Listening to Corky Parker's La Finca was a frustrating experience. Parker’s perspective often felt deeply rooted in privilege. As someone from Puerto Rico, it was disheartening to hear her treat our island as an exotic backdrop for her personal narrative. If I could sum it up in a single sentence, it would be: “Tell me you have a colonial mindset without telling me you have a colonial mindset.” This audiobook ultimately missed the mark for me, and I will not recommend it.

I loved this story! It was so rich in culture and was very moving.
It was such a wonderful novel, and very relatable~

I am thankful to NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook. It was not on my radar, and I enjoyed it overall. Perhaps because I don’t have a travel bug, I can’t imagine operating a travel “lodge” at all, let alone 4,000 miles away. I’m sorry I was judgmental while Corky relayed some of the dramatic stories of managers, caretakers, operators and guest, but she was 4,000 miles away! As the book progressed I began to love La Finca, not just the book but the place also. Thank you for sharing your story.

Thank you NetGalley and Lantern Audio, Trinity University Press for accepting my request to audibly read and review La Finca: Love, Loss, and Laundry on a Tiny Puerto Rican Island.

Narrated by Corky Parker.

So often am I disappointed in an author narrating their own work I have made a conscious decision to pass on those books. I missed the author/narrator combination for La Finca when requesting this story. As it turns out, this is statistically the 1 out of 100 where one person did the work of two really well. (FYI: I stand by my choice to pass on future combo books.)

I connected to the storytelling through Parker's voice right away. A 40 something woman was performed and I bought it. The synopsis spells out the memoir without me rehashing it. The cruel ironies and the get-up and go attitude have to be heard. At one point I laughed while looking at my own hand. I was certain paint (blue) came through the line onto me. The dream of an island is not held back in my opinion. She tells all the bitter truths and joys. Her personal heartache is shared as well. I liked that the story is told matter of factly.

This was a fast read. Each chapter was another breath and a whew, I got this. It is put together so well, it feels as if 200 pages is a mistake, however it is not. There are no fillers. This is a beautifully told story.

I would recommend this for a road trip, nursing home activity, and as a general gift without the epilogue.

Note: The epilogue is disappointing and several days after finishing the book, I'm still disgusted by Parker's 360 degree turn in writing. I'm left wondering if Parker had a contract to include fowl language with fulfillment there. It was truly disgraceful. She cheapened her entire story and husband. This went from 5 to 3.5 stars.

La Finca was a memoir, but a very different one. Yes, it told stories of the author's life that were joyful. loving, tragic, and harrowing. But moreover, it was a memoir of a place. A very special place that touched everyone who experienced it.

I could picture myself in all of the shoes of the visitors of La Finca. I was barefoot with the yoga retreat and flip-flop clad with the naive tourists. I wore mud-covered tennis shoes with the adventure seekers and soft slippers with Corky herself. I felt that I HAD visited La Finca with her words and I'm glad to have traveled there while I could.

It was beautifully written and I was soothed by the voice of the author as she relived the days of hardship, triumph, and love as she navigated the adventure that was La Finca.

Sweet memoir with a lot of fun stories! Tells the tale of trials and triumph in a relatable way. Loved it!

Narrated by the author this is an engaging story of one woman's perseverance through adversity to achieve her dream of owning and running an inn that is unusual, and friendly, and comfortable. I loved listening to this book. It was great knowing the narrator was the author. She told the story well, and made me want to go stay at La Finca. (spoiler alert) Without any prior knowledge of the inn, it was disappointing to find out it was destroyed, but sort of made it more of a fairy tale of something amazing that was not available to us any longer.

I didn’t enjoy this book. There was no way to access the PDF or see the drawings and the story itself feels too colonial (the author talking about Puerto Rico as “exotic”).

I’m a big fan of audiobook memoirs read by their authors. The best ones make you feel as if the person is telling you their story, and Corky Parker’s “La Finca” definitely is one. At times the narration seemed a bit breathless, as if Parker just couldn’t rush through the words fast enough to express her emotions. Her writing is casual, colloquial, and quickly paced. The early chapters seemed especially rushed, although she calmed down a bit after the purchase of La Finca Caribe. The story of her life—and how it revolved around this inn on a tiny island off Puerto Rico—is fascinating and engaging. There are plenty of ups and downs to keep the reader’s attention. I can’t criticize the author for the ending: this is non-fiction and she didn’t make up this sad conclusion, but the epilogue was such a contrast to the vibrant, colorful, and energetic story that came before. But overall I really enjoyed this tropical tale. Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this audiobook.

