Of Women and Salt
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- Create Date：2021-04-06 02:31:24
- Update Date：2025-09-07
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- Author：Gabriela Garcia
- ISBN：1250776686
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Summary
A daughter's fateful choice， a mother motivated by her own past， and a family legacy that begins in Cuba before either of them were born
In present-day Miami， Jeanette is battling addiction。 Daughter of Carmen， a Cuban immigrant， she is determined to learn more about her family history from her reticent mother and makes the snap decision to take in the daughter of a neighbor detained by ICE。 Carmen， still wrestling with the trauma of displacement， must process her difficult relationship with her own mother while trying to raise a wayward Jeanette。 Steadfast in her quest for understanding， Jeanette travels to Cuba to see her grandmother and reckon with secrets from the past destined to erupt。
From 19th-century cigar factories to present-day detention centers， from Cuba to Mexico， Gabriela Garcia's Of Women and Salt is a kaleidoscopic portrait of betrayals--personal and political， self-inflicted and those done by others--that have shaped the lives of these extraordinary women。 A haunting meditation on the choices of mothers， the legacy of the memories they carry， and the tenacity of women who choose to tell their stories despite those who wish to silence them， this is more than a diaspora story; it is a story of America's most tangled， honest， human roots。
In present-day Miami， Jeanette is battling addiction。 Daughter of Carmen， a Cuban immigrant， she is determined to learn more about her family history from her reticent mother and makes the snap decision to take in the daughter of a neighbor detained by ICE。 Carmen， still wrestling with the trauma of displacement， must process her difficult relationship with her own mother while trying to raise a wayward Jeanette。 Steadfast in her quest for understanding， Jeanette travels to Cuba to see her grandmother and reckon with secrets from the past destined to erupt。
From 19th-century cigar factories to present-day detention centers， from Cuba to Mexico， Gabriela Garcia's Of Women and Salt is a kaleidoscopic portrait of betrayals--personal and political， self-inflicted and those done by others--that have shaped the lives of these extraordinary women。 A haunting meditation on the choices of mothers， the legacy of the memories they carry， and the tenacity of women who choose to tell their stories despite those who wish to silence them， this is more than a diaspora story; it is a story of America's most tangled， honest， human roots。
Reviews
katrina
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Read this in two days， could not put it down！ Actually cried at the end， and am trying to remember the last time a book made me cry。 Beautiful braided stories， beautiful writing。 Congratulations， Ms。 Garcia！
Nicole Piechuta
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I cried and cried。 This was so good。
Caroline Barrett
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A tough story told through the eyes of four generations of women， from a Cuban family， and an El Salvadoran mother and daughter。 The nonlinear story hops from woman to woman spanning Cuba， Miami and Mexico。 The book focuses on mother and daughter relationships / separations and unspoken truths。 Covering topics of immigration， politics， wealth and class we are exposed to many darker elements of life; addiction， domestic violence & sexual assault。 It's a tough read in places （my heart went out to A tough story told through the eyes of four generations of women， from a Cuban family， and an El Salvadoran mother and daughter。 The nonlinear story hops from woman to woman spanning Cuba， Miami and Mexico。 The book focuses on mother and daughter relationships / separations and unspoken truths。 Covering topics of immigration， politics， wealth and class we are exposed to many darker elements of life; addiction， domestic violence & sexual assault。 It's a tough read in places （my heart went out to young Jeanette） but well written with a good pace。 I'd definitely be keen to read any future books by the author。 3。5 stars， rounded up to 4 for the pretty cover art。 。。。more
Lori
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3。5 starsI found the author's writing style to be disjointed and， at times， confusing。 The story went back and forward in time， intertwining five generations and two families， one from Cuba and one from El Salvador。 I kept referencing the family lines set out at the novel's start。 At times， the narrative was masterfully written and took my breath away。 But the writing was not consistent。 The ending felt forced， the wrap up too abrupt。 Still， I'll be interested in reading future works by this aut 3。5 starsI found the author's writing style to be disjointed and， at times， confusing。 The story went back and forward in time， intertwining five generations and two families， one from Cuba and one from El Salvador。 I kept referencing the family lines set out at the novel's start。 At times， the narrative was masterfully written and took my breath away。 But the writing was not consistent。 The ending felt forced， the wrap up too abrupt。 Still， I'll be interested in reading future works by this author。 。。。more
