LAS MADRES

Esmeralda Santiago lovingly narrates her novel about Puerto Rican mothers and daughters. Luz was 15 when a car accident caused significant brain damage that affected her memory. Forty years later, in the Bronx, lesbian couple Ada and Shirley look after Luz and her daughter, as well as their own daughter. To celebrate Shirley's birthday, all five women travel to Puerto Rico, where a hurricane forces them to confront uncomfortable truths. The story alternates between 1974 and 2017. In addition to narrating in English and Spanish, Santiago delivers phrases in French and German. In English, her own accent adds warmth to the characters. The author's note at the end of the audiobook calls attention to the U.S. longstanding disregard for Puerto Rico. A.M. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2023]