Of Women and Salt tells a tale of generations of women, from Cuba to Miami, and back again. You learn secrets, personal failings, and also learn of a ribbon of abuse that threads it's way among the women. The one thing about the book I did not enjoy was the confusion of going back and forth, between time, between characters, and the gaps in the story. We learn of Maria Isabel - cigar roller in Cuba, struggling to learn to read, marries her love, and experiences great sadness and loss. I kept turning back and forth wondering, did I learn about Cecilia? Much of the novel was focused on Jeanette, and her story was the most painful to read. The drug addiction, the horrible choices (the foam party), and the tough relationship with her mom and dad.
Introducing the characters of Gloria and Ana - the illegal immigrants from El Salvador added to the confusion of the story, but yet it made the ending more meaningful. It was a unique was to highlight the perils of immigration, and the heartbreak of those people that are turned away. I hope to read more by Gabriela Garcia - many of her quotes and passages were so poignant, and memorable.

I’m judging a 2021 fiction contest. It’d be generous to call what I’m doing upon my first cursory glance—reading. I also don’t take this task lightly. As a fellow writer and lover of words and books, I took this position—in hopes of being a good literary citizen. My heart aches for all the writers who have a debut at this time. What I can share now is the thing that held my attention and got this book from the perspective pile into the read further pile.
“Teenage you, spread like a starfish on the trampoline. Do you notice your crooked smile, how we share a mouth? Teenage you, Florida you, Grad Nite at Epcot, two feet in two different places. This is possible at Epcot, that Disney tiny world, to stand with a border between your legs.”
I hope this passage exemplifies what I felt when I first read it, the beginning of a promising debut, how Garcia can engage contemporary and complicated narratives.

I saw the reviews that exclaimed this was the book American Dirt should have been. I loved American Dirt, so I just had to read this book. I wanted a more authentic voice telling the immigrant story. This book is just not that book for me. I don't think it delved far enough into the immigrant story. Instead, it presented a confusing timeline of events from a myriad of characters. It skipped around too much, that I never had time to be tied to a character enough to feel empathy for them. It almost felt rushed, like someone speaking too fast that you didn't understand everything that was happening, and you kept waiting for it to be explained in more detail later. Even the end's small twist fell flat for me.

From Cuba and El Salvador to Miami and Mexico, this book follows a few generations of women through time and geography as they try to navigate the world- both through the perspective of the family members who stayed in Cuba and the ones to fled. One character is picked up by ICE, leaving her 7 year old daughter behind. The women are so different and so alike, and this book does a great job of exploring family and loss and love and forgiveness and addiction. It also deals with displaced people, being detained and deported (to the wrong country!), and ties all of the characters together in a way that is very satisfying.

This book was amazing and heartfelt.

I love discovering new authors. And WOW. For a new author.. Gabriela Garcia came out SWINGING. This book packs a powerful punch right in the feels. It is emotional and strong. It had strong female protagonists which is something that I always appreciate in a novel.

More and more books nowadays have diversity. This book not only features a strong cast of female protagonists but it is also about Latin-Americans.

Excellent!

So good. 5 generations of women, in Cuba, Mexico and Miami. A current day ICE deportation in Miami kicks off the story. We learn about immigrants, husbands and wifes, mothers and daughters, sisters, love, lies and betrayals. Very engrossing and important in today's world.