This was a beautiful historical fiction. I loved the time period and how the characters were representative of the time. Highly recommend.

The Things We Didn't Know captures the lives of two children caught between their Puerto Rican culture and their upbringing in a small Massachusetts factory town. Andrea and Pablo are caught between their father who is a factory worker and their mother who longs to return to her family. The autobiographical novel traces each child's adjustment to the issues brought on by adult decisions. Author Elba Iris Perez has written a thoughtful novel about the cross-culture struggles of children.

At times this is a heartbreaking coming of age piece of historical fiction. I struggled to keep picking it up, not because of the writing but because I worried about Andrea and Pablo. The writing and the setting and the saga feel of the story were all beautiful and well done--this is a debut! It was also interesting to hear about the eras covered in this book through the eyes of Andrea. It offered something different than what I have read in the past.

THE GOOD:

Our leading lady is a vibrant, youthful character, if a bit lacking in confidence. Her loud, noisy, opinionated family radiates their love for her, both in positive and negative ways.

The slice of life in Puerto Rico is interesting.

Love the use of Spanish here and there throughout. It was just the perfect amount to add flavor and atmosphere without bogging things down in unfamiliar verbiage or lengthy explanations.

THE BAD:

The author (or her publisher’s advice) just couldn’t help themselves and had to bang on several times about modern-day societies’ twin hot topics du jour: Racism (you guessed it!) and Transgenderism (eye roll). With a bit of feminism (“I want more”) thrown in.

Our leading lady and her brother stay temporarily with an aunt who dresses like a man, wears aftershave, and (somehow) grows a beard. (There’s no mention of hermaphroditism, which would cause that.) The aunt features throughout and (because of course) eventually a girlfriend of hers shows up.

In addition to the above, and don’t forget racism, there us also quite a bit of anti-Vietnam War mumbo jumbo, and anti-Americanism.


CONCLUSION:

Reads a bit like a memoir in a “list” kind of a way: ‘First we did this, then we did that”.

Lacking in poignancy and emotional pull, while events in the tale should have easily drawn in those aspects.

If The Bad section above is your jam, then go for it! If not, there are plenty of other books in the sea. 😉

Many thanks to the Publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy!

I tried a few times to get into this but unfortunately, it was not for me. I encourage others to try it for themselves!

I loved this book so much! I couldn't put this down! A great debut novel that I will be telling everyone about!

WEPA!!! 4.25 or 4.5 stars, which I'm happily rounding up. So, full disclosure, I'm Puerto Rican, so I was already going to be strongly biased in favor of this story, but... that doesn't always work out, as I DIDN'T love books but had hoped to, such as "Familia" and other recent books. This one, I did, though. I was hooked immediately, as both the main character and all her family and friends were people I knew, recognized, and cared about in one way or another. A phenomenal debut effort, albeit a bit rushed towards the end, and I strongly recommend this book for its heart, humor, and humanity.

I read this book both via its audiobook version and a physical ARC I received from the publisher, mostly the former. I loved the narration; it was sometimes difficult to differentiate the characters's voices, but the narrator injected so much extra warmth to elevate an already great story. Many thanks to NetGalley and to Simon & Schuster for the digital and physical ARCs in exchange for my honest review of the book, and many thanks to the publisher for choosing this book as Simon & Schuster's "Books Like Us" contest. It really brought Puerto Rico and its people alive for me, and the author masterfully shared both what is unique AND universal about the Puerto Rican (im)migrant experience. This book truly filled my soul. Gracias desde el fondo de mi alma.

Andrea and her brother Pablo are originally from Puerto Rico but move to the US in the late 1950s to join their father in Massachusetts. Their mother though is unhappy and kidnaps them back to Puerto Rico. When they finally return with their dad, they find their town changed.

I really enjoyed the part of this book in Puerto Rico because I feel like it was actually story driven. When they return to the US, I felt like so little happened at each time period we were given - it fast forwards at different intervals through Andrea’s life. I enjoyed the writing style actually but I just wish more stuff actually happened. I wish I could say it was more character driven but really a lot characters come in and out of Andrea’s life, so it isn’t that as much either.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I wasn’t able to finish the book before the deadline but I really enjoyed what I read. I will be buying a copy soon so I can finish it.

Thank you NetGalley!

