Outstanding story of family - both lost and found, love, place, home and how we create the stories we tell ourselves. Love the setting in Puerto Rico to learn of culture, food and place. Jeanine Cummins tells an amazing story, and so glad to have had the opportunity to read this one!

Several stories told throughout the generations. I could get into Daisy’s storyline, but struggled with the other two a bit more.

<u><b>Speak to Me of Home</b></u>
Jeanine Cummins
Release Date: May 13, 2025

ARC courtesy of Henry Holt & Company and NetGalley.

<i>Speak to Me of Home</i>, the latest novel by Jeanine Cummins, author of bestseller<i>American Dirt</i>is a family saga told across the points of view of three generations: Rafaela, her daughter Ruth, and granddaughter Daisy. It is the story of migration and displacement, of belonging, and of what is “home.” The narrative is complex and emotional, although it had a tendency to become predictable, conforming to immigrant tropes. Nonetheless, it is a rich and thought provoking novel of the immigrant experience, particularly relevant in the current political climate, when “home” becomes a carpet that can abruptly be yanked from under the feet of the vocal few.

4 stars

Thank you so much for this advance reading copy. Cummins is an immensely talented author and I enjoyed her prose and descriptions of Puerto Rico. I also love this bright, eye catching cover. I think I expected this to be a more edge of your seat type of book after reading American Dirt. It has a pulse pounding start as we follow Daisy’s accident in the storm, but the bulk of the novel is more of a slower paced family drama, which doesn’t always appeal to me as a reader. I wanted more time in the present timeline with Daisy.

4.0 ⭐️

SPEAK TO ME OF HOME looks at the commonalities of three generations of women who struggle with identity and their “home.” Rafaela is the matriarch, born in Puerto Rico and moved to the Midwest with her husband. Ruth is the daughter, who moved away from Puerto Rico as a young girl, and then there’s Rafaela’s granddaughter Daisy, who feels called to Puerto Rico. At the opening of the novel, Daisy is hurt in an accident while in Puerto Rico after getting the results of her DNA test.

This novel gives the reader a lot to think about. I think I was expecting a bit more plot. At times, the novel meandered more than I expected and felt more character-driven than the author’s previous novel AMERICAN DIRT.

The cast of men takes a backseat in this novel, and I kept mixing the men up. If you’re like me, you might want to write some notes on how the men are related to these women. I saw another reviewer say the family tree was helpful, but my copy didn’t have a family tree.

This intergenerational saga with strong ties to Puerto Rico has resounding themes of family and identity with a strong sense of place, and Cummins’ writing was stellar.

Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Holt and Co. for an Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an unbiased review.

It publishes May 13, 2025.

This is the second book that I have read by Jeanine cummins. Set from the 1968s to 2023, it is a story of a family with three women trying to find family and home. Highly recommend!

Speak to Me of Home is an absorbing generational family drama complete with love, strife, passion, deception, determination and yes, different definitions of home. The characters come to life in Jeanine Cummins’ story of the Puerto Ricans blended with Irish and American spouses as they each try to find their way to that longed for home.

Thanks to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I enjoyed the culture of Puerto Rico. I also admired Peter' compassion for his children when they lived in Missouri after growing up in Puerto Rico. The story did a good job of discussing how an unhappy marriage affects the children. I had no patience for Rafaela as she refused to adjust to her new home and failed to be a better wife to Peter. She was extremely self-centered. I thought the back and forth timelines and the chapters on the different characters were confusing.

I absolutely loved this novel: pleasingly complex, strong sense of place, with intergenerational dynamics that fascinate and vex in equal measure. Well done.

This is a beautifully written book on the meaning of the word home and the importance of family. It explores finding a place that makes you happy.
It spans 3 generations of women and their choices and secrets. Jeanine Cumming is a wonderful storyteller covering marriages, divorces and confrontations with racism.
It is a must read and is very relevant in todays atmosphere where people are struggling ethnically and culturally.

I loved American Dirt by this author and was so happy to see the author had another book. Some of the story lines were stronger than others (and a few were hard to track) but overall this was a great family saga and I learned a great deal.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of Speak to Me of Home by Jeanine Cummins.

This was a beautiful story about three generations of a Puerto Rican family and what that identity meant to each of them. I loved the way Cummins wrote the story jumping from decade to decade into one sweeping story of love (romantic and familial) and destiny. I thoroughly enjoyed American Dirt, so I was curious to see what her next topic might be. I suspect the public will have fewer problems with Cummins writing this story - but I think she's a great storyteller no matter what she writes. Lovely.

This is a family that looks at their past to find peace with the present.

Immediately, the story had my attention with a wicked hurricane that was almost on top of Puerto Rico in 2023. Daisy was in a hurry riding a scooter in San Juan trying to get to her uncle’s fourteenth-floor penthouse. It was vacant and it needed to be secure to minimize the risk of harm from all sorts of balcony furniture being pushed off by the high winds.

