This book is a delight. I went into this one blind, having no idea what it was about. The instant the audio began I knew I was in for something special. This is the story of Cara, a woman from the Dominican Republic living in Washington Heights, NY, as she tells her story through 12 interviews with a job matching agency. It is a story of resilience, motherhood, mistakes and friendship. This book is presented on audio as more of a production and it really works. The narrator brings Cara to life as she talks about everything she has gone through as well as her views on various topics. I fell in love with her and all her faults. What is particularly great about Cara is that she learns from her mistakes. I also adored the way she tried her best. Even when she made mistakes, it was always with a good heart. I love a book that presents a unique story and this really brings that to the reader. I would say if you are looking for a great audio book this would be one to put on your shelf. I am so glad to have read it.

I enjoyed the narration of this novel and the style and set up worked well in the first part of the book. But, once the novelty of the format wore off, the plot didn’t quite hold up the rest.

This story had a compelling heroine who led a full life with a story to tell. I liked the overall story arc, the message the author was conveying, and its heartwarming final chapters, but it wasn't my favorite type of storytelling.

The story had a first-person narrative written in an interview style where the protagonist was sharing about her previous life in the Dominican to now in Washington Heights, NY. All told with cultural flair. I'm married to a Puerto Rican with a Dominican best friend, so I had insider information regarding the food and cultural references, which I loved. Unfortunately, I just didn't find the writing style immersive. I always knew I was reading a book or listening to the audio. Cara was a heroine that I struggled to care for during the first half of the book, but the author did manage to win me over as her story continued. I would have enjoyed the book much more if not for the storytelling method.

Notes about the audiobook: Very well done and presented with a voice that echoes the true essence of Dominican and immigrant culture.

This is one of the best books I’ve read this far in 2022. Absolutely masterfully written, with laugh out loud moments, heartbreaking stories, and an overarching theme of just how hard life, in general, can be. You will not be disappointed by this story.

The story follows Cara Romero, a 50 something woman who was recently laid off from her factory job, as she attends 12 career counseling sessions to continue her financial assistance and hopefully find a new job because she wants to work. Candidly, I am not always the biggest fan of completely character driven novels, but I just loved Cara Romero in this story. During her sessions Cara spent most of her time telling the counselor (who doesn't actually take part in the conversations) all about her life. Her answers to the paperwork she had to fill out were very direct and to the point which had me giggling. Sometimes funny, sometimes poignant, sometimes a little sad, all the time real, this was a lovely shorter book. I'd highly recommend listening to this one. The audiobook narration by Kimberly M. Wetherell and Rossmery Almonte really brought this one to life and I loved the little sound effects thrown in for good measure too!

Rating 4 stars

Special thanks to @macmillan.audio and @netgalley for the ALC of How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water for review purposes. All opinions are my own.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review. ARC provided by Macmillan Audio.

Cara Romero thought she would work at the factory of little lamps for the rest of her life. But when, in her mid-50s, she loses her job in the Great Recession, she is forced back into the job market for the first time in decades. Set up with a job counselor, Cara instead begins to narrate the story of her life. Over the course of twelve sessions, Cara recounts her tempestuous love affairs, her alternately biting and loving relationships with her neighbor Lulu and her sister Angela, her struggles with debt, gentrification and loss, and, eventually, what really happened between her and her estranged son, Fernando. As Cara confronts her darkest secrets and regrets, we see a woman buffeted by life but still full of fight.

Cara is a uniquely funny and human narrator. The whole time I was reading this book I felt like I was listening to a friend talk. This is a story about the cycles of abuse that we live through and perpetuate, and the bonds we build as we try to break these cycles. The plot is simple, the story is not. Loved watching how the characters changed and grew, even in adversity. It was funny, heartbreaking, dramatic, and I seriously wanted to be her friend.

A unique voice of a 50ish Dominican woman, recently eliminated from her factory job. The story unfolds through interviews with her job placement counselor. This is really a story about belonging, family, and a mother/son relationship. I alternated between laughing and crying at points. Highly recommend on audio!

HOW NOT TO DROWN IN A GLASS OF WATER
Angie Cruz

This book is a good example of a book that was not for me but may very well be for you. In this case, I knew immediately this book was not a good fit for me, but I kept going, and in hindsight, I’m still not sure why.

Before buying this book, please consider the format and your listening preferences. If I had I might have had a better experience with the unique performance, structure, and writing style.

This narrator and the entire performance are just that- a performance. It’s formatted and structured like a series of interviews between our main character and a job counselor. The performance is similar to going to a play, with your eyes closed. It’s tactical and intertwined, you can’t simply ignore it and continue listening.

That will either appeal to you or it won’t. Now let’s talk about the story.

Cara Romero has had a series of unfortunate events, but today she has an interview. After the recession, she is forced to look for further employment. As she goes through the series of interviews, we learn all about Cara and her life up to this point.

It’s a story about one woman’s life highlighting both her triumphs and disappointments. It’s endearing and bittersweet. I’ve never come across a character quite like Cara. Her magnetism and charisma come across in a beautiful way.