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 @𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 @𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘰𝘯.𝘢𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘰 #𝘨𝘪𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘥.) 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦 𝗪𝗘 𝗗𝗜𝗗𝗡’𝗧 𝗞𝗡𝗢𝗪 by debut author Elba Iris Pérez has the feel of a memoir, but isn’t. Instead its Puerto Rican author drew from elements of her own life to weave together “𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘤𝘰” (a small Massachusetts mill town). For this story Pérez won Simon & Schuster’s first ever 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐔𝐬 contest, an honor we all now benefit from.⁣⁣⁣
⁣⁣⁣
𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘞𝘦 𝘋𝘪𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘒𝘯𝘰𝘸 tells the story of Andrea and Pablo, siblings growing up in that tiny MA town from the 50’s through 70’s. Living there was a comfort in that most of their neighbors were also Puerto Rican, but also a frustration as the town itself had little to offer. For a time, the emptiness of the town drove the sibling’s mom to flee back to Puerto Rico with her children in tow, but that brought on a new array of complications. ⁣⁣⁣
⁣⁣⁣
Back in Woronoco, Andrea and Pablo faced many of the same problems as other children, but layered on top of those were cultural expectations that never seemed to ease up. As the era of Vietnam, hippies, sit-ins, and drug use became more widespread, their small world quickly developed cracks.⁣⁣⁣
⁣⁣⁣
The whole of this book is told from Andrea’s perspective and on audio narrator Marisa Blake did a fabulous job bringing her voice to life. I loved learning about that mid-century era from a fresh angle. I also appreciated the reminder Andrea too often had to give: that as Puerto Ricans she and every other Puerto Rican ARE Americans. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What a beautiful coming-of-age story – and a debut novel from this author! The Things We Didn’t Know is a semi-autobiographical story about Andrea, a young girl who immigrated to small-town Massachusetts from Puerto Rico in the 1950s.

I was right alongside the main character throughout the entire story, and Perez writes so vividly that it felt like an actual memoir! This book did such a great job of illustrating internal conflict from a child’s perspective. As an older sibling, I found myself relating to Andrea so much as she tried to balance caretaking for those around her and carrying the burdens of others with her own joy and contentment. I also liked how tactfully it highlighted historical events and the political climate from Andrea’s perspective without getting bogged down or too heavy. The commentary on gender stereotypes, cultural differences, identity, etc., through solely Andrea’s told experiences, was so subtle and well-crafted -- it was both heartbreaking and heartwarming!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

The Things We Didn't Know by Elba Iris Perez is a first rate semi-autobiographical novel that focuses on the lives of two siblings, Pablo and Andrea Rodriguez. The novel begins in the 1950s when Pablo is five and Andrea is seven. The family is living in the company town of Woronoco, Massachusetts where the children's father is employed by Strathmore Paper Company. Luis brought his family to Woronoco from Puerto Rico to give them a better life, yet he continues to hold onto the traditions and cultural mores of his homeland. His wife Raquel, is miserable, despising the isolation of Woronoco, missing her family and thinking all of the neighbors judge the family, especially her, and see them as foreigners. One summer day Raquel takes the children and returns to Puerto Rico. The children are overwhelmed, don't understand what is happening and are upset at leaving their Papa and friends. Shortly after arriving Raquel leaves the children with their Aunt Cecilia, also called Aunt Machi, a very masculine gay woman,, who loves the children and tries to help them assimilate to their new surroundings. Just when the children are to start school, Raquel returns , again uproots the children, taking them to stay with their Aunt Florencia in a crowded tenement home. Florencia loves the children, however is poor and not well. Ultimately Luis discovers how his children are living and goes to Puerto Rico to bring them back to Woronoco. There is so much more to share, yet it is for the readers to discover as they read this moving story. Are Pablo and Andrea American or Puerto Rican? This is a question they often ask as their cultures seem to collide every day. Andrea narrates the story with passion, honesty, in it she tells the reader about the conflicts she and Pablo experience, the racism they experience, some directed at them, yet some directed by certain family members to others. How critical is a mother's love in the lives of her children, why did Raquel leave and what was the long term impact on Pablo and Andrea? The book also references historical events of the time period including the assassinations of John Kennedy, Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King JR, the Vietnam War and student protests. The longer I write this review, the more I realize how very much I like this book. Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books, an imprint of Simon and Schuster, for the opportunity to read an ARC of The Things We Didn't Know; I highly recommend it.

From a new voice in fiction, the inaugural winner of Simon & Schuster’s Books Like Us contest, Elba Iris Pérez’s THE THINGS WE DIDN'T KNOW —follows a young girl's journey from childhood between the 1950s Puerto Rico and a small Massachusetts factory industrial town through the 1960s, in this gripping coming coming-of-age cross-cultural debut novel.

It has been four years since the father, Luis Jose Rodriguez, brought the family from Puerto Rico to Massachusetts to the remote tiny town of Woronoco, a factory town.

He had come to New Jersey originally as a season farmworker, leaving Puerto Rico until he had a home for them. When the farming season ended, he accepted an invitation from an acquaintance for a job in Strathmore and saved money for a place to live and a car. There was not much around except a paper mill—Woronoco was its own little world.

Upon arrival, the mother complained about the town being isolated. There were no stores, restaurants, or public transportation. She wanted to return to Puerto Rico. She made their lives pretty miserable.

