Preview
  • Dominicana

  • By: Angie Cruz
  • Narrated by: Coral Peña
  • Length: 10 hrs and 13 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (5 ratings)

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Dominicana

By: Angie Cruz
Narrated by: Coral Peña
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $21.81

Buy for $21.81

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

Shortlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction 2020.

A poignant and nuanced portrait of a Dominican teenager's arranged marriage and immigration to New York City in the 1960s.

Fifteen-year-old Ana Canción never dreamed of moving to America, the way the girls she grew up with in the Dominican countryside did. But when Juan Ruiz proposes and promises to take her to New York City, she must say yes. It doesn't matter that he is twice her age, that there is no love between them. Their marriage is an opportunity for her entire close-knit family to eventually immigrate. So on New Year's Day, 1965, Ana leaves behind everything she knows and becomes Ana Ruiz, a wife confined to a cold six-floor walk-up in Washington Heights. Lonely and miserable, Ana hatches a reckless plan to escape. But at the bus terminal, she is stopped by César, Juan's free-spirited younger brother, who convinces her to stay.

As the Dominican Republic slides into political turmoil, Juan returns to protect his family's assets, leaving César to take care of Ana. Suddenly, Ana is free to take English lessons at a local church, lie on the beach at Coney Island, dance with César at the Audubon Ballroom and imagine the possibility of a different kind of life in America. When Juan returns, Ana must decide once again between her heart and her duty to her family.

In bright, musical prose that reflects the energy of New York City, Dominicana is a vital portrait of the immigrant experience and the timeless coming-of-age story of a young woman finding her voice in the world.

This audiobook includes an exclusive interview between author Angie Cruz and narrator Coral Peña.

©2019 Angie Cruz (P)2019 Macmillan Audio
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Critic reviews

"A thrilling, necessary, and unforgettable portrait of what it means to be an immigrant." (Patricia Engel)

"Dominicana is beautiful, engaging, and cuts right to the heart of what it is to be a dutiful young female from a poor country who is bright in every sense of the word, full of love and hope." (Mary Gaitskill)

"An intimate portrait of the transactional nature of marriage and the economics of both womanhood and citizenship." (New York Times Book Review)

What listeners say about Dominicana

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    3
  • 4 Stars
    2
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    3
  • 4 Stars
    1
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    2
  • 4 Stars
    2
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A Fantastic Listen!

I can’t recommend this book and production highly enough.
Not only was the story completely compelling, Coral Peña’s reading of it was exceptional.
I spent most of the last few days waiting for f for moments when I could get back to listening to this audiobook.
Don’t miss out on this one.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!