Cristina Villarreal
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Beautifully written。 A book about women， about mothers and daughters， about strength & failures。 A book about survival。
Melissa
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I don’t enjoy rating this book as I think it has stories of women with voices that need to be heard， and at the same time， I felt there were gaps in the story。 In the end， I really enjoyed this book， and I also wish that there were a few more chapters to flush out the individual storylines before it concludes tidily。
Paula W
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I was born， raised， and lived most of my life in a coastal community。 When I moved several years ago， I found myself extremely unhappy at first。 Something was off， something was wrong。 It took me a while to realize that it was the smell of seawater that I was missing。 Living there， it wasn’t noticeable; it’s absence was very noticeable。 So， I took some time to Google the smell of seawater。 It turns out that seawater smells like nothing at all by itself。 What we associate with the smell of seawat I was born， raised， and lived most of my life in a coastal community。 When I moved several years ago， I found myself extremely unhappy at first。 Something was off， something was wrong。 It took me a while to realize that it was the smell of seawater that I was missing。 Living there， it wasn’t noticeable; it’s absence was very noticeable。 So， I took some time to Google the smell of seawater。 It turns out that seawater smells like nothing at all by itself。 What we associate with the smell of seawater is mainly three things: Dimethyl sulfide that is produced by bacteria consuming phytoplankton， sex pheromones given off by seaweed eggs to attract sperm， and bromophenols produced by marine life to scare away predators。 Food， reproduction， and safety — three things necessary for species survival。 Three things you will notice if they are absent。 I love that this book is named “Of Women and Salt”。 It brings to mind survival， but also the rubbing of salt into a wound。 There’s a good deal of both in this book。Read the blurb now。 I’ll not go back over that。It is important to realize that the “present” setting of this book is prior to 2017， and for good reason。 In 2017， President Obama ended the policy of “Wet Feet， Dry Feet”， which gave favored status to illegal immigrants from Cuba。 Prior to 2017， if they could just set foot on land， there was no risk of deportation， and they would be allowed to pursue citizenship after one year。 Immigrants from Mexico and Central America did not have this privilege。 So， there’s a bit of a parallel story going on in the novel: One person who is the child of a Cuban immigrant， privileged， and still failing even though everything needed to succeed is being given to her versus one person from El Salvador who enters the US 3 times before she is a teenager and still keeps trying。This isn’t about strength and overcoming hardships because that doesn’t happen to the vast majority of these women。 This is about the rawness of life and how everyone deals with it differently。 This is about mother/daughter relationships and the legacies of memories， abuse， and secrets。 Trigger warnings for rape， domestic abuse， alcoholism， terminal illness， murder， drug addiction， racism， and war scenarios。 It’s a little disjointed， and the timeline is all over the place and non-linear， but that wasn’t too hard for me to handle。 The author clearly states at the beginning of each chapter who the narrator is and what year it is。 The beautiful writing makes up for a lot of minor flaws。 As a debut novel， she knocked it out of the park。 This author is someone we will hear about a lot in the future。 。。。more
Judy
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This book was too scattered for my taste。。。 it sort of came together at the end but not my choice。
Amanda
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3。5* — Hard to rate because the stories were great， but the layout was very disjointed。
Tina
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This was almost a five star book， parts I loved and other parts missed the mark。。 the writing is beautiful， but the jumping between timelines was a bit confusing and I found myself have to back track to figure out where in the timeline I was supposed to be。 Mainly following a mother and daughter， it intertwines generations of women from Miami back to Cuba。 I loved the story but it felt incomplete。 Maybe due to the timeline jumping。 I just would of liked the women's stories to be more complete。 G This was almost a five star book， parts I loved and other parts missed the mark。。 the writing is beautiful， but the jumping between timelines was a bit confusing and I found myself have to back track to figure out where in the timeline I was supposed to be。 Mainly following a mother and daughter， it intertwines generations of women from Miami back to Cuba。 I loved the story but it felt incomplete。 Maybe due to the timeline jumping。 I just would of liked the women's stories to be more complete。 Gaps in the timeline left gaps in the stories and lots of unanswered questions。 。。。more
