As a lover of literature and other people's stories, I found this book fascinating. Alma is a Dominican-American writer, determined to use land inherited from her late father as a final resting place for all the stories she could never finish. In this way, she thinks, she will allow them to rest in peace. Some stories, though, still have things to say. Her move to the Dominican Republic introduces her to more people and their stories, unknowingly connected to her own. The interconnected stories all give their narratives to Alma, her employee Filomena, or each other.
Aside from the creativity of the interwoven narratives, I loved learning about Dominican history and culture. I appreciated the intermingling of Spanish words within the mostly English text; I was surprised by how much of my college Spanish instruction I could pull from some recess in my brain. The novel is beautifully written, and I love that not everything is tied up with a pretty little bow. Fantastic novel.

A beautifully written novel about writing and story and family legacy. This novel requires time to read so you can sit and appreciate the skill and artistry of word use the author employs.

I was transfixed by "The Cemetery of Untold Stories" as author Julia Alvarez explored the theme of a writer haunted by their unfinished projects through a magical realism lens. This brilliantly personified the mental toll that creative endeavors can impose, which I related to through my own endeavors. The interlacing of Alma and Filomena's stories brought me an emotionally resonant experience. I loved Julia Alvarez's descriptive, lyrical writing and the a hauntingly beautiful exploration of the weight of untold stories and the creative struggles that define a writer's journey.

4 stars for a literary fiction book about the Dominican Republic in the Caribbean sea. Alma is a Dominican expat, now living in the US. She has written many bestselling books, but has many unfinished stories, some with painful memories. She decides to move back to the Dominican Republic and build a cemetery to bury the unfinished stories. She hires Filomena to be a caretaker of the cemetery and her house. She asks Filomena to sit by the cemetery plots and listen. Voices tell of loss and pain during the Trujillo dictatorship.
Many of these stories are very sad.
One quote by a philandering husband: " Fighting with your wife is not against the law. Sometimes when he drinks too much and loses his temper, Tesoro can get physical. A soft slap, a yank by the hair, holding her hands behind her back and pushing her to bed, having a little sex to calm her down."
Thanks to Algonquin Books for sending me this eARC through NetGalley.
TheCemeteryofUntoldStories #NetGalley

The Cemetary of Untold Stories, by Julia Alvarez, is beautifully written. There is something about her way of putting words together. I do love her novels. but found this one a bit difficult to follow at times. I enjoyed the overall premise and found this story thought-provoking. It was well worth working through the parts that I struggled with. Recommend it? Absolutely! Thanks, NetGalley and the publisher, for providing me with the ARC ebook I read and reviewed. All opinions are my own.

I’d forgotten how much Julia Alvarez’s writing feeds my soul! This book is amazing.

I loved the story, this cemetery that could possibly exist, the stories that could’ve easily been the family stories I’ve heard from my own Mami and Tíos.

The descriptions of DR in the present day are so accurate that it sometimes felt like I was reading a passage about my day. And what can I say about her writing? Beautiful!

I love this author! This was beautiful. I will read everything she writes for the rest of my life.
Art makes you feel things and this made me feel things.

A thoughtful work of magical realism ideal for fans of Alice Hoffman and Matt Haig. I adore stories that are about stories themselves and this one certainly delivered. I'm one of those people who doesn't find cemeteries or graveyards creepy, but restful places instead, so the concept of this novel was so intriguing to me. The theme of a writer being figurately and literally haunted by their unfinished projects is something I'm surprised more people haven't used in books. I feel that any creative person will relate to Alma's internal struggles, specifically the mental toll "creating" takes on an artist. This is definitely one of those stories where a ton of unexplained, but interesting things happen and to know the reasons would ruin the sense of wonder.

I haven’t been able to stop thinking about this book since finishing it earlier today. I can’t exactly say why it’s had such a profound effect on me. Maybe Julia Alvarez’s impeccable prose, the viewpoint of its many characters, or the history and culture of life in the Dominican Republic. But I like to think it’s the story itself. A story about stories, or rather the untold stories of an author who decides to make a literal graveyard to bury her unfinished manuscripts. When the characters of these stories begin to speak their tales to the groundskeeper, this novel becomes a thing of magic and wonder! A thing which may leave you breathless and amazed!

3.9. I’ve always loved Julia Alvarez’s writing. Her writing is so beautiful and lyrical. Her newest novel, The Cemetery of Untold Stories also is beautifully written and weaves magical realism into this novel, with a primary focus on those stories that are never told or make into print along with those that do. It gives a voice to those untold stories, which in this case, were “literally” buried in a cemetery, but that have so much to say and their incredible impact on various peoples lives. The cemetery, through the voices of those in the stories, allows these stories to be told and reborn. The author is in familiar territory where she describes life in the Dominican Republic, and the terrorizing years under the dictator, Trujillo. As in her other novels, there seems to be some autobiographical parts, as well as incorporating her family members, including her sisters. . Various “untold” stories of different people are interestingly interconnected. I did have trouble staying focused throughout the novel, yet it is a beautiful rendition. Thank you to Netgalley for providing me an advance copy in exchange for an unbiased and candid review

I am a big fan of Julia Alvarez and have loved several of her novels. I love her narrative style and I love her beautiful characters and this book is no exception.