In 1959, Andrea Rodríguez was nine years old and their brother Pablo seven when her mother, Raquel, a housewife, whisks her and her brother away from Woronoco, the tiny Massachusetts factory town— the only home they’ve known after she felt trapped. Before this, the mother had attempted to nearly drive her husband’s car off a cliff since she did not know how to drive.

With no plan and no money, she leaves them with family they have never met in the mountainside villages of Puerto Rico and promises to return.

After they arrive on the island, Cecilia, aka Titi Machi, Raquel’s sister, welcomes them on her farm near Caguas, which helps the kids experience summertime in the countryside and get enrolled in school.

The mother is not committed to them and spends more time elsewhere doing her own thing with friends. Then, the mother returns and wants to take them to another poorer sister's house to collect child support. All the while, they tolerated an absent mother.

Almost a year later, Luis comes to get them to go back to Massachusettes. Andrea is forced to stay with an abusive aunt. Everything had changed. They now have to adjust to the different cultures and do not feel like they belong in either. Caught between two worlds, Andrea, born in Puerto Rico, struggles to find her place in 1950s and ’60s America.

From family problems in Puerto Rico to Massachusettes, Andrea must weather the storms while finding themselves, dealing with betrayals, cruelties, race, culture, racism, family strife, and personality identity from childhood to adulthood.

Andreas goes to school, marries, and ultimately finds happiness. However, Pablo has suffered and struggles with his identity.

Heartfelt and emotional, we see both sides of life in the 1950s and family bonds. I enjoyed the childhood stories, and you felt for the children being torn and not knowing where or how to fit in, especially in their teen years.

The author skillfully portrays the contrasting environments of Puerto Rico and Massachusetts and its impact on the children. Whereas Puerto Rico had lush mountain villages, Massachusetts was a small industrial town.

Beautiful storytelling, absorbing and immersive, THE THINGS WE DIDN'T KNOW is heartbreaking and thought-provoking. The author expertly explores the family drama, self-discovery, identities, beliefs, history, traditions, belonging, cultural differences, and gender—a blend of coming-of-age, historical fiction, and literary. I look forward to reading more by this newfound author.

Thanks to Gallery Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early review copy.

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 4 Stars
Pub Date: Feb 6, 2024
Feb 2024 Must-Read-Books
Feb Newsletter

Set between a small Massachusetts town and Puerto Rico, The Things We Didn’t Know follows the lives of two children as they grow up. I found this to be a great depiction of an immigrant experience and had interesting family dynamics in both places.

What a debut! This coming of age story had me by the heartstrings so much that it felt true. While this isn't a memoir, it reads like one, and I couldn't put it down. Elba Iris Perez is someone to watch!

“You can love someone without taking responsibility for all the things they’ve done.”

While reading, I was just like yeah I get it, it’s a coming of age. I felt like I was just waiting for the big plot bomb to drop. Then I got to around 80% and it clicked for me that yes it’s a coming of age, but it’s also highlighting how abandonment vs controlling parents impact someone as they grow up, which is why we spend so long with Andrea as a youth and less and less as she grows up. She’s working to move on from this area of her life.

“The Things We Didn’t Know” tackles many issues regarding immigrant families and generational differences. How immigration and wanting to blend in can put weight on families and their culture, pushing them to turn against other minorities. Difficulties of cutting family members off, when it can be obvious and “easy” to do so and when it can be crushing and difficult. How someone you care about and who has cared for you for so long can still be damaging you and putting you in a toxic environment. Blurring the lines between given vs chosen family and wondering if blood is thicker than water.

I absolutely adored this multi generational story that encompasses decades in the life of a family told from the perspective of the daughter.

I really enjoyed this book. I actually believed it was a memoir, until I read the ' Acknowledgements' at the end !
I enjoyed the detailed descriptions of sensory experiences whether the author was sharing elements of sights, sounds, smells, sensations. Her storytelling flowed smoothly and easily for me. I didn't feel the author was ' trying too hard ' to offer details. rather I feel her narrative flowed nicely. Her character development was solid... again, I thought this was a memoir so I thought the author was drawing character development from reality, so to know she had fictionalized every person... well, I was even more impressed with her writing.
I read the book in 3 days ( I read daily and I do read quickly ) which also indicates my interest in picking up the book each day to continue. The author's stories of growing up partly in Puerto Rico and partly in Massachusetts was compelling, interesting, and the book held up until the end.
Great debut writing !

I wanted to love this book. I think the first 100 pages I did. I can forgive the weak character building and no plot. But then the story just gets worse and worse. This book is melodramatic at odd times and the times where more prose was needed it just glossed over.

gorgeous coming of age novel that made all the characters feel incredibly real. the exploration of culture and how we fit in worked very well. thanks for the arc.