4 ✨
literary fiction with a little spicey thriller sauce
themes of family, loss, gentrification, sacrifice, home
cw: stillborn, racism

“What if triumph meant tearing the whole damn thing down, excavating deeply, to build something new?”

when we excavate deeply, what can we cultivate? within ourselves, within our communities, within our ideas. our masks are weighing us down. our secrets keep us tied to an identity that isn’t us. we don’t have to cover up, not ourselves, not our neighborhoods. we have to dig, to find the beauty, to let the love breathe, to allow space for the truest version of ourselves and our communities.

what a magnificent novel. highly recommend.

I have a difficult time believing "Neruda on the Park" by Cleyvis Natera is a debut novel-it's that good! I could identify completely with Luz, from her overbearing family to being expected to kill yourself for that prestigious attorney job just because you are a woman and highly educated. I could also identify with Eusebia, and the rage she felt at having her life's choices stolen from her by others, including her husband.

This own voices novel has many underlying themes, including the desire to control one's life, the importance of community and culture, and the societal expectation that we as women must hold all our pain inside and be strong for our families. At its heart, "Neruda on the Park" is about the desire to control your own life and the lengths you are willing to go to do so. Luz is expected to devote herself to a job that doesn't value her and leaves her little time to actually live. Eusebia is expected to devote herself to her daughter and husband and to just sit by and watch as her neighborhood and the culture of her community are threatened by gentrification.

I loved the colorful and realistic characters that come alive from the pages of this book. The author's skillful writing deftly unveils a multilayered plot full of community dynamics, cultural expectations, race relations, and a bit of romance. It's a snapshot of what life can truly be like in an immigrant neighborhood facing change from gentrification. This is a story I won't soon forget and I will be highly recommending it to everyone! I can definitely understand why "Neruda on the Park" is considered one of the most anticipated debut novels of 2022 and I hope to read further works by this author.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the privilege of reading an advanced digital copy of this fabulous book, in exchange for my honest review.

This is two perspectives (mother and daughter) on gentrification of a largely Dominican part of NYC. I very much preferred the daughter's story and I would have liked more on her perspective and less of the mother's. It was interesting how perspectives differ. This is very character focused - not plot driven.

Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was only okay... I debated rating this a 2, but am settling for 3.

I was really interested in the story until about halfway through and I had to keep making myself pick it back up again. The last 10% was better, but not enough to make my rating better.

The character development was choppy, the writing sometimes just weird, and the storyline disjointed. The writing wasn't just weird, it was a large part of why I had to make myself pick it up in the latter half. Half of the sentences were incomplete, making for a less than smooth read.

There were chapter breaks but they were given titles that, more often than not, seemed to be a random phrase from that section and didn't have much to do with what was happening.

Overall, I would not recommend.

I have read many books focused on the life of immigrants, especially in the USA. Neruda on the Park is a standout story of a family and a community of Dominican Republic immigrants in New York. Luz and her parents live in a community in northern Manhattan near Nothar Park. Luz has checked all the boxes for her family goals. Luz graduated from law school and is on the cusp of becoming a named partner at a classy law firm. The dreams of her parents fulfilled, her father can safely continue building his retirement home back in the DR. There is one problem that comes up; he hasn't told his wife about their retirement home.

Luz's mom, Eusebia, is caught up in the construction that appears ready to take place across the street from their apartment, a place she has called home for twenty years. Someone bought the derelict building and is tearing it down. A place called Hudson Yards will go up in its place. Eusebia finds herself becoming an activist, stirring up the community to prevent what she perceives as the destruction of her community's way of life.

Luz has lots of drama in her own life besides worrying about her parents, she has developed an attraction to the developer of the new building, Hudson. This novel delivers real drama and a look at the complexities of making a successful life in 21st century America. Neruda on the Park stands out with clarity at what new life gives and takes from those immigrants who work so hard and hope for so much.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for this e-ARC

Book: Neruda on the Park

Author: Cleyvis Natera

Rating: 3 Out of 5 Stars



I would like to thank the publisher, Ballantine Books, for providing me with an ARC.



This one had the potential to be a five-star read. However, it just fell a little short of what could have been. I kept wanting for that little thing to put it over the edge and make it great. This one of those deals where we have the bones of a great story, but it just doesn’t reach that level. We follow a group of characters who are in search of what they want in life. On the outside, they seem to have everything going for them, but they want more. Add in the fact that there is a group of people who trying to end their community and destroy everything that these people have worked for. We follow hardships, immigrants trying to make, and social justice. All of these things should have put this story over the edge for me. We should have had a great story and I should have fell in love with everything. However, it just didn’t leap off the page for me.



