Olga Dies Dreaming
By Xochitl Gonzalez
Pulled in from the get-go by...wait for it... a discussion about napkins. Yep. Turns out there's a lot you can say about napkins and also use that description to draw distinctions between the haves and the have-nots in a way that's pointed but also amusing.
The characters are all so rich, even with just a little bit of dialogue, you learn so much about them. Sometimes the dialogue feels a little forced to move the plot along or to provide more backstory/context efficiently, but it's usually forgivable. Especially when you get to the letters from Olga's mother, which are so biting. Even as an estranged parent, she sees everything and does not hesitate to call out her kids when they fail to meet her expectations. She's truly unforgiving.
Olga is a party planner for the uber wealthy in NYC, where she grew up with her brother and grandmother. Her mother left when she was young to become a revolutionary to fight for Puerto Rico. Let's just say that mom has a lot of concerns about the choices her daughter has made and who she is rubbing elbows with.
That relationship would probably be enough for a full book but there's so much more packed in. There's also a pretty compelling love story. The ending to that left me a little disappointed because I think it undercuts the other themes in the book, but I generally felt invested in the relationship.
It's a lot to chew on but I think the author manages to pull off all the complexity, critiques, and plot lines. In no particular order:
- Politicians getting blackmailed and bribed to sellout their constituents
- The driving forces of gentrification in NYC (though, this does leave out the trade off of building bigger to fulfill the growing housing needs)
- The total lack of federal support for Puerto Rico in the lead up to and aftermath of Hurricane Maria. Frankly, what's happening today with ICE raids should be no surprise. The US still has a colony that we exploit and treat American citizens like parasites simply because they are not white. Why would we ever expect a modicum of compassion for immigrants in this country? It's sickening. I knew an embarrassing little amount about our relationship with Puerto Rico and now I'm livid. Olga likened the poor emergency response to genocide - by just sitting back and watching the destruction take place, the federal government (and the private interests behind them) can just let nature do the job for them without getting their own hands dirty.
- Environmental justice is not just about where pollution takes place, but also who is impacted by environmental catastrophes. The climate crisis hurts the most disenfranchised the hardest. And they also get the least investment to be resilient to or to recover from disasters.
- Revolutionaries filling the gaps where federal and local government fails. When there's a need in the community and it's not being fulfilled, the community organizes -- sometimes creating powerful leaders to fill the void - for better or for worse.
Tags:
Complicated family dynamics Political organizing Puerto Rico Romance Environmental justice Racism Gentrification top narrator politics 2nd generation immigrants sexual violence colonization384 pages
Published Feb 6, 2023 by Flatiron Books
Fiction - Hispanic & Latino - Family Life
Fiction - Family Life - Siblings
Fiction - Romance - Hispanic & Latino