Regla M。 Monkan
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OutstandingWow！ This book is one of the best I've read in a while。 Being Cuban American， I can relate to to the struggles of being there， here but in neither as Carmen seemed to be。 As a retired bilingual teacher， I taught many children like Ana and their stories are heart wrenching。 This novel is a must read for anyone who wants to learn more about the struggles immigrants face daily， even when they think they've left the past behind。 OutstandingWow！ This book is one of the best I've read in a while。 Being Cuban American， I can relate to to the struggles of being there， here but in neither as Carmen seemed to be。 As a retired bilingual teacher， I taught many children like Ana and their stories are heart wrenching。 This novel is a must read for anyone who wants to learn more about the struggles immigrants face daily， even when they think they've left the past behind。 。。。more
Janet Colby
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I would have liked to read more about the Cuban history 。The book felt like two stories 。。。 personally I was more interested in Cuba during the time of the revolution than the depiction of deportation / addiction story in Miami （ which could be a book on its own ）。 I liked the style of writing and the characters 。
Nikhil Ghosh
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Reminded me of Girl， Women and other in parts。 This book is a sad one and mentions the plight of a drug addict。
Ben Truong
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Of Women and Salt is a contemporary historical fiction novel written by Gabriela Garcia。 It centers on an affluent Cuban immigrant， who reckons with her daughter’s drug addiction and her own culpability in their self-destructive choices。Carmen， a Cuban immigrant living in Miami， is worried about her daughter Jeanette's addiction to drugs and alcohol。 During a moment of sobriety， Jeanette watches as her Salvadorian neighbor， Gloria， is detained by ICE while Gloria’s daughter， Ana， is away with a Of Women and Salt is a contemporary historical fiction novel written by Gabriela Garcia。 It centers on an affluent Cuban immigrant， who reckons with her daughter’s drug addiction and her own culpability in their self-destructive choices。Carmen， a Cuban immigrant living in Miami， is worried about her daughter Jeanette's addiction to drugs and alcohol。 During a moment of sobriety， Jeanette watches as her Salvadorian neighbor， Gloria， is detained by ICE while Gloria’s daughter， Ana， is away with a babysitter。 After Jeanette takes in Ana， the stories of the two families in parallel narratives， shifting between Gloria awaiting deportation in a Texas detention center while Ana stays briefly with Jeanette with episodes set during the Cuban Independence Movement of the late 19th century。Of Women and Salt is written rather well。 Throughout， Garcia illustrates the hard choices mothers make generation after generation to protect their children。 The jumps across time and place can occasionally dampen the various threads' emotional impact， but by the end they form an impressive， tightly braided whole。All in all， Of Women and Salt is a well written story about a Cuban family grappling with violence and addition， through the generations。 。。。more
Vanessa
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Such trauma and ‘fuerza’ these women possess， but still very tragic。 I do like how the different stories of these Latinx women connect and interweave through time， although almost all self-denigrating experiences。 I had hope for Ana but based on the trajectory of the other women’s stories， IDK if the phrase in a Les Miserable book is enough。 Ugh。 I listened to this book over Audible， and although incredibly petty， I could not get over how the narrator said the name Mario （Mare-ee-o vs Mahr-ee-o） Such trauma and ‘fuerza’ these women possess， but still very tragic。 I do like how the different stories of these Latinx women connect and interweave through time， although almost all self-denigrating experiences。 I had hope for Ana but based on the trajectory of the other women’s stories， IDK if the phrase in a Les Miserable book is enough。 Ugh。 I listened to this book over Audible， and although incredibly petty， I could not get over how the narrator said the name Mario （Mare-ee-o vs Mahr-ee-o）， not pronounced as a Latino would say it。 It drove me crazy。 😳 。。。more
Patricia
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3。5
Vanessa Ya Lopez
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I absolutely loved this book。 I loved the characters and their stories over time。 I loved how different each woman’s stories and secrets were but how they， nevertheless， all had courage and will to persevere。 I loved how it made me nostalgic for my walks by the Malecón in 2003 when I visited Cuba。 The writing was beautiful as was the book’s cover！ Definitely one of my top 5 for my 2021 reads！
