Lisa's Reviews > Of Women and Salt

3.5 Stars, rounded up because it's a debut and for the writing

Gabriela Garcia's Of Women and Salt is a beautifully written debut novel. Her prose is poetic and assured; it is a joy to read even when she is describing harsh circumstances. Her insights are powerful, affecting, painful.

"Who are we, weakness? No, we are force."

This is a story of women--their strength, their resilience, their struggles to survive, and of mother-daughter relationships. Begun in Cuba in 1866, the story takes us to modern day Miami with a detour to Texas and Mexico as well. Garcia uses immigration as one of the tools to propel her story. Patriarchal violence threads through the stories contained here. Garcia also portrays cycles of secrets between mothers and daughters. These women are all seeking agency, trying to survive; and survival comes at a steep cost. She shows us that sometimes woman survive, and sometimes we don't. And that the women of this world struggle and keep on trying, rising when they can and falling/failing when they can't.

Garcia uses Victor Hugo's Les Miserables, a book passed down through the family, and family stories as symbols in this work. She tells me that stories elevate us/can hold us up, and show us possibilities; and that sometimes intentionally withholding a story can be as powerful as telling one.

I did suffer some confusion at first with the jumps in time. I appreciate the skeleton outline of the family tree that is included at the front of the book which helped. I am still ambivalent about the structure of this book. On one hand I want the gaps filled in. Who was Cecilia's child, Delores' mother and what is the story here? I want more about each of these characters that have found a place in my heart. On the other hand I can see this like family stories that are told through a few generations. Tales are told sitting around talking, past and present bleeding into each other. There are aspects we don't know and will never know. There are scenes viewed from different points of view.

Just one of the ideas that Garcia presents:

"I am sorry I had nothing else to offer, Ana. That there are no real rules that govern why some are born in turmoil and others never know a single day in which the next seems an ill-considered bet. It's all lottery, Ana, all chance. It's the flick of a coin, and we are born."

I have been giving this idea thought off and on my adult life. I believe that there is an overall plan for each of us. That we have some ability of choice which makes the path smoother or more difficult as we travel it. I'm still figuring this one out. What is luck v. fate? How much choice do we have? I am one of the lucky ones. I am grateful for everything I do have, which is a lot compared to the majority of people in the world.

There is a lot here to unpack in this slim volume and a lot of white space to fill in. It was immensely helpful to read this with a buddy to help sort out and explore these ideas. I don't think I would have liked it as much if I read it on my own.

This novel is a worthwhile debut and I will be looking for more from this author in the future.

Buddy read with Jennifer. Her review.

Publication 2021