Thanks NetGalley for letting me read the book for my honest review. I wanted more of the paranormal from this book. That is what I was expecting. That is what I took from the synopsis. So it was my fault for that. It really had me from the beginning. I started getting disenchanted when Alma moved to the DR. I hated Filomena’s life and what she was going through with her family. The stories in the cemetery were sad . I just felt meh about all.

Thanks to netgalley for giving me access to the audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Lately, I have been realizing that maybe books about books are just not for me. I requested this due to the Haitian culture and setting in the Dominican Republic due to my experience with Haitian refugees and the DR. Although it was a beautiful story with gorgeous imagery and a wonderful message, it just wasn't my cup of tea, and the pacing made it hard to keep up. I would definitely consider picking up more books by Julia Alvarez though, even though this one was just not for me!

2.5 Stars rounded up!

Thank you to NetGalley for making this audiobook available to me. While there are many books by Julia Alvarez on my bucket list, this is the first one I have read, and rest assured it will not be the last. Every untold story was beautiful and heart wrenching. Every character was painstakingly developed. Flawed and relatable and lovable. The audiobook is delightfully narrated, although part of me wished I would've read it in print as the story unfolded, I would've loved to have gone back and reread portions of it.

4.5 stars.

Written in stunning prose, „The Cemetery of Untold Stories“ is a novel about a Dominican-born writer, Alma, who inherits a plot of land in her homeland in her seventies and decides to turn it into a cemetery for her unfinished works. But it is also the story of Alma’s father and of Bienvenida, the long-suffering second wife of an infamous dictator, whose stories are among the ones put to rest in Alma’s cemetery; and finally, of a local woman named Filomena, who is hired as the cemetery‘s groundskeeper and who ends up listening to its untold stories. Because although buried, the protagonists in some of Alma‘s works still have stories to tell.

Part rendition of parts of the history of the Dominican republic, part ode to family, and above all, a love note to storytelling itself, interwoven with some magical realism, and full of complex characters, connections, and lyrical prose, I found „The Cemetery of Untold Stories“ to be utterly novel and captivating, and a tender reminder to each of us of the importance of our own stories.

Thank you to NetGalley and Algonquin Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

2.5 stars.

This was my first novel by the author and I chose it because it was a really unique and interesting concept. I typically enjoy magical realism and books about books/writers, but this one did not work for me overall. I received an audiobook arc in exchange for my opinion, which is as follows:

Pros:
*Lovely prose by Alvarez
*Use of Spanish phrases intermingled throughout the text (would be a con if I did not comprehend Spanish, as they are not translated)
*Audiobook narrator was good

Cons:
*Hard to connect with the (real) main characters, nevermind the side/book characters
*Inconsistent pacing - did not hold my attention.
*Confusing and convoluted with all the various storylines. Not sure if this would have been less of an issue in a hard copy of the book compared to the audiobook version.

I seem to be the odd one out, as most of the reviews are quite positive, so perhaps this was just not my cup of tea. Thank you to RB Media, the author, and NetGalley for this audiobook to review!

Thanks to RB Media and NetGalley for the free audiobook file.

I enjoyed the premise of the book. , A woman, Alma, and her siblings inherit a plot of land from their deceased father. Alma is the only sibling interested in the land so she keeps it and establishes a "cemetery for untold stories" - texts she never finished. She moves a woman in to be a caretaker and the stories end up being told to Filomena.

Although the narrator who reads the audio has a pleasant voice and reads at a good pace, I think this audio format did not help as the story was a little complicated and not easy to understand at first. I found myself asking "where did Alma go? How did Filomena get into this?" Once I replayed a few times, I moved forward and found the book to be a sweet collection of stories. I especially liked the inclusion of Dominican references and found that I could relate to many parts of the characters' lives, but not enough to be fully invested in the story. I think the link between the stories wasn't strong enough. I know they were part of different stories, but I think it would've worked better if they was more of a link between them. The intercutting between the random stories and Filomena's life story is jarring at times. I would get into a groove with a story and then it switched up to another one, but the stories are entertaining.