I listened to this book on audio and loved it. Specifically because the author read it herself so the words felt stronger and like she was sitting down at coffee with me and telling her story. Also for me I loved the idea of buying property and then enjoyed how the author shared their story and didn’t sugar coat the troubles of property ownership. Thank you Corky for your work!

This was a very enjoyable and interesting read. The author, on a whim, buys property in Puerto Rico with the idea to run, more or less, a tropical bed and breakfast. From stark naivety to complications with family and business, she learned as she went. She had constant, and entertaining, struggles keeping good caretakers and managing the property, but somehow - and with good humor and a dose of quirkiness - makes it work. I enjoyed the story, and especially appreciated the things I learned about Puerto Rico in the process. The narrator was excellent.

This is a memoir of a family taking on running an inn/ hotel in Porto Rico — it is nice that they are privileged enough to be able to have a home in America and a hobby project in South America. I couldn’t take this book seriously for the first 30% it just felt so privileged cause most people can’t ever live out such kinds of dreams . By my standards this family is wealthy— but the story really began to grab my attention when her life fell apart and it’s unfortunate that she lost almost everything . The writing was good though and the author did a great job of narrating her own book . The families experiences interesting to listen too and how they overcame their hardships a bit like an adventure story-- treasure island . Her experience of losing her spouse is definitely relatable for me as well as losing everything she had . After her divorce I became more interested in her life and her adventures and struggles-- and how she put her life back together again. - she has some pretty crazy stories to relay to the reader . The ending was heart wrenching but thus is life.

Both heart warming and heart wrenching as Corky takes us along her journey of dreaming of La Finca to acquiring it, to what time proves this journey to be equally hard as it is satisfying. As a Puerto Rico native, hearing how she fell in love with PR had me smiling from ear to ear. I loved how she pointed out through out the differences between Vieques and the main island of Puerto Rico, and even mores with the USA. Slight touch on the political and social issues. Oh how I would love to go to La Finca now knowing this magical, enchanting place exists!
This book is describe as a illustrated one. I just had the audio version of it. Will have to go get myself a physical copy for the beautiful images.

A Life Filled with Adventure, Challenges, and Fun
Corky Parker shares how she and her husband purchased a tourist resort on an isolated island in the Caribbean and named it La Finca Caribe. The property was three acres in the hills of Vieques, a small island just off Puerto Rico's eastern coast.

There are many poignant stories about the challenges and rewards of living in a tropical paradise.

The audiobook is narrated by the author and she does a wonderful job telling her story with passion and enthusiasm.

My Thoughts
I loved everything about this audiobook. It was fascinating and entertaining from the beginning to the end.

La Finca sounds like a wonderful place and I am so glad the author shared her memories in this book. Corky hosted hundreds of visitors over a period of nearly 25 years. She has a writing style that makes the reader feel like they have enjoyed the wonderful sights, sounds, and people of the Caribbean Island.

The end of the book finds Corky a widow and her beloved La Finca heavily damaged by Hurricane Maria. The legacy of La Finca Caribe lives on.

Eh, this book was just OK. Narration was good, just wish the story captivated me a little more. Not much was going on for most of the book, I've definitely read better memoirs.

I never bash an author but I am really offended by this book and was not expecting what was in it. Granted, I only listened to about 6 chapters and dI had to stop before I threw my phone across the room, but as someone with a lot of affinity for Puerto Rico and total awareness of the real problems there, I have a real problem with this author. She is the epitomy of a colonizer who sees real Puerto Rican people's problems as somewhere between cute or annoying. For example, people who have to live with roaches or rats...it's their daily life, but the author commented on it as if it was something primitive that she'd have to figure out how to get rid of. She ignores Puerto Rico's problems, calls the Independentistas by the wrong name (Independistas) and behaves just like the white savior who has come to her island paradise.

The title sums it up well: Love, Loss, and Laundry. The book is read by the author, and is the heartwarming and heartbreaking story about her time owning a small inn in Vieques, Puerto Rico.

Thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher for access to this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I chose to listen to this audiobook via #Netgalley in exchange for a review.