This was a unique experience and I look forward to seeing what Angie Cruz does next. Although this one was not for me I could see the potential for other books.

Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced copy!

HOW NOT TO DROWN IN A GLASS OF WATER...⭐️⭐️

The audiobook version of this was really well done, you can tell they spent money on the production. The book is of Cara's sessions with a job counselor. The tone of Dominicana was more serious, emotional, and depressing, but this one was different and I laughed out loud several times. I will definitely want to read the physical book when it comes out.

How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water by Angie Cruz follows Cara Romero, a Dominicana living in New York. After loosing her job she joins a program that sets her up with a counselor who will help her find a job. The program provides sessions that turn into a type of confessional. Cara shares her day to day life, what is happening with her friends, neighbors, and family. As an audiobook you feel an intimate connection with Cara it is like you are the person she is sharing all of this with. She is funny, confident, smart, capable, loving, helpful, and is honest in a way that I think surprises even her. She talks about different times in her life and everything that has led her to this point in time. I loved this narration and story, Cara reminded me of so many people in my life. My mother for one. The way of thinking was similar and it made me understand my mom through Cara in a new way. I loved getting to know Cara and her people. There is a lot of wisdom and hope here. I think we all need hope and purpose in our lives and sometimes it’s found in places we would least expect it.

Cara Romero is an immigrant in her 50’s that finds her Sefer attending Senior Workforce Program sessions after unexpectedly losing the job she’s held for many years. These sessions are supposed to determine what jobs she is suitable for. Cara’s banter during the sessions had me laughing throughout. What a character! It is also very sad and moving as we learn why she immigrated (to get away from her husband), the live she has for her son and their estrangement.
This was a delightful book that stayed with me for quite some time after finishing. Highly recommend!
*** huge thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review

“How Not to Drown In A Glass of Water” is an absolute gem. This is an incredibly well done narration and the audiobook is more of a dramatization than a reading - it was so fun to listen to! The way in which the story of Cara Romero was told, you can really understand and feel the depth of her character. Cara is an older woman who has lives much of her adult life in NYC (after immigrating as a younger adult) and finds herself unemployed. The story of her life, her family and friends, neighbors and men, all unfold over a series of sessions with a job placement counselor. Her story was both hysterical and heartwarming. I highly recommend reading this, particularly by listening to it on audio!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing the audiobook to review!

I really enjoyed this audiobook. It gave great insight into the main character, Cara Romero's life. The audiobook performance was outstanding- it really set the scene and gave authenticity to the character. I loved Cara's spunk and directness. This is funny, sad, and everything in between. Cruz tells the tale of a woman trying to make it in NYC, issues with men, her son, and her sister. She is a well-rounded character. A quick book that is very enjoyable.

I am so glad I had friends recommend this book to me because at first glance I wasn't sure about it. It's now one that I will wholeheartedly recommend far and wide.

How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water follow Cara Romero through her 12 sessions with a career counselor. After thinking she'll spend her life at the factory she has worked at for decades she has been laid off and in need of a new job. We hear her rent bill stacking up in between her sessions. Cara is not so inclined to talk about jobs and job skills however and is a far better storyteller. We never hear the counselor but Cara talks and talks and tells the story of her life. We learn about her son Fernando who has cut her out of his life. We learn about her neighbors and her relatives whom she helps out. We see from her eyes how her upbringing has shaped who she is and how she interacts with others.

This is one that made me laugh, but then also frequently tugged at the heartstrings. The narrator did an AMAZING job at bringing Cara Romero to life and expressing the emotions of her stories. The added background effects leveled up the book even more.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for the advanced listening copy of this one.

Despite my early misgivings about whether this would be the book for me in hindsight I should have known that this would end up a story I would fall in love with (as I did).

This is my first book by Cruz and I loved it.

Inside these pages, you’ll find very real and honest moments—some full of sorrow, others full of humor. It was a delight to listening to Cara’s life. I particularly enjoyed when she filled out her applications, and I literally laughed out loud on a few occasions. She is such a colorful and beautiful character, and I loved being part of this story from beginning to end!

The narration was also fantastic. I felt transported into the story and like I was sitting across from Cara hearing the story of her life.

I highly recommend listening to this one, it’s such a great audiobook!

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the alc in exchange for an honest review.

How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water will make you want to look at life differently, to think,"What would Cara do?" The audio book version was like listening to a radio play to such an extent, I wondered if this short novel was written only for audio and double checked. It IS a book. But check out the audio. It is fabulously well performed and makes an already emotionally intelligent and emotionally engaging book grab you and make you sit in your car to listen to just one more chapter.

