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How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents
How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents | Julia Alvarez
Simply wonderful. Los Angeles Times Acclaimed writer Julia Alvarezs brilliant and buoyant and beloved first novel gives voice to four sisters recounting their adventures growing up in two cultures. Selected as a Notable Book by both the New York Times and the American Library Association, it won the PEN Oakland/Josephine Miles Award for books with a multicultural perspective and was chosen by New York librarians as one of twenty-one classics for the twenty-first century. Ms. Alvarez was recently honored with the 2013 National Medal of Arts for her extraordinary storytelling. In this debut novel