Danielle
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I wanted to really love this book， and certain parts I did。 I just wish the women’s stories had been woven together better。 Just read choppy to me。 The writing itself was great， just needed to be pieced together better。
Michelle
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This is an impressive novel as it spans a lot of time， is told from multiple perspectives and handles difficult topics。 The subjects and them of the novel include: mother/daughter and spousal relationships， immigration and substance abuse。 This ambitious novel covers a great deal in relatively few pages with elegant and efficient prose。
Christina
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A solid debut from Gabriela Garcia。 This book packs a major punch in just 200 pages。 That being said， I did find some of the transitions between stories a little confusing and at times I did get a bit confused with the characters。 Overall i would give this 3。5 stars。
Jill
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I appreciated each woman’s story in this book， but I found it difficult to follow when it jumped from one timeline or one family to another。 Apparently the author did initially start with short stories and I just don’t think they really came together as a cohesive novel。
Missy
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3。5 stars
Melissa
，
"It had always been women who wove the future out of the scraps。"I had high hopes for Of Women and Salt， but unfortunately， I don’t feel like the book lived up to the hype。 While Gabriela Garcia’s prose is lyrical and captivating， I was hoping for more depth。 There is so much packed into this book that I feel like we only get surface-level glimpses of all of it。At just 200-ish pages， there wasn’t quite enough space for the story to feel fully realized。 Neither the intergenerational narrative nor "It had always been women who wove the future out of the scraps。"I had high hopes for Of Women and Salt， but unfortunately， I don’t feel like the book lived up to the hype。 While Gabriela Garcia’s prose is lyrical and captivating， I was hoping for more depth。 There is so much packed into this book that I feel like we only get surface-level glimpses of all of it。At just 200-ish pages， there wasn’t quite enough space for the story to feel fully realized。 Neither the intergenerational narrative nor the up-close look at the mother-daughter relationship between Jeanette & Carmen felt complete; both storylines felt lacking。 I think the nonlinear structure and almost “short-story” format of each chapter worked against itself here。I found myself comparing this book to Infinite Country in some ways， which is another very short book that deals （beautifully） with the painful realities of immigration， and Of Women and Salt kept coming up short for me。Having said all that， I did really appreciate Garcia’s lyrical writing style。 Almost every line felt like poetry， reshaped， and her words are really beautiful， even if the story itself didn’t hit home for me as I’d hoped。---Follow @letteredlibrary on Instagram！ 。。。more
JessicaC
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This story unfurls in pieces， with each character revealing her part over time。 Meet Jeanette， a recovering drug addict living in Miami and trying to reconcile her choices。 But this story is also about her mother， Carmen， and her decision to leave Cuba and her family behind in order to build a better life。 And it is about the choices her mother made， as well， and the women who came before them。 This complex， emotional story connects us to immigrants' stories in the USA and women's stories throug This story unfurls in pieces， with each character revealing her part over time。 Meet Jeanette， a recovering drug addict living in Miami and trying to reconcile her choices。 But this story is also about her mother， Carmen， and her decision to leave Cuba and her family behind in order to build a better life。 And it is about the choices her mother made， as well， and the women who came before them。 This complex， emotional story connects us to immigrants' stories in the USA and women's stories throughout time。 I loved Garcia's writing: compelling and sorrowful， coming from a place of honesty rather than pity for her characters。 。。。more
Northwestreader
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As the author stated in the interview at the end of the audio recording， she writes "good sentences。" I agree。 As the author stated in the interview at the end of the audio recording， she writes "good sentences。" I agree。 。。。more
Samantha // fictionfigurine
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Wow wow wow， excellent。
Laura Dvorak
