Review: Of Women and Salt

Of Women and Salt is Gabriela Garcia's debut novel, released last March. The plot mainly centers around Jeanette, daughter of Cuban immigrants and a recovering addict, as well as her mother, Carmen, and her neighbor, Ana, who returns home one to find her own mother has been deported and stays with Jeanette until immigration agents come for her, too.

However, this is not a story that unfolds linearly. Instead, Garcia jumps between the perspectives of several narrators, all female, including Ana's mother, Jeanette's mother (Carmen), Jeanette’s first cousin (Maydelis), her grandmother (Dolores), and her great-great-grandmother (María Isabel). By the end of the novel, Garcia is able to tie together each of these women's stories in a way that is both shocking and deeply satisfying.

I definitely have to give this book a five out of five stars because it was interesting from the first page to the last. Additionally, Garcia, who is also a poet, writes in such beautiful, fluid prose. Each of the narrators are strong, complete, complicated, and fully developed female characters. Lastly, there are several plot twists throughout the novel that help propel the reader forward.

The only thing I could think of that may be a deterrent for some readers is the nonlinear structure of the plot and the backward and forwards jumps in times. Still, I feel that this is a minimal barrier considering that Garcia lists the narrator, location, and year at the start of each chapter.

The themes that evolve focus on mother/daughter relationships, material abuse, immigration policies and detention, and substance abuse. What I enjoyed most about the novel is the unique and nuanced perspective it provides as well as the innovative narrative structure. I would highly recommend this read and suggest you go pick it up or check it out if you have not already read it.