immigrants' lives are affected by both the decisions of the community members and the unsteady political footing in the U.S. With so few books truly analyzing these issues, this novel gives a voice to those who have grown older, but still feel young in their questioning of the world's intricacies, as well as blending together many societal issues we are dealing with right now.

I’ve mentioned before that Julia Alvarez is one of my favorite authors. I was so happy to hear that she had another book coming out. Thank you to @algonquinbooks and @librofm for making a review copy available to me.

Antonia Vega is an English Professor who has just retired from teaching and is suddenly widowed. If these two major life events weren’t enough, her sister disappears and an undocumented teenager shows up on her doorstep.

One of the things I enjoy most about Julia Alvarez is that she is a master storyteller, especially about sisters. In the Time of the Butterflies, How the Garcia Girls Lost their Accents, and now Afterlife are perfectly written stories of how sisters interact with each other. Alvarez writes of the complex relationship between each one of them: the oldest, the youngest, the most successful, etc. The Vega sisters deal with a tough issue, mental illness, but in the funny way sisters around the world interact.

The storylines in the novel are complex: coping with the loss of a spouse, the mental illness of a sibling, and dealing with illegal immigration. The illegal immigration storyline is especially poignant because Antonia isn’t removed from the struggle, she is living it. When an undocumented teen shows up on her doorstep, she has to act to help her.

My only wish is that this book had more--more of the Vega sisters and more about the town Sheriff...there’s more to that story! Afterlife was worth the wait, and now I want more! 4/5

Thank you so much to @algonquinbooks and @writerjalvarez for giving me access to an advance review copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks! Afterlife is out now!

Antonia Vega has retired from the college where she taught English and then her husband Sam dies. Then her sister disappears and a pregnant teenager shows up on her doorstep. Interesting novel about a family in crisis.

Antonia is a woman in her 60's who has just become a widow. Her deceased husband is someone who she believes is a much better person than herself. As she grieves, her life feels empty and hollow without the man she loved. Antonia pinwheels emotionally, but believes she should do what she can to keep her husband, Sam, alive in some way. This story is her journey through the valley of the shadow of death, on her way to finding some new kind of peace and normalcy. Along the way, she must deal with her sisters and a pregnant, undocumented teenage girl who shows up unannounced. What can love do for Antonia? It's time to find out.

What I appreciated about Afterlife is that it provides a hopeful picture of life after death. Some other stories have covered the idea of keeping loved ones alive in memory, but I think Afterlife takes this a step further, and I appreciated its approach. I also enjoyed reading about an older protagonist, which is uncommon. One thing I know for sure: You owe it to yourself to walk a mile in Antonia's shoes, and to ask yourself what you would do if you lost somebody you loved and respected in your life. Now more than ever, the moments we have with loved ones are so precious, and Afterlife probes our minds and our hearts for a deeper response than just, "I would miss them." Don't miss this one.

Afterlife literary fiction at its best.Antonia a newly retired professor suddenly loses her beloved husband Sam .As she’s dealing with this heartbreak family issues keep coming at her ,a missing sister mental health issues navigating life as she and her sisters are aging.She also becomes involved with a pregnant immigrant.An emotional multilayered novel to savor.#netgalley#Algonquinbooks

“Occasionally, she takes sips of sorrow, afraid the big wave might wash her away.” Antonia Vega is a retired college professor, writer, poet, wife of the local Vermont doctor who recently passed away. She’s coming up on her grief deadline while dealing with life still moving on and bringing waves of different events, tragedies, and questions of identity that seem to never end. This story is what happens after the happily ever after and when a reader is left bereft when she wants to get the words right, armed with writers and their words in her mind to try to make sense of the world around them. A few months away from the year anniversary of her husband’s death, Antonia is accosted by the disappearance of her older sister, Izzy, who was supposed to meet up her sisters, Tilly and Mona, to celebrate Antonia’s first birthday after her husband’s death. Meanwhile, back in her home, Antonia has become entangled in the lives of the immigrant workers in her neighbor’s ranch, and a recently arrived younger girlfriend who’s pregnant. I loved following along with Antonia’s thoughts and the voyage we accompanied her on. The sisterly dynamics were spot-on, explained under rules that the sisterhood understand and are never said and never questioned. Each sister has an assigned ringtone in their phones that’s supposed to be ascribed to their characters, “makes it easier when you can pin someone down as a type with a ringtone or label”. Alvarez writes so much in these 272 pages, she writes about immigration, never fully assimilating even when you have a job teaching English for four decades, afterlife, sisterhood, patriarchy, economic dependence on immigration in the United States especially for farmers, humanity and the lack of humanity that abounds, and so much more. I truly loved so many of the passages I read. Events segue from one to another in a way that did leave me scrambling but helped me to sympathize with Antonia’s predicaments. Trigger warning for suicide, mental illness, and one fat phobic comment that jarred me a bit. No idea what it was doing there and it could have been taken out but it didn’t take away from the book. The side characters, especially the immigrant workers, were a bit two dimensional, helping to propel the story and the hardships that are faced to people that come to the United States so I wish that would have been explored more. However, this wasn’t the purpose of the story. We are following Antonia and seeing the world through her eyes as she just tries to reshape her world after so many griefs. I love her introspection, her own calling out about her privilege and how that taints how she sees the world around her. Plus, she’s a reader and I love following her thoughts. I truly recommend this. “Death does not wound us without, at the same time, lifting us toward a more prefect understanding of this being and ourselves”. (less)

Afterlife is told from the point of view of Antonia, one of four daughters of Dominican immigrants to the U.S. Now in her 60s and financially well off, she is simultaneously dealing with the death of her beloved husband, trying to help the undocumented Mexican workers at her next door neighbor’s farm, and the disappearance of her bipolar sister. While this is an own voices narrative, it’s an interesting reflection on the privilege that Antonia has, while simultaneously facing some (but not all of) the same racism that the undocumented characters face in her small Vermont town.

This is Julia Alvarez’s first adult novel and it took me a while to get into her writing style, but I soon appreciated the beauty of her poetic phrasing (one favorite: “she uses that term passing, death no more than a lane on a highway, for those speeding into the unknown.”)

There are some beautiful reflections on death, grief, and loss, so if you are dealing with the death of a loved one, this novel may either be very cathartic for you, or may be the last thing you need. The title is referred to frequently as Antonia grapples with her loss and how best to remember and honor the people she loves. This one hooked me during this quarantine while I’ve had trouble focusing on reading, so I recommend if you are in the mood for an engrossing but somewhat depressing story. I loved it.