Reviews
"Evoking a profound sense of hope, Henríquez delivers a moving account of those who will do anything to build a future for their children--even if it means confronting the fear and alienation lurking behind the American dream." -- Publishers Weekly "Distinctively compassionate and original--a moving portrait of people who often pass before our eyes under a veil of invisibility. Gorgeously woven of both hope and delusion, and of the many kinds of love, this is a novel in which characters' assimilations and aspirations are as much to a new country as to something even broader: to other, finer versions of themselves. As a reader I felt assimilated too, forever altered by the extraordinary world Henríquez creates." --Heidi Julavits, author of The Vanishings "Spectacular . . . highly believable and poignant . . . A well-written story set among 'unknown Americans,' ostensibly Hispanic but in many ways any family adjusting to a new culture and way of life, regardless of ethnicity." --Lawrence Olszewski, Library Journal "Cristina Henríquez has written an exquisite and profound novel of love, longing, and the resilience of the human spirit. Her characters may be invisible souls on the American landscape, but their stories leave an indelible mark on the heart." --Gilbert King, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Devil in the Grove " The Book of Unknown Americans is filled with the fiercest kinds of love--of a boy for a beautiful girl, of stricken parents for an injured daughter, of an immigrant community for an impossible America. In this powerful novel, Cristina Henríquez gives us unforgettable characters, whose destinies are shaped by forces--senseless, random, political--far beyond their control, and yet whose resilience yields a most profound and unexpected kind of beauty." --Ruth Ozeki, author of A Tale for the Time Being "Wonderful. If most novels, or at least most good ones, are songs, then The Book of Unknown Americans is a choir. In a multiplicity of voices, each one distinct and authentic, Cristina Henríquez tells a whole community of stories, and the book that emerges is warm, wise, and unfailingly generous. It never seems to strive for profundity or grasp at poignancy, and yet page by page, as naturally as can be, it rouses the conscience and touches the heart." --Kevin Brockmeier, author of The Brief History of the Dead and The Illumination "Here is an important story about family, community and identity, told with elegance and compassion. The Book of Unknown Americans is unforgettable." --Jami Attenberg, author of The Middlesteins "Some of the characters in The Book of Unknown Americans were born in the United States, others came as adults or were brought here from Central and South America. Their stories speak to us, involve us in their lives. They dream, meet challenges, and dare to live on hope. Sometimes they cry, but they also laugh, dance, make love. In this beautiful book, Cristina Henríquez introduces us to their vibrant lives, to heartbreaking choices, to the tender beginnings of love, and to the humanity in every individual. Unforgettable." --Esmeralda Santiago, author of When I Was Puerto Rican and Conquistadora "Cristina Henríquez's novel is a triumph not just of storytelling, but of American storytelling, a novel whose breadth and power blow open any traditional definition of 'American.' Henríquez pulls us into the lives of her characters with such mastery that we hang onto them just as fiercely as they hang onto one another, and their dreams. This passionate, powerful novel will stay with you long after you've turned the final page." --Ben Fountain, author of Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk, "Spectacular . . . highly believable and poignant . . . A well-written story set among 'unknown Americans,' ostensibly Hispanic but in many ways any family adjusting to a new culture and way of life, regardless of ethnicity." --Lawrence Olszewski, Library Journal "Cristina Henríquez has written an exquisite and profound novel of love, longing, and the resilience of the human spirit. Her characters may be invisible souls on the American landscape, but their stories leave an indelible mark on the heart." --Gilbert King, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Devil in the Grove " The Book of Unknown Americans is filled with the fiercest kinds of love--of a boy for a beautiful girl, of stricken parents for an injured daughter, of an immigrant community for an impossible America. In this powerful novel, Cristina Henríquez gives us unforgettable characters, whose destinies are shaped by forces--senseless, random, political--far beyond their control, and yet whose resilience yields a most profound and unexpected kind of beauty." --Ruth Ozeki, author of A Tale for the Time Being "Wonderful. If most novels, or at least most good ones, are songs, then The Book of Unknown Americans is a choir. In a multiplicity of voices, each one distinct and authentic, Cristina Henríquez tells a whole community of stories, and the book that emerges is warm, wise, and unfailingly generous. It never seems to strive for profundity or grasp at poignancy, and yet page by page, as naturally as can be, it rouses the conscience and touches the heart." --Kevin Brockmeier, author of The Brief History of the Dead and The Illumination "Here is an important story about family, community and identity, told with elegance and compassion. The Book of Unknown Americans is unforgettable." --Jami Attenberg, author of The Middlesteins "Some of the characters in The Book of Unknown Americans were born in the United States, others came as adults or were brought here from Central and South America. Their stories speak to us, involve us in their lives. They dream, meet challenges, and dare to live on hope. Sometimes they cry, but they also laugh, dance, make love. In this beautiful book, Cristina Henríquez introduces us to their vibrant lives, to heartbreaking choices, to the tender beginnings of love, and to the humanity in every individual. Unforgettable." --Esmeralda Santiago, author