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A lot of promise but totally fell apart for me 🤷♀️I was so excited when I received an ARC for OF WOMEN AND SALT， promoted as a multigenerational family saga about Cuban American women。 The cover is truly gorgeous， and while I usually love a hefty book， at just over 200pgs it seemed like a good mid-week read。 The characters in this book are so well drawn that it was that much more frustrating when the structure fell apart。 The jumping timelines， with sometimes only one chapter per character， A lot of promise but totally fell apart for me 🤷♀️I was so excited when I received an ARC for OF WOMEN AND SALT， promoted as a multigenerational family saga about Cuban American women。 The cover is truly gorgeous， and while I usually love a hefty book， at just over 200pgs it seemed like a good mid-week read。 The characters in this book are so well drawn that it was that much more frustrating when the structure fell apart。 The jumping timelines， with sometimes only one chapter per character， made me want this to be twice the length or short stories instead。 Thank you Flatiron Books for the gifted copy in exchange for a review！ 。。。more
thewanderingjew
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Of Women and Salt， Gabriela Garcia， author; Frankie Corzo， narratorIn this multigenerational tale of immigrants， there is dysfunction， irresponsibility and desperation as a result of need， poor choices and many unexpected consequences。 From Cuba to America and places in between， the characters describe their experiences and disappointments showing courage and fortitude。 There is very little gratitude for what the host country provides them， however， rather there is resentment for what they are l Of Women and Salt， Gabriela Garcia， author; Frankie Corzo， narratorIn this multigenerational tale of immigrants， there is dysfunction， irresponsibility and desperation as a result of need， poor choices and many unexpected consequences。 From Cuba to America and places in between， the characters describe their experiences and disappointments showing courage and fortitude。 There is very little gratitude for what the host country provides them， however， rather there is resentment for what they are lacking because they are not accepted and welcomed。 Often their predicaments are self-inflicted， offering little choice of any other outcome。 Whether living in El Salvador or Mexico or Cuba， coming to the United States is often the ultimate reward for their dangerous journey， a journey they hope will lead them to a better life。 They bypass the laws of America and live in the shadows， many for years and years。 They bear legal children who are at the mercy of the authorities if the parents are deported。 Their illegal children will be deported with them， thus ripping families apart。 Although the immigrant blames the system， it is their choice to live illegally in America that leads to the hardships and suffering they face。 Although they often leave their home country because they feel threatened either by danger from within their own family or from the political conditions in their country or from the governmental regulations or the warring factions that make their survival tenuous， they choose to do it without appropriate papers。 Still， they leave all they know to find sanctuary for themselves， or in reality， mostly for their children whom they want to have greater opportunity for a better， safer and more successful life。They endure danger and fear as they trek from their country across land and water fraught with danger， often led by dishonest coyotes or drug dealers who charge them exorbitant fees and sometimes even leave them to fend for themselves at the most dangerous part of their journey。 They are often robbed， raped and abandoned， sometimes left for dead， but they are so desperate they are willing to risk the danger。 Once they are in the United States， they must figure out how to navigate the country so as not to be taken into custody which would be followed by deportation and the defeat of the very purpose of their journey。As with many of the novels and non-fiction tales about these immigrants， this one shows their plight as they live in the constant fear of being caught， as they dread being separated from the child they gave birth to shortly after they arrived because that child is legal and can remain， but they cannot。 Even as they can’t bear the thought of separation， the thought of taking the child to a dangerous country they never knew， but one the parent is from， one in which they don’t speak the language， is worse。 In spite of the danger， they still risk everything to come。 For the most part， few feel any responsibility for what befalls them。 Few feel shame or guilt for breaking the law。 They feel entitled to be here and do not really understand why they are not allowed to remain。 They complain about living conditions when they are free and moving about， and then they complain about the conditions of the detainment facilities and the bureaucracy， if they are caught。 They complain about the food， the lack of jobs， the poor pay。 However， in truth， sometimes they are abused， not only by the employers and landlords and coyotes， but by the very system that is overseeing their welfare and arrests。 Every service has its rotten apples。The immigrants often do not know the system， they don’t know how to work it and they don’t understand the rules the country has in place。 Immigration advisors and lawyers often cheat them or give them incompetent advice。 