I had a really difficult time with putting myself in the story. I really wanted to connect with the story, but, again, there was just something holding me back. The bones of what I enjoy in stories was very much there, but it just, I don’t know, didn’t work for me. There were many times that I was fully invested in the story. I felt the pain and suffering, as well as the strength come across the page. Then, I would read a couple more pages and these feelings would be gone. I just wish that the emotional impact had been a little bit more present.



The writing, again, was there. It was very compelling. Like with the other elements of the book, I just felt that it was missing something to put it over the edge. There were many times that I felt like I was there with the characters, experiencing the events. Then, I would turn the page and this connection would be gone. When I am reading, I want to feel this deep connection and bond with the book. I want it to pull me in and leave me with all of the feelings-all of the time.



Overall, I just wanted a little bit more than I what I got. I don’t think this is a bad read, but I just wanted more. I wanted something to bring that edge.



This book comes out on May 17, 2022.

Neruda on the Park was an interesting story of family, community and gentrification.
This book takes in place in New York City in the Nothar Park neighborhood which is predominantly Dominican Republicans that have made their home there. When a developer comes in and starts to build a new condo, the lives of the neighbors are going to change, but not if Eusebia has anything to say about it.

I have read many books set in NYC that are about gentrification, but Neruda on the Park was a bit different and unique. Told in dual POV from mother and daughter, it already stood out. Eusebia has lived in this neighborhood with her husband and daughter for over 20 years and while she will always have a connection to her home in the DR, Nothar Park is her home and she will not be forced from it. She has created a community and family there and will do anything to make sure she stays in her home.

Meanwhile, Eusebia's daughter Luz is the epitome of growth and wealth and the "American Dream". Her parents brought her to NY for a better life and gave her everything she needed to succeed. She went to school, graduated from a good college and is now a lawyer, living life just above her means with nice clothes and accessories and building her parents a home back in the DR. But when she is let go from her firm, she has to take a good long look at her life and what she wants out of it.

I enjoyed seeing the collection of characters come together to 'save' their neighborhood in such an odd way. I wasn't sure what was going on with Eusebia and her schemes, but it definitely added another dimension to the character and how the story unfolded. Luz was a character I was connecting with until she became entangled with the developer of the new condo. That whole relationship and who he turned out to be was kind of perplexing.

Overall, this was a good story that was a little slow to engage me, but the further I got into the book, the more I was invested in each character. There was a lot going on at some points, but that didn't take away from the sense of community, a love between the people and their neighbors and finding oneself in the midst of change. This is a solid debut with a strong voice. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future. 3.5 stars rounded up

In Neruda On The Park By Cleyvis Natera we read about The Guerreros, a Dominican family living in NYC. When developers start building luxury condos in place of a demolished tenement, Eusebia creates a list of petty crimes and commits them. The scheme backfires and it brings Eusebia to a point where she can no longer contain her rage. People from the community are hurt in the process.

What caused Eusebia’s psychotic break? Was the starting point the loss she endured, the seven years of separation from her husband before joining him in the US, her recent head injury, or was it due to gentrification changing the neighborhood she worked so hard to assimilate into as a young immigrant and new mother? One could argue it’s the way multiple stressors like these chip away at mental health over time. It’s the psychological adjustment immigrants have to make every time there is a life disruption.

I enjoyed reading themes of Bibliotherapy as a way to foster connection- Vladimir, Eusebia’s husband, read Pablo Neruda’s poems as a way to reignite his marriage after years of separation. At the end of the story Eusebia gifts this same book of poetry to The Tongues- a cheeky name she gives to three of her co-conspirators in the neighborhood. When Luz stops by to drop off her mother’s book they return the favor by giving her a stack of three more books- a testament to the way stories can communicate things our own broken hearts fall short of fully articulating.

This is a deeply reflective story about the ways displacement forces us to renegotiate- relationships, our sense of safety, our identity, and our values. There isn’t one character untouched by the winds of change here. It’s so New York

3.5 stars

Interesting story! Though it took me a while to get into it and finish. I would say that it was worth sticking around for. Family, community, gentrification, and survival; these themes are at the center of this debut novel. If you enjoy reading stories about immigrant stories and the many sides of gentrification, read this!

Thank you, Netgalley, for an advance copy to review.

