This book was nominated for the 2020 Women’s Prize for Fiction award and ever since it’s been one I’ve wanted to tick off my TBR list. However, I was always put off because I had read very mixed reviews about the book and I was unsure whether I’d enjoy it or not. And who wants to read books they don’t enjoy when there are so many great books out there?

Dominicana follows the story of fifteen-year-old Ana Cancion, who marries a man much older than her and as a consequence, moves to New York City. So she becomes Ana Ruiz, a wife confined to a cold six-floor walk-up in Washington Heights. Lonely and miserable, the pregnant Ana hatches a reckless plan to escape. But with her husband returning to the Dominican Republic as it slides into political turmoil and a difficult relationship forming with her husband’s brother Cesar, Ana must choose between following her heart or her family duty. 

I really did not expect to enjoy this book as much as I did. I found the story compelling and I was really invested in Ana and her story, even though her decisions were questionable at times. I found it hard to remember that Ana was only a teenager when she married the much older Juan Ruiz but once you remember that she is only a baby herself really, you can begin to understand the reasons behind her decisions. For me, Dominicana was the perfect blend of an immigrant and coming-of-age story and I think the way Angie Cruz blended the both makes it a story that will stay with me forever. 

As the story is written in such a descriptive and mesmerising way, you can really imagine Ana and her situation. For me, I could picture the little flat she was staying in. I could imagine how the street below her looked and I could definitely envisage what all the other characters looked like too, especially Ana’s mother, Juan and Cesar. I felt so sorry for Ana, being taken from her home and everything she knew and placed in a strange and scary flat in the middle of New York. I also loved reading about the political events happening at the time in the Dominican Republic as that is a part of history I have never learned about, so reading about it and the effects it had on its citizens was incredibly moving. 

I would definitely recommend Dominicana and I can definitely understand why it was nominated for the Women’s Prize. For me, Ana is a character who I would love to meet in real life and just sit and talk with her, as I found her such an incredible force of nature to be reckoned with.

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