The concept for the book is great: Cara, a Dominican Republic immigrant who has lived in the Washington Heights neighborhood in Manhattan for years and in her rent controlled apartment for over twenty years, is taking advantage of an Obama era job program for older people. She will receive benefits for going through twelve weeks of job counseling and, hopefully, finding a job. The factory she worked in in New Jersey moved to Costa Rica and left Cara and many of her friends out of work. Her life had a rhythm and purpose, getting up each day to take the van across the George Washington Bridge for a job she loved. And now, Cara meets each week with the job counselor/social worker and the voice we hear is Cara's throughout, talking about her interests, then opening up little by little till we learn all about Cara, her best friend Lulu, her 96 year old neighbor who she feeds every night, her belief in an email/phone psychic that she pays for help and insight, her much younger sister Angela who became an accountant, is married to a hospital worker and saves her money to move to Long Island. Angela's children, who Cara cares for after school each day. Lulu's distress and breakdown over family concerns. Cara's estrangement from her son, that breaks her heart. Her vicious mother who tried to make Cara stay with her dangerous and abusive husband before she fled for New York. Cara is the one who helps organize neighbors to check on the forty year old daughter of a woman who has to work three jobs, so that this very disabled woman/child can stay with her. Cara is the one who cleans that friend's apartment when the daughter gets very upset in the middle of the night and throws things around, breaking them. She creates a better place for her friend to come home.

The thing is Cara has faced a lot and she cares for people who face a lot. She has done the best she could, sometimes making big mistakes. And she learns from them. There is a TON of humor in this novel because there is a TON of humor in looking at each of our lives and choices and beliefs about what we have done right or wrong. The laugh out loud stuff comes from when Cara takes tests or fills out applications or creates her first password and responds to password recovery questions. She gives full responses to these questions, not understanding the point and it is deeply funny and sweet. Less sweet and also funny is the name of the company that is trying to offload all of the Dominican residents in rent controlled apartments so that they can gentrify the building that is still undeniably in a high crime neighborhood where white people will find more affordable places to live and work in Manhattan. I, of course, read the audio book and cannot tell you the name of the company, so you get to hear or read the joke for yourself.

We, the outsiders to this conversation can see the times that Cara has to come to terms with having done something wrong and her efforts to justify it, because she knows she is fundamentally a good woman. Change comes slowly to Cara. But her humanity and love forces her to see her errors and to make amends, to do the work and to change and embrace change. She also knows what she can do and believes in herself and is proud of her strengths. She can speak English fluently, but if a job requires talking on the phone it will not work because she cannot understand English speaking people on the phone. She cannot take a job with a one hour commute because of the people she takes care of every day. She cannot have an in home daycare because she does not believe in behavior management that never involves the right to use at least a whack across the legs. But she is willing to try new things and learn about other ways of looking at the world. It just takes her some time.

Most of us have probably seen Cara in the store or standing at the bus stop or working as a house cleaner but few in my position in life can know Cara, the human being, the remarkable force, the sympathetic woman. Cruz opens the window and lets me peek in and meet this smart, complex character with a huge heart and a full life we can only wish for. I want to eat at her house. I want to be someone she cares about. I want to learn about her culture. I want her son to forgive her. This book is poignant, loving, funny, all that life should be. Read it. Better yet: Listen to it.

This was such a treat as an audiobook, though be aware there’s a lot Spanish interspersed! As a Mexican-American It was easy to follow along and found it immensely authentic and relatable but otherwise it may be handy to have Google translate nearby! The MC, Cara, was such an endearing, unforgettable character. Over 12 sessions we learn of her struggles with friendship, family, and love in a society and economy that is always changing, but despite the challenges of her life she perseveres and her unwavering strength is inspiring.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ALC in exchange for an honest review!

This was a really interesting book. The protagonist is a unique person who sees herself very differently from she acts—she selects “shy” as a descriptive characteristic in a form, but tells her entire life story to a stranger and often judges her family and neighbors. The form felt limiting at times, especially in the middle which dragged on.

This is definitely a book unlike anything I have read before. Cara Romero, a 50-something Dominican woman living in Washington Heights, is taking part in a program to help her find a new job. How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water is the compilation of her interviews and applications.

Getting to know Cara in this way is amazing. She’s hysterically funny and tough as nails. I can’t recommend this one highly enough.
If you’re looking to get into audios, this would make a great one to start with.

Cara is from Dominican Republic, living in NYC and is in her mid 50's. She has been out of a job for 2 years because the factory moved to Costa Rica. This book is 12 interviews with a job counselor trying to help her find a fitting job. Cara is a spit fire who loves fiercely, knows who she is, will stand up to anyone and is also swayed by that letter from the psychic! She basically tells her life story over the length of these interviews.

Perhaps what I liked the most were the application or surveys she filled out. When asked "what hours can you work?" She says something to the effect that she can work any hours on any days at any time...except between 6-8am because she has to help her neighbor, and Sundays between 10-12 because she goes to church and after 11 she needs to sleep, of course, but otherwise she's available anytime. When asked, "when can you begin working?" she writes, "yesterday". It's just full of clever remarks!

This audio book may be the best audio I've ever listened to! The narrator, Rossmerry Almonte did an amazing job bringing Cara, our main character to life! The writing is witty, humorous and so enjoyable to listen to. This was completely entertaining with a lot of heart! There are background noises of her writing when filling out applications, a typewriter, and my favorite, her drinking water-because she's so thirsty--I think this happened every chapter.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advance audiobook.