of When I Was Puerto Rican and Conquistadora "Cristina Henríquez's novel is a triumph not just of storytelling, but of American storytelling, a novel whose breadth and power blow open any traditional definition of 'American.' Henríquez pulls us into the lives of her characters with such mastery that we hang onto them just as fiercely as they hang onto one another, and their dreams. This passionate, powerful novel will stay with you long after you've turned the final page." --Ben Fountain, author of Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk, "Here is an important story about family, community and identity, told with elegance and compassion. The Book of Unknown Americans is unforgettable." -Jami Attenberg, author of The Middlesteins "Some of the characters in The Book of Unknown Americans were born in the United States, others came as adults or were brought here from Central and South America. Their stories speak to us, involve us in their lives. They dream, meet challenges, and dare to live on hope. Sometimes they cry, but they also laugh, dance, make love. In this beautiful book, Cristina Henríquez introduces us to their vibrant lives, to heartbreaking choices, to the tender beginnings of love, and to the humanity in every individual. Unforgettable." -Esmeralda Santiago, author of When I Was Puerto Rican and Conquistadora "Cristina Henríquez's novel is a triumph not just of storytelling, but of American storytelling, a novel whose breadth and power blow open any traditional definition of 'American.' Henríquez pulls us into the lives of her characters with such mastery that we hang onto them just as fiercely as they hang onto one another, and their dreams. This passionate, powerful novel will stay with you long after you've turned the final page." -Ben Fountain, author of Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk, " The Book of Unknown Americans is filled with the fiercest kinds of love--of a boy for a beautiful girl, of stricken parents for an injured daughter, of an immigrant community for an impossible America. In this powerful novel, Cristina Henríquez gives us unforgettable characters, whose destinies are shaped by forces--senseless, random, political--far beyond their control, and yet whose resilience yields a most profound and unexpected kind of beauty." --Ruth Ozeki, author of A Tale for the Time Being "Wonderful. If most novels, or at least most good ones, are songs, then The Book of Unknown Americans is a choir. In a multiplicity of voices, each one distinct and authentic, Cristina Henríquez tells a whole community of stories, and the book that emerges is warm, wise, and unfailingly generous. It never seems to strive for profundity or grasp at poignancy, and yet page by page, as naturally as can be, it rouses the conscience and touches the heart." --Kevin Brockmeier, author of The Brief History of the Dead and The Illumination "Here is an important story about family, community and identity, told with elegance and compassion. The Book of Unknown Americans is unforgettable." --Jami Attenberg, author of The Middlesteins "Some of the characters in The Book of Unknown Americans were born in the United States, others came as adults or were brought here from Central and South America. Their stories speak to us, involve us in their lives. They dream, meet challenges, and dare to live on hope. Sometimes they cry, but they also laugh, dance, make love. In this beautiful book, Cristina Henríquez introduces us to their vibrant lives, to heartbreaking choices, to the tender beginnings of love, and to the humanity in every individual. Unforgettable." --Esmeralda Santiago, author of When I Was Puerto Rican and Conquistadora "Cristina Henríquez's novel is a triumph not just of storytelling, but of American storytelling, a novel whose breadth and power blow open any traditional definition of 'American.' Henríquez pulls us into the lives of her characters with such mastery that we hang onto them just as fiercely as they hang onto one another, and their dreams. This passionate, powerful novel will stay with you long after you've turned the final page." --Ben Fountain, author of Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk, "Wonderful. If most novels, or at least most good ones, are songs, then The Book of Unknown Americans is a choir. In a multiplicity of voices, each one distinct and authentic, Cristina Henríquez tells a whole community of stories, and the book that emerges is warm, wise, and unfailingly generous. It never seems to strive for profundity or grasp at poignancy, and yet page by page, as naturally as can be, it rouses the conscience and touches the heart." -Kevin Brockmeier, author of The Brief History of the Dead and The Illumination "Here is an important story about family, community and identity, told with elegance and compassion. The Book of Unknown Americans is unforgettable." -Jami Attenberg, author of The Middlesteins "Some of the characters in The Book of Unknown Americans were born in the United States, others came as adults or were brought here from Central and South America. Their stories speak to us, involve us in their lives. They dream, meet challenges, and dare to live on hope. Sometimes they cry, but they also laugh, dance, make love. In this beautiful book, Cristina Henríquez introduces us to their vibrant lives, to heartbreaking choices, to the tender beginnings of love, and to the humanity in every individual. Unforgettable." -Esmeralda Santiago, author of When I Was Puerto Rican and Conquistadora "Cristina Henríquez's novel is a triumph not just of storytelling, but of American storytelling, a novel whose breadth and power blow open any traditional definition of 'American.' Henríquez pulls us into the lives of her characters with such mastery that we hang onto them just as fiercely as they hang onto one another, and their dreams. This passionate, powerful novel will stay with you long after you've turned the final page." -Ben Fountain, author of Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk, "Cristina Henríquez has written an exquisite and profound novel of love, longing, and the resilience of the human spirit. Her characters may be invisible souls on the American landscape, but their stories leave an indelible mark on the heart." --Gilbert King, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Devil in the Grove " The Book of Unknown Americans is filled with the fiercest kinds of love--of a boy for a beautiful girl, of stricken parents for an injured daughter, of an immigrant community for an impossible America. In this powerful novel, Cristina Henríquez gives us unforgettable characters, whose destinies are shaped by forces--senseless, random, political--far beyond their control, and yet whose resilience yields a most profound and unexpected kind of beauty." --Ruth Ozeki, author of A Tale for the Time Being "Wonderful. If most novels, or at least most good ones, are songs, then The Book of Unknown Americans is a choir. In a multiplicity of voices, each one distinct and authentic, Cristina Henríquez tells a whole community of stories, and the book that emerges is warm, wise, and unfailingly generous. It never seems to strive for profundity or grasp at poignancy, and yet page by page, as naturally as can be, it rouses the conscience and touches the heart." --Kevin Brockmeier, author of The Brief History of the Dead and The Illumination "Here is an important story about family, community and identity, told with elegance and compassion. The Book of Unknown Americans is unforgettable." --Jami Attenberg, author of The Middlesteins "Some of the characters in The Book of Unknown Americans were born in the United States, others came as adults or were brought here from Central and South America. Their stories speak to us, involve us in their lives. They dream, meet challenges, and dare to live on hope. Sometimes they cry, but they also laugh, dance, make love. In this beautiful book, Cristina Henríquez introduces us to their vibrant lives, to heartbreaking choices, to the tender beginnings of love, and to the humanity in every individual. Unforgettable." --Esmeralda Santiago, author of When I Was Puerto Rican and Conquistadora "Cristina Henríquez's novel is a triumph not just of storytelling, but of American storytelling, a novel whose breadth and power blow open any traditional definition of 'American.' Henríquez pulls us into the lives of her characters with such mastery that we hang onto them just as fiercely as they hang onto one another, and their dreams. This passionate, powerful novel will stay with you long after you've turned the final page." --Ben Fountain, author of Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk, "Distinctively compassionate and original--a moving portrait of people who often pass before our eyes under a veil of invisibility. Gorgeously woven of both hope and delusion, and of the many kinds of love, this is a novel in which characters' assimilations and aspirations are as much to a new country as to something even broader: to other, finer versions of themselves. As a reader I felt assimilated too, forever altered by the extraordinary world Henríquez creates." --Heidi Julavits, author of The Vanishings "Spectacular . . . highly believable and poignant . . . A well-written story set among 'unknown Americans,' ostensibly Hispanic but in many ways any family adjusting to a new culture and way of life, regardless of ethnicity." --Lawrence Olszewski, Library Journal "Cristina Henríquez has written an exquisite and profound novel of love, longing, and the resilience of the human spirit. Her characters may be invisible souls on the American landscape, but their stories leave an indelible mark on the heart." --Gilbert King, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Devil in the Grove " The Book of Unknown Americans is filled with the fiercest kinds of love--of a boy for a beautiful girl, of stricken parents for an injured daughter, of an immigrant community for an impossible America. In this powerful novel, Cristina Henríquez gives us unforgettable characters, whose destinies are shaped by forces--senseless, random, political--far beyond their control, and yet whose resilience yields a most profound and unexpected kind of beauty." --Ruth Ozeki, author of A Tale for the Time Being "Wonderful. If most novels, or at least most good ones, are songs, then The Book of Unknown Americans is a choir. In a multiplicity of voices, each one distinct and authentic, Cristina Henríquez tells a whole community of stories, and the book that emerges is warm, wise, and unfailingly generous. It never seems to strive for profundity or grasp at poignancy, and yet page by page, as naturally as can be, it rouses the conscience and touches the heart." --Kevin Brockmeier, author of The Brief History of the Dead and The Illumination "Here is an important story about family, community and identity, told with elegance and compassion. The Book of Unknown Americans is unforgettable." --Jami Attenberg, author of The Middlesteins "Some of the characters in The Book of Unknown Americans were born in the United States, others came as adults or were brought here from Central and South America. Their stories speak to us, involve us in their lives. They dream, meet challenges, and dare to live on hope. Sometimes they cry, but they also laugh, dance, make love. In this beautiful book, Cristina Henríquez introduces us to their vibrant lives, to heartbreaking choices, to the tender beginnings of love, and to the humanity in every individual. Unforgettable." --Esmeralda Santiago, author of When I Was Puerto Rican and Conquistadora "Cristina Henríquez's novel is a triumph not just of storytelling, but of American storytelling, a novel whose breadth and power blow open any traditional definition of 'American.' Henríquez pulls us into the lives of her characters with such mastery that we hang onto them just as fiercely as they hang onto one another, and their dreams. This passionate, powerful novel will stay with you long after you've turned the final page." --Ben Fountain, author of Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk
