Soltaria by Eliana Alves Cruz, translated by Benjamin Brooks, is about a mother and daughter who work as live-in maids for the rich while navigating their lives. The story touches on themes of classism, colonialism, racism, and how they intersect.

This book was captivating - no line of it was wasted as everything felt interesting and important. The way the author hints at a larger event, then takes her time telling the story is gripping. You as the reader get a glimpse at what will happen and desperately want to know how it comes to be. This style of writing is so successful partly due to the fact that the characters have depth and feel like real people.

The little-room being a place where characters face things in solitude is what makes all of the tragedies of the book seem greater. There are strong metaphors throughout the book that act as a commentary on how systems of oppression maintain the status quo, but they are subtle enough that the book doesn’t feel preachy.

One piece of criticism I will give is that I didn’t love the addition of a recent world event to the end of the book. While I can understand that it was included to further drive the point of the story’s overall themes, I felt it acted as a distraction from the main story. This addition was minor enough that it doesn’t change my overall rating, however.