I think overall, it's ok, but it's not my favorite Julia Alvarez book. I would give it like a 3.25 if there were fractional options.

The Cemetery of Untold Stories follows novelist Alma Cruz, who decides to create a literal graveyard for all her unpublished works, yet the buried characters still find ways to get their stories heard.

I was immediately drawn to this premise and am grateful to have received an audio ARC. Alma Cuervo's narration was beautiful, capturing Julia Alvarez’s poetic language perfectly. However, I personally would have preferred tandem reading with a physical copy as I often found myself wanting to see the words to piece together the narratives, as the audio format made it harder to follow the jumps between stories.

My favourite aspect of this novel was its beautiful writing and the meaning behind the interwoven stories, highlighting the importance of sharing our collective lives as stories, even after they end.

Nevertheless, I felt a slight disconnect from the overall book as I struggled with the jumps between stories and maintaining interest in less likeable characters. Despite how it may appear from the book's description, I actually found myself yearning for more emphasis on the magical elements.

Overall, I recommend this book to fans of interwoven family narratives with a touch of magical realism. If accessible, tandem reading with audio and physical/ebook may also be a good shout for the full experience.

Thanks to NetGalley and RB Media for the Audio Arc. All opinions are my own.

I was so excited to start this audiobook that I pushed it to the front of my list. It was released yesterday. Though I'm an audiobook gal myself, I think this book might be better received in physical/ebook format. The voice actor did a great job, though with the constant switching between the untold stories and the actual characters, it was hard for me to follow along. I think had there been more voice actors, this would have been easier to follow. I'd imagine that having the physical/ebook with me would have made this easier so I could reference when the stories switched and who they switched to by looking back a few pages.

The audio was clear and easy to listen to at a regular volume. The actual production of the audio was great and the voice actor did a great job.

This book has so much potential and I'm sad to be critical of it. As a Latina, I loved the bilingual aspect. It was easy for me to code switch between English and Spanish, though I wonder if there's enough context to draw meaning of Spanish words for non-Spanish speakers. That's probably a personal problem for people who only speak English though! Anyone who enjoys code switching between languages would like this aspect of the book.

Each individuals character had such a developed storyline whether they where an untold story character or just a character. I think had there been one less set of storylines, I could have kept their stories straight. It was a lot to remember without having a book in hand to reference.

There is a lot of sadness present in this book and I think Julia Alvarez did a great job at highlighting some unfortunate realities. The mention of young girls being married to older men and sexually assaulted can be a lot for anyone. Though the descriptions aren't graphic or constantly mentioned, it's a lot to stomach even at the mention, so there is that content warning. There also is a lot of infidelity present. I can only describe this as a sad, tame, thriller-ish vibes story. There's a murder that defines a woman and her family among the other storylines.

Overall, there's a lot going on in this book that it's hard to capture in a review. I would recommend giving it a chance, but your chances of enjoying it are higher with a physical/digital copy of the actual book vs. audio only for the purposes of being able to follow along.

Not everyone's cup of tea. Even for the fans of magical realism, this book may seem like a peculiar choice. Besides the catchy title, the story starts from a plot of books about books and gradually drives towards a set of stories spiralling out of control. I enjoyed the sudden influx of information about the characters and their background story. However, I do feel that some of the readers can find it overwhelming.