Wow. What a captivating story. Hard to believe this is a debut but I read in the acknowledgements that it was written over the course of 15 years. There is so much to take in on this breathtaking story of gentrification, family, love, loss and sacrifice. I went in fairly blind which served me well as I was completely wrapped into this story line and beautiful writing. This is no doubt going to leave a long lasting impression with me.

"𝑰 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒂 𝒅𝒊𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒊𝒄𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒂 𝒅𝒊𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒓𝒆𝒈𝒓𝒆𝒕. 𝑾𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒊𝒄𝒆𝒔 𝑰 𝒅𝒊𝒅𝒏'𝒕 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒎𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕'𝒗𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒔?  𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒅𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉 𝒅𝒂𝒚 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒈𝒐𝒕."

Vladimir, a husband/father desperately wanting to return to the Dominican Republic. Eusebia, a wife/mother who wants to stay in Nothar Park, a mostly Dominican part of New York City where she's spent the last twenty years of her life.  And Luz, a daughter wanting to make her parents proud and not disappoint them. Where gentrification takes over Nothar Park Eusebia will do anything to stop it.

This is a beautiful story about love, family, friendship, and loyalty. It covers some pretty intense topics like crime, gentrification and identity. It's the type of story that you don't want to end. I really enjoyed all of these characters and wished I could have learned what the future held for them. Fantastic debut novel.

The novel starts out with Luz losing her prestigious job at a law firm. Luz is the only child of Dominican immigrants, Eusebia and Vladimir, who moved to NYC when Luz was 10 years old. Eusebia is upset about the luxury apartments being built and is convinced they will destroy the culture of their Latinx neighborhood. Luz tries to figure out what her next step professionally will be when she accidentally starts dating the rich white (hot) guy in charge of building the apartments, much to her mother’s dismay. Luz’s mother is on a mission to do anything to stop the new development, no matter whose lives it endangers. As the story progresses, the intensity of Eusebia’s mission increases, putting a strain on her relationship with Luz and the community and distances her from her husband. The ending is an explosive collision of both Luz and Eusebia’s decisions that have consequences neither could have imagined.

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. The novel explores the immigrant life from the perspective of one Dominican family living in NYC. In addition, I loved the the complexity in the relationship between Luz and her mother and how the author delved deep into the misconceptions that both Eusebia’s husband and daughter harbored about her desires. I absolutely loved this novel!

Thank you to Netgalley and Ballantine Books for this advance reader’s copy. The novel will be published on 5/17/2022

I am sorry to say that I did not read this novel. Books that are not available as regular ebooks do not play from the Apple accessibility tool on my phone, which I use to listen to books in my car on a long commute. (This is often the only way I have time to read anymore.

So, nothing against the book or the author, but for lack of formatting options, I give this book 3 stars by default.

After reviewing novels for 15 years and plotting my own, it's not often that a book surprises me, but Cleyvis Natera's Neruda on the Park is an astounding debut. The set-up reminded me of You've Got Mail: a naive young woman falls for the charming developer who threatens to destroy her world. However, as the beautiful cover art reveals, Neruda on the Park is more of a mother-daughter story than a romance, unless Nothar Park, their Dominican neighborhood in NYC, is the main love interest. What the story becomes is true to the multidimensional characters in our uncertain times but not what you'd expect from genre scaffolding.

Natera's novel has such a wonderful sense of place of both Manhattan (where I grew up) and the Dominican Republic (where I've visited). The generosity and rivalry of neighbors in a close knit community was well observed. I especially enjoyed the descriptions of food: "Pastel making started out as it always did - hours peeling skin, grinding the flesh of plátanos, yautias, and yuccas until the grainy yellow paste was smooth enough to be mistaken for cooked cornmeal." There's so much local flavor: from the decorative (not pandemic) masks celebrating Dominican Independence Day to the sidewalk barbecues with extra food to share, but crime, sexism, racism, and ICE lurk around the corner.

The book opens with commercial glitz: successful women wear designer suits with mortgageable shoes and dine in trendy restaurants. The power players, both black and white, live in private brownstones, where jewelry and books are displayed behind glass like trophies of social status. Double Ivy League educated herself, Luz Guerrero wants to grasp everything that is withheld from her. Her name in Spanish means light warrior, and she earns it, fighting for justice.

To please her doting parents and her mentor-boss, Luz works long hours as a corporate lawyer, pouring her savings into her parent's retirement home back in DR and buying designer clothes for herself on credit. After her career hits an unexpected setback, Luz meets a handsome billionaire in a hot yoga class (don't quit reading). Although white and privileged, Hudson apologizes for his mistakes, speaks better Spanish than hers, recites Pablo Neruda's poetry by heart, and welcomes Luz into his luxurious world without reservations. Hudson wants the best for her. So why does her mother hate him?