They are sometimes supplied with false papers， as well， so they are forced to live in the shadows。 Sometimes， after they are detained， they are not sent back to the country of their origin， but are deposited in the nearest one， like Mexico， without any support system。 Sometimes the children do not even speak anything but English， since they never lived anyplace else， but they must go with their parents outside the borders of the United States if they are not legal。 The parents knew of the risks and still took them， so who is truly to blame？ However， If faced with terrible danger， who has time to follow the legal road？ Are there emergency pathways one can follow？ Is the illegal and “not so easy route” chosen instead of the more time consuming legal route”， regardless of the danger， because many times they just want the economic advantages offered in the United States which would not be grounds for entry。I would like to read just one book about an immigrant who knows they have broken the law when they sneak into America， who accepts the fact that they committed a crime and will be punished and deported。 Perhaps they will try to come again another time， legally， as others have done， waiting patiently for their turn so as not to cut the line and risk the lives of themselves or their children。 The bond between parent and child， sibling and sibling， neighbor to neighbor， is often tested to its limit。 Humans are capable of both terrible and wonderful behavior， cowardice and bravery， of doing evil or acting like saints。 All of these personality traits are highlighted in the personal experiences of the characters in the book。 There are so many characters and tales that it sometimes gets a bit confusing requiring the reader to look back， but the story is engaging。 。。。more
Jen
，
I couldn't get into this book。 I had a hard time following the speaker of the chapters。 It took me a while within each chapter to move into the time the chapter was set in and the voice。 Maybe I just wasn't in the mental space to enjoy it。 Members of my book club and I agreed that the first chapter was the most interesting chapter。 I would have liked more story and history about Maria Isabel。 I would like to thank Reading Group Choices and the publishing house， Flat Iron Books， for providing an I couldn't get into this book。 I had a hard time following the speaker of the chapters。 It took me a while within each chapter to move into the time the chapter was set in and the voice。 Maybe I just wasn't in the mental space to enjoy it。 Members of my book club and I agreed that the first chapter was the most interesting chapter。 I would have liked more story and history about Maria Isabel。 I would like to thank Reading Group Choices and the publishing house， Flat Iron Books， for providing an advanced copy for review。 All thoughts and opinions written in this review are my own。TW: abuse， abusive relationship， animal death， death， death of a parent， drug use/alcohol use， gun violence， knife violence， immigration/deportation， murder， physical abuse， racism， rehab， violence 。。。more
Jesika
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I am always in awe when an author manages to tell a sprawling story in a short book。 At just over 200 pages， I read this in a day and yet I was transported to Cuba and Miami， saw the world through five generations and several vastly different policies for immigration into the US。This book is an achievement of scope， character development and family dynamics。 The reader watches on as successive generations of women find the strength and courage to face up to the world and fight it。I felt for each I am always in awe when an author manages to tell a sprawling story in a short book。 At just over 200 pages， I read this in a day and yet I was transported to Cuba and Miami， saw the world through five generations and several vastly different policies for immigration into the US。This book is an achievement of scope， character development and family dynamics。 The reader watches on as successive generations of women find the strength and courage to face up to the world and fight it。I felt for each of these women。 We see the ways in which they succeed and fail， the sacrifice it is to put yourself in survival mode and make yourself hard in order to move forward。 We see the heartache it causes to know you didn't necessarily balance everything perfectly and your daughter may believe you did it all wrong。Mixed into this， seamlessly， are conversations regarding race， immigration， drug use and domestic violence。 All are presented with complexity and ask the reader to question what they really know about what it takes from a person to find themselves individually in the middle of a political issue when no one truly takes responsibility for ensuring you， personally are OK。A brilliant read， definitely one that will also give more each time you read it。 An absolutely outstanding debut novel。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Of Women and Salt
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Of Women and Salt&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Of Women and Salt&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0