However, she didn’t make it. A car was out of control heading her way. What happened caused panic with her grandmother, Rafaela, mother, Ruth and her immediate family members.

The story went back three generations starting in the early 50s with twists and turns. At first, it was jumping around trying to give an impression of the main characters. But, then it developed into a strong focus of the family with their dialogues. It was well written, believable and made me think about the effects of prejudice, deep secrets and everlasting love.

Pieces of interesting history were also presented in this book. I didn’t realize that Puerto Rico was acquired in 1898 after the Spanish-American War. It made me pause wondering why it never became a state and why the US didn’t bail them out after a destructive hurricane in 2017.

This is what was so compelling: this story made you think about your own life with your ancestors who create your identity. It would be a great book discussing the influence of one’s roots.

My thanks to Henry Holt and Company and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this advanced book to review with an expected release date of May 13, 2025.

Speak to Me of Home is a profoundly moving multigenerational tale that beautifully explores identity, belonging, and the intricate bonds of family. Jeanine Cummins masterfully captures the lives of Rafaela, Ruth, and Daisy as they navigate cultural disconnection, personal sacrifices, and the haunting pull of their roots. Each character’s journey feels deeply authentic, shedding light on how the weight of choices and history ripples across generations. The novel’s emotional depth is matched by Cummins’ evocative prose, bringing both the vibrant landscapes of Puerto Rico and the isolating Midwest to life. Through moments of heartbreak, resilience, and reconciliation, the story weaves a rich narrative about home—both a physical place and an emotional anchor. *Speak to Me of Home* is a poignant and unforgettable read, offering a tender look at the complexities of motherhood, identity, and the universal longing for connection.

An incredibly well-written piece of lit fic that explores multiple generations, at multiple times, and how they find common ground. Cummins has weaved a wonderful portrait of family and all its complexities. I loved how Daisy felt EXACTLY like girls my age, particularly in how she felt the most confident of the women in her family in knowing who she was. Rafa's journey was perhaps the most emotional, but my favorite parts of it were when her journey was revealed through Ruth's narration. The drama in her story never felt like too much; it remained grounded in realism.

It took me a while to get into it, but once the story found its footing, it was a true winner.

Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Holt Co for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you, #Partner @henryholtbooks and @netgalley, for my #gifted (free) copy. Pub date 5/13/25.

This was a beautifully written story about family, change, racism, struggle, and identity. When I saw this book was set in #stlouismissouri, I immediately had to read it. I loved the story and the characters, but the timeline hopping around so much did confuse me at times. Otherwise, I would have rated it five stars. This is one to add to your TBR list!

Three women, three generations. The story begins in 2023 with Ruth getting a phone call that her daughter Daisy has been in an accident. We follow the lives of Daisy, Ruth, and Rafaela through many decades past and present of hardships and the change from moving from Puerto Rico to St. Louis, Missouri. Their lives are so uniquely different but interweave in many ways. 4 stars!

“Speak to Me of Home” by Jeanine Cummins is a beautifully written saga that explores three generations of proud independent Puerto Rican women. It is fraught with the tension of a hurricane, a tragic accident and the realities of immigration, cultural identity and racism. The family journey spans decades of heartfelt stories, heartbreaking secrets, triumphs and the intricate bond between mothers and daughters. I highly recommend this book, it was a joy to read and it has a message that will stay with me for a long time.

Thank you NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

After reading American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins back in 2020, I have been waiting 5 years for her next great read and Speak to me of Home is it!
Wonderful main characters that are fully fleshed out,: Rafaela, her daughter Ruth, and granddaughter, Daisy.
Great sense of place.
It took a little to get used to the timeline sliding back and forth. But as I could more into the story, I looked forward to hearing the back story for each of the characters.
One major lesson learned in this story is you can go home again!
Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of Speak to Me of Home.

3 stars

I wanted to like this more than I did. I thought the writing was beautifully descriptive and lyrical. It made me want yo visit Puerto Rico -and experience its tropical beauty.

Ultimately, though, I was disappointed in the choices many of the characters made. When life does not turn out the way you planned, deception is not the way to make it better. I did love Daisy’ and Carlos and their respective sense(s) of self.. They knew who they were and were uncompromising in their quest to be themselves.

Also, .the multiple timelines were confusing and hard to follow.

Thank you to Henry Holt and Company and NetGalley. I appreciate the opportunity to have read this digital ARC in return for an honest review.

Cummins deftly spins the tale of three generations of proud, independent women of Puerto Rican heritage --- Rafaela Acuna y Daubon Brennan, her daughter, Ruth and grand daughter, Daisy. Spanning decades of family stories and secrets, this compelling family saga is set against the backdrop of a momentous hurricane and a tragic accident, suffered at the onset of the storm, that reunite the family. The plot tackles themes of family, immigration and displacement. cultural identity, racism, self discovery and the significance of claiming a country as one's home. Don't miss this beautifully told, multi-layered story by the author of American. Dirt.