Halfway through the book, the seemingly predictable plot warps like a Dali clock, resetting our perception of reality. What I enjoyed the most was watching the characters develop and twist the storyline in unexpected directions, but I won't say any more to avoid spoilers. Except go pre-order this May 17th book from your local indie bookstore before it sells out. Publishing rights to Neruda on the Park sold at auction for all the right reasons. Will there be a movie?

Where is home? Is it a place? This was a well written family drama with elements of romance, relationships , and community. It all takes place when there is gentrification of a Dominican neighborhood in NYC.
Many thanks to Random House and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to netgalley and Ballantine for the advance copy.

This novel was excellent - the writing brings a palpable sense of dread in many ways, especially with the mother character and what is happening to her throughout the story.

It's about a family from the Dominican Republic that moves, in pieces, to the US and specifically to the neighborhood of Nothar Park in NYC. It really interrogates how all three (mom, dad, and daughter) are affected by the move and by making a new home in the neighborhood. Everything starts to come to a head when developers move in and demolish an old tenement to build luxury condos in the Dominican neighborhood. Luz, the daughter who moved to the US at age 9, is now an attorney dealing with her ambition and goals and kind of struggling to determine what she really wants, along with her parents who also have sacrificed things for her and for each other, but at times without communicating very well with each other.

I couldn't put the book down and I really enjoyed it.

Neruda On The Park is a narrative that weaves together the tale of the Guerrero’s who live in the neighborhood of Nothar Park. This historical and rich neighborhood is under the threat of gentrification as a company wants to bring in new apartment buildings. This new development brings a new atmosphere to a community slowly recognizing that things are changing and becoming unrecognizable. The neighborhood as well as our main characters grapple with this change in their home and are unsure of how to stop it.

The book mainly follows the perspective of Luz and Eusebia and how the changes within the neighborhood also shift the dynamic of their mother-daughter relationship. Eusenia wakes up one day and suddenly has an epiphany that she’s going to fight for her home and what is important to her. On the other hand, Luz is a hard-working Harvard graduate who has been burned out by her job at a law firm and losing her job sparks have a fire within her that maybe this is not the career path she truly wants. She’s tired of always doing what’s expected of her or what people think she should do.

The lengths and desperation that Eusebia will go to keep the neighborhood from change become drastic, while Luz tries to change the trajectory of her career, and Vladimir is carving out a new life for him and his wife in the DR. I appreciated the constant shift of point-of-view while the detailed writing also allowed you to get into the character’s head. This novel is lyrically written, emotional, and sometimes heartbreaking. Natera paints a vivid portrait of the life of immigrants in the United States as well as the trauma that came come with a significant change in our lives. It’s a powerful novel about how fighting for what we believe in, the consequences of our choices, and what we define as home.

This is an amazing family novel, with fascinating characters who will drive you up the wall and make you fall in love with them, by turns.

Filled with intense drama and desperation, Neruda On The Park is a story about gentrification, community, sacrifice, and all the hidden things a person has inside. There are big changes happening in the community, and life-altering decisions needing to be made by each of the main characters. As the story progresses, we find out exactly how far each character will go to be true to their perceived selves and to their community.

There were several parts of the book that were utterly heartbreaking, especially considering traditional gender expectations and unhealed trauma. I appreciated the glimpses into this primarily Dominican community, brought to life with depth and nuance. The characters all had huge flaws, specially when it came to their relationships with each other. I didn’t love the way the book ended, but I understand why the author made the choices she did in that respect.

If you enjoy devastating community dramas with flawed characters, this may be the book for you! This was the author’s debut and I would definitely be interested in reading future works from her.

This novel focuses on a family dealing with the gentrification of their Dominican neighborhood in NYC. The story is mostly told through the the voices of Luz, a daughter, and Eusebia, her mother. Luz has recently been fired from her law firm job and falls for the white developer of a new condo complex in her neighborhood. Eusebia doesn't want her neighborhood to undergo gentrification and resorts to increasingly desperate tactics to stop it. Vladimir, the father/husband, is largely oblivious to what's going on with his wife and daughter as he is focused on his plans to retire from the NYPD and build a retirement home in the Dominican Republic. We occasionally hear from the "Tongues", several neighborhood gossips.

This was well-written and mildly interesting, a slice-of-life glimpse into how a specific cultural group reacts to gentrification.