Dominicana (novel)

The book tells the story of Ana, a young woman from the Dominican Republic who moves to New York in 1965 after marrying an older man, Juan. She is unhappy there, but sees a new side of life when her husband temporarily returns to the Dominican Republic leaving her in the care of his younger brother, Cesar: she can study English, go to the beach, and go dancing. When Juan returns, she has a decision to make.[5]

Dominicana received widespread acclaim.[5][6] Publishers Weekly described the work as "Enthralling...Cruz's winning novel will linger in the reader’s mind long after the close of the story."[7] NBC described Dominicana as "one of the most evocative and empowering immigrant stories of our time."[8] The Observer's reviewer described it as "a grim portrait of what it means to be doubly disenfranchised as a female illegal immigrant in an oppressively patriarchal community", and says that Cruz "was inspired to write it by her mother’s experience"[1]

Dominicana won a 2020 Alex Award (as one of ten adult books likely to appeal to readers aged 12-18)[9][10] and was shortlisted for the 2020 Women's Prize for Fiction, which was won by Maggie O'Farrell's Hamnet.[4] It was selected as the inaugural pick for Good Morning America's book club,[11] and viewers were offered a recipe for "Ana's pastelito love bites".[12]

• "Dominicana Reading Group Guide" (PDF). Flatiron Books.
• "Books" on Cruz's website