The witty dialogues kept me hooked to the book and my constant hate towards Alma's relatives kept me alive 😜. The story structure was a bit weird and got me confused, but I do think it was intentional from the author's end and they did achieve what they set out to do, so all's well. The highlight of the book for me was the ending as I reread those last paragraphs over and over. 🥹

Thank you @netgalley @writerjalvarez @algonquinbooks @hachettebooks and @recordedbooks for the digital ARC.
Genre: #magicalrealism #literaryfiction
Rating: 4/5 ⭐️
Trope: #booksaboutbooks


#TheCemeteryofUntoldStories #NetGalley

4.5⭐️

The daughter of Dominican immigrants, renowned Latin American novelist Alma Cruz, decides to relocate to the Dominican Republic after she retires from academia, much to the surprise of her sisters. Despite her successful career as a writer, she carries the burden of several unfinished and abandoned manuscripts that she has decides to lay to rest in a “cemetery” she builds on a piece of land inherited from her late father. Collaborating with a local artist, Alma plans to burn and inter the remains of her notes and manuscripts with artistically sculpted markers for each of her unfinished works. Visitors would be allowed at the cemetery of untold stories but only if they meet some very specific criteria.

Two of the unfinished manuscripts, both of which had a special place in Alma’s heart, don’t burn and are buried as is – one of which was based on the stories shared by her father, Dr. Manuel Cruz, a Dominican immigrant who fled from the Trujillo regime; and the other inspired by the life of Bienvenida Inocencia Ricardo Martinez Trujillo, second wife of former Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo. Alma employs Filomena, a lonely woman who has been visiting the cemetery as a groundskeeper. But Filomena does much more than just tend to the property. Capable of hearing the words floating around the cemetery, she lends a sympathetic ear to the interred characters who share their stories with her – stories that inspire her to reflect on her own life.

As the narrative progresses, we follow all of these characters and the history, people and places that have shaped their lives.

An ode to the power of stories, storytelling and orature, The Cemetery of Untold Stories by Julia Alvarez is an exquisitely penned character-driven novel that combines elements of historical fiction, magical realism and family drama. The narrative is presented from multiple perspectives across past and present timelines. As the four separate threads of the story converge and diverge, the narrative explores themes of family and sisterhood, the immigrant experience and how the stories of those who came before us are never truly gone and continue to influence the lives of those they left behind. I loved how the magical realism aspect of this story was executed and appreciated that the author did not resort to melodrama while describing intense emotional moments. Though there are moments where the narrative might come across as disjointed (the narrative does jump timelines a tad abruptly which takes a while to get used to), this does not detract from the overall reading experience. There were a few aspects and storylines that I wished had been developed further, but I was satisfied with how the author chose to bring all of the threads of the story together. With its fascinating premise, complex characters, rich historical context and powerful writing, I found this novel to be a compelling read.

I paired my reading with the audiobook narrated by Alma Cuervo for an engaging immersion reading experience. I should mention, however, that the narration is more in storytelling mode with minimal variation between character voices. While this itself did not bother me, I feel that given the structure of the novel, it might be difficult to follow the multiple tracks and timelines if one plans to rely solely on the audiobook. I would recommend pairing the book with the audio.

Many thanks to Algonquin Books for the digital review copy and RB Media for the ALC via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

The Cemetery of Untold Stories by Julia Alvarez

Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for the ARC audiobook


Alma Cuervo’s narration was good, but minimal variations between the characters voices. This made it difficult at times for me. I’m thinking reading this would have been more enjoyable for me.

I liked the premise of this and I liked the magical realism in the story. However, for me it felt disjointed and this made it difficult for me to follow the story. I thought it would get better but it was this way for me throughout the book.

Others have really enjoyed this book and many critics have raved about her book.

I enjoyed this tale that moves across generations, families, classes, and reality. When a famous author returns to her Dominican home to retire her unfinished stories, a tale of art, power, family and reality blooms starting with the author and her groundskeeper. This novel manages to demonstrate the threads that bind the world we see and understand to the one that may or may not be there just beyond the veil.

Sometimes funny, and sometimes heartbreaking this was a fun audio selection. The changing storylines do need concentration, so if that is something you struggle with choose the physical option.

Alvarez's writing is lyrical, tender, and gorgeous, but I had a really tough time connecting to the characters in this book across the multiple stories. Logically I appreciated the ways these were interconnected, but overall this was lacking the emotional center to really pull everything together. I'm a huge fan of magical realism and I found myself wishing this had more magic and less realism.

4.25⭐️

The Cemetery of Untold Stories is a lovely story of stories and storytellers, full of insights and humor and quiet reflections. It’s layered, and through the use of magical realism, some of Alma’s characters come to life to tell their own unfinished stories - because sometimes trying to bury a story is just what brings it to light. This one will continue to linger in your thoughts long past the final page.

Alma Cuervo did a superb job narrating the audiobook. You could really feel her inhabiting the story.

Thank you Julia Alvarez, RB Media, Algonquin Books, and NetGalley for providing this ARC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.

What a gorgeously written book! If you want prose that reads like poetry The Cemetery of Untold Stories will not disappoint. A sweeping tale of stories, told and untold, that blends the lines to reality and fiction. This is my first work by Julia Alvarez and I would absolutely seek out more. What a beautiful voice, what dynamic characters! My only issue with this story is I listened to the audiobook and know it would be better served as text. The MC voices changes frequently and you go from storytelling to present day so abruptly that if you space out for a moment you could lose track. I imagine in physical form this book is easier to follow and is beautiful to consume. Even so this was a really unique and powerful story. 4 out of 5 stars. Thank you @netgalley for the ARC and happy pub day!!

Thank you RB Media for the review copy of Julia Alvarez's The Cemetery of Untold Stories. I loved this audiobook, so thoughtfully produced in a way that truly honors the heritage and cultural themes in the book, and important to the story, and appreciate that the narration was so rich, Alma Cuervo was the perfect voice for this book.
Alvarez's work here is wonderful, I loved the story about characters that "won't be buried", the idea that writers have characters/books they never finish and might be haunted by stories that maybe still need to be told, characters who need a voice, and the bigger idea, perhaps intentional about diversity in writing and publishing, about who gets to tell stories and who gets to have their story told. A powerful examination of voice, culture, family, and identity, this is an excellent audiobook and I highly recommend it. This is a great choice for book clubs.

I listened to this in one day. I was completely drawn in immediately. This is a multi pov story. Which at times can be a bit confusing through audio. Julia Alvarez has always had a way with words. So it was really not a problem. Her storytelling always gets me.
I’m looking forward to reading a physical copy as well.
Thanks NetGalley for the audiobook.

I really enjoyed this book even though it wasn’t exactly what I expected. I thought Alma would be the focus of the book but Filomena really shined. This was such a unique twist on a book within a book because the stories were told orally rather than read. This was very refreshing because of all of the “audiobooks don’t count as books” rhetoric out there right now. This book is a reminder that oral story telling is the oldest form of story telling and that it is just as valid as reading a book with your eyes.

Tbh i would’ve enjoyed it more if i physically read it instead of audio. Don’t get me wrong i liked the narrator but the story was just rlly confusing like this. i confused characters and where in the story i was. i really love the entire idea behind this book! the writing was also beautiful. i just wish everything flew together better. But yeah, overall i liked it.

I did not mean to finish this in a single day, yet here we are!

It's been a long time since I read a Julia Alvarez novel, and now I'm wondering why that is when her writing is so beautiful and engaging. From the moment I started The Cemetery of Untold Stories, I could not put it down, and once I was done, I was already eager for a re-read and sad that I didn't have a physical copy to annotate. (I'll be remedying that asap!) There are some exquisite lines in this!

Having the central theme of this book be stories feels like a lovely invitation to think through our own. It's a reminder that you don't have to be an author or a storyteller to have stories that deserve to be told. I especially loved Filomena's narrative arc as an example of this. She was, by far, my favorite character, and I wanted so badly for everything to turn out well for her in the end.

I appreciated experiencing much of Alvarez's signature style in this: the multiple timelines, the interconnected character narratives, the way the reader gets to start making connections before the characters do. It's also a bit meta with the references to In the Time of the Butterflies, which I think is an added treat to long-time fans but probably not impactful enough for it to matter for new readers.

Ultimately, I'm glad to have read it and am looking forward to reading it again, this time with my pens, highlighters, and tabs in hand.