This is the story of Alma who is a famous author who decides to move back to her home country and create a cemetery of untold stories to honor and bury all the stories that won't leave her alone but that she's not managed to write.

The novel intermingles Alma's story with Filomena's (a worker she hires to tend to her cemetery) and several of the characters also tell their stories. Each story is unique and interesting and you can't help but get attached.

IT wasn't my favorite of Alvarez's novels but I still loved all the moments I spent with it.

with gratitude to netgalley and Algonquin Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

I love the descriptive, lyrical writing in the book. The construct was unusual. and the plot original, but I had some difficulty following the narrative and identifying with the characters. I expect this novel to have strong appeal for readers who love magical realism. Thanks to the publisher for the Kindle ARC from Netgalley!

Poignant touching work of the importance of family and sharing stories. Narrative dragged in places and not really a plot that holds together and no real character development. The "stories " were touching though and worth the read.
I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review . 3.5 actually

Thank you to Net Galley and Hachette Book Group for an early copy of The Cemetery of Untold Stories by Julia Alvarez

"When an old person dies, a library is lost"

"All stories are good stories if you find the right listener"

This latest work of best-selling author Julia Alvarez revolves around Alma Cruz (Scheherazade)
and her attempt to elicit the stories of everyday people by encouraging them to tell their stories at the "cemetery" she has created in the Dominican Republic.

Using the inheritance from her father, Alma leaves Vermont and her teaching career to return to her D.R. homeland where she supervises the construction of a small house and grounds in an unsavory part of town. Here is the 'cemetery" where everyday people can come to share their stories before they are lost.

Alma will learn stories of her own family; the first visitor, Filomena will have her own story to tell.with the tragic events of her sister Perla unfolding; and Manuel will share what amounts to poor decisions and wasted effort.

The Cemetery of Untold Stories stresses family and personal relationships on every page of the novel and gives cause for the reader to think more deeply about his or her own stories. Combined with the beautiful imagery and historical context, the book is a testament to all life stories.

Julia Alvarez's "The Cemetery of Untold Stories" is a profound and enchanting novel that beautifully marries literary fiction with magical realism. The narrative, centered around Alma Cruz and her unique cemetery for unfinished stories, captivated me deeply. Alvarez's storytelling is both inventive and emotional, weaving tales that resonate with authenticity and beauty. The characters, particularly Alma and Filomena, are richly drawn, their stories interlacing with haunting elegance. This novel is a tribute to the power of storytelling and the unending life of stories. Alvarez's beautiful book is a poignant reminder of the unfinished stories we all carry and the enduring power of storytelling.

An interesting story that leans towards magical realism. That is not my thing, but it was an enjoyable and engaging read. And I generally enjoy the work of Julia Alvarez, so my rating may reflect my bias in her favor.

Beautifully written but found it hard to really get invested into the story. However, I think this is perfect for those who struggle with regret over finishing a story.

A poetic concept of people's stories and how some many beautiful and fascinating stories die with their owners.
Alma inherits this piece of land in the Dominican Republic. She turns it into a cemetery of untold stories. Filomena is hired to maintain the place and to listen to stories (not everyone can hear them, but she can). She learns people's deepest secrets. A lot is hidden behind a person's wrinkled face. We tend to see our grandparents and those innocent beings but, who's to say what outrageous secrets hide behind those lips.

I am giving this book 3.5 stars because the stories were poignant, elaborate, but no story touched deeply enough to give it a 4 star rating. The writing was beautiful, I loved the sprinkling of Spanish words and saying throughout the book, and I love the cover. The ending is underwhelming. I wish there was more to say in the end. I felt let down.

Thank you Net Galley and the publisher for thus e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Cemetery of Untold Stories was a fascinating blend of literary fiction and magical realism. To summarize the plot, Alma Cruz, a novelist with anguished past whose recent novel threatened her very sanity, inherits a small plot of land in her homeland of the Dominican Republic. On this land she creates a graveyard to bury her untold stories, the characters she couldn’t bring to life. Truthfully, this felt very King-esque, specifically in regard to Pet Semetary, where nothing that lays there is ever truly gone.

While I felt the plot was quite interesting, I struggled to keep up with the rapid timeline changes as well as the very large number of characters to keep up with. My personal opinion was that it made it hard to follow and I had to reference previous pages fairly often.

What I did love was the detail and depth of character development. This felt like very personal writing. It may even have been a type of ode to the characters that Alvarez herself wanted a second chance to bring to life.

Thank you to NetGalley for access to this text in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I must admit that I was disappointed in this book. I enjoyed her prior work, and the concept of this book really appealed to me, but I just was not grabbed by the execution.