I really enjoyed this novel. It's a story filled with love; love for our partner, siblings, family,acquaintances even strangers. It examines the interconnections we have with each other and how we navigate ourselves in this crazy world. This story reads like a smooth whiskey on a rainy night.

Afterlife by Julia Alvarez is a wonderful piece of literary fiction. This is the first book I have read by Ms. Alvarez, but as I enjoyed this so much, I am going to be sure to read more.

This book brings into play a lot of family and social dynamics: sisters/relationships with siblings, family death, death of a spouse and soulmate, mental illness, and balancing one’s needs while also addressing other’s needs.

This book also addresses a lot of emotional issues as well: love, loss, and acceptance in the abrupt passing of Antonia’s husband Sam, hope and belief that a life can be better lived that takes shape from the situation of undocumented immigrants that is placed on Antonia during the course of the novel, love and fear and frustration and compassion in regards to Antonia and her sisters in the situation with Izzy’s mental issues and temporary disappearance. And finally: optimism, acceptance, and perseverance in the ability for Antonia to overcome the all-encompassing loss and change to her life from losing Sam and creating a new existence to the years she has hereafter. I love that she is creating a way to keep Sam “alive” and with her by always considering what he would have done if he were still alive, and in that keeping a part of him always with her in her path forward. That is a lot to say in such a small story, but the author was able to weave all of this together in a beautiful tale full of characters, imagery, and fabulous text and quotes.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

5/5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Algonquin Books for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon and B&N accounts upon publication.



There

I have enjoyed reading Julia Alvarez’s books and this one also. The dynamics of four grown sisters and circumstances of the death of a beloved husband. Of course there was some darkness stemming from one sister’s mental illness, the death, and more. The hope in my opinion came from the young immigrant couple and how they could possibly make their life work.. I wanted to hear more of them and their contemporaries.

Regardless of one’s religious beliefs, we are all familiar with the effect of a loved one’s impact well after death. We can not avoid thinking, “What would X do”. After a while, we learn that such a reaction is a generally healthy one. “Afterlife” by Julia Alvarez reminds us that this is so in a powerful manner.

However, that is only one of the main threads weaving through this compelling novel. The other is immigration and how it has manifested itself especially over the most recent generations. Americans have always struggled with immigration, forced and otherwise. In a few recent iterations, Hispanic immigration especially was treated with a bit of a “look the other way” approach. As we all know, that time is clearly over. Immigration in all its phases is now fraught with danger and fear. Our surveillance state seems to know no limits.

Alvarez writes movingly about how even recent immigrants who have worked to assimilate into the so-called American melting pot still struggle to do what’s right. Each situation is unique. Every day brings opportunity for new decisions. Doing nothing becomes a decision as well.

Occasionally there are heroes that appear from the least likely of places. Sometimes there is tragedy that may or may not have been avoided. Ms. Alvarez has written a strong story with multiple layers. Her characters are fully believable;, each situation is totally plausible. The novel is cinematic in nature. Beautifully done.

Thanks to Algonquin and NetGalley for the eARC.