The author, Corky Parker, is the narrator of this audiobook and what a fabulous job she has done! Her voice is pleasing & and her emotion is felt while listening to her story.

I highly recommend this inspiring fast paced book of self discovery for any memoir fan.

After listening to her Epilogue,
I had to google Corky and find out what she’s up to today…be sure to visit her website corkyparker.com

I loved this book! It's a nice memoir and taught me something about a part of the world I knew nothing about. The narrator and author is a 60-something woman who takes the dare to open a small guesthouse on an island off Puerto Rica. She goes through many personal changes and challenges along the way. Highly recommended for intelligent but light reading, perfect for travel or vacation reading/listening.

Thank you to #Netgalley for a free copy of this audio book in exchange for an honest review.

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My Interest

I have a fairly strong family connection to the Puerto Rican island Vieques. Before the likes of RFK, jr and his siblings were done there protesting the US Navy’s presence there, my first cousin, once removed, and my uncle (the cousin’s first cousin) had homes on the island. I’ve been to San Juan on business, but never made it to what my Uncle and his daughter (my cousin) and her kids just call “The Island.”

The life there reminded me of a hot weather, bright sunshine version of the life the 2ndC1r’s parents had in Norther Idaho before the neo-you-know-who found the place. An eclectic mix of summer people. or on The Island winter people, from academia, the arts, small business owners, big business executives, tired lawyers, burned out hippies, and returned Peace Corps Volunteers (like me).

When I read the description on #Netgalley for La Finca, I knew I’d found what my relatives found on The Island. I had to read it–well, listen to it. That it was illustrated with the author’s art work (which you can view online), and enhanced with her journaling or poems–those were a bonus. And, a foodie of all foodies, Alice Waters, makes an appearance? I had to start listening immediately.

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The Story

Corky and her first husband went to Vieques, discovered paradise, and bought a part of it. That’s the simple version. Corky loved the quirky, back packer-cum-Peace Corps Volunteer-cum hipster environmentalist vibe of the place they christened La Finca Caribe–the farm. La Finca. It was a going concern when they bought it, but to a very niche audience. That was just fine with Corky. She liked the charm of the amateur-built buildings, the mis-mash of furniture–even the bathroom with no door!

Eventually, after the three kids grew up and after the first marriage failed, and after the business she and her ex had built that made them wealthy enough for such a venture a billion miles in more ways than one from their home on an island favored by Seattle commuters who wanted a more countrified lifestyle, Corky was able to put her own personal stamp on the place.

“Its not just to save money. ‘Early Garage sale’ is more than a fashion statement–more than a ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’ way of life. Besides being good for the planet our practice of using mismatched sheet and towels, chipped plates and faded t hrow pillows is about providing the unexpected–tossing a little whimsey into our guests’ vacations. They see immediately that they can let their hair and guard down.”

It’s no wonder people came back annually! Who wouldn’t love a place with hand painted floor cloth “rugs”? [Well, ok, the Hilton/Hyatt crowd, that’s who….but that’s not “us,” right?] Balanced precariously in the travel rankings somewhere between Fawlty Towers and India Hick & David Flint Wood’s Harbour Island, everything about La Finca was tailor made for me! If I was going to get on a plane again and travel to somewhere hot then it would top my list. Her guests may gripe that they couldn’t rent a car (during some of the years, they could have booked a Jeep for a “tour” from my Cuz, but….) and there wasn’t much hot water, and all the rest of the things first world types complain about

More than that though, I liked the way Corky KEPT GOING. If you read here often you know that since the RIF that took my career-job away post COVID, I’ve had to do a lot of “Keep Going” like it or not. I’ve found a lot of “bibliotherapy” about women, real and fictional, to get me through these tough times. This book is great for that. But it was near the end, when Corky has had her biggest moment and she begins to allow herself to see herself as successful that I really felt buoyed by this book. I KNOW how hard it is to give yourself that “permission.” All of this inspired me so much.

The ending–I’m leaving that for you to read, but if you’ve heard Puerto Rico mentioned in the last several years, you likely know. Here’s a hint–click if spoilers don’t bother you.

Now, about the Victoria’s Secret photo shoot? Finally a reason to look at it–I want to see more of La Finca! If you’d like to see more, check out Corky’s website and blog.
My Verdict
4.0

La Finca by Corky Parker won the Nancy Pearl Award for Memoir