Review: Las Madres by Esmeralda Santiago
Las Madres seemed like a promising read from award-winning author Esmeralda Santiago. It takes us to 1975 when a 15-year Luz experiences the tragic loss of her brilliant parents and suffers a brain injury. The story goes back and forth from the past to current day in 2017, showing Luz’ journey. Las Madres is a group of women and their daughters that have built a friendship over some of the toughest circumstances.
Luz’s adult daughter Marysol is having a hard time connecting with her mother when she can barely remember her own life. In an attempt to help, Ada and Shirley’s daughter Graciela plans a getaway to Puerto Rico where Las Madres grew up. Their hope is for it to be restorative, while instead they find themselves up against two disruptive hurricanes testing all of their fortitude. They also learn of a life-altering secret.
The book explores the effects of colonialism on the island and speaks loudly to the intricacy of politics that affect its residents negatively. Marysol takes a strong stance when given the opportunity to speak to a news crew in the aftermath of the hurricane.
While clearly, Santiago writes a heartfelt story exploring the depth of the relationship between these women, the ending fell a little flat. There was this hope that something would happen for Luz, or some development, but really it was hardship after hardship throughout her whole life. Which definitely happens in life, but just seemed like there was never any type of victory for the character. Or her daughter Marysol.
We’re taken through a series of events without a great amount of resolve. An intriguing story, but I think a little more story development for the characters could have been worthwhile. The alternating time periods can also often be tricky, and somehow those set in the past are a bit more intriguing than those set in 2017.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for providing a free arc for review. Las Madres releases on Aug. 8th and can be pre-ordered through our Bookshop.org storefront where we receive a small commission to support our work of amplifying and cultivating the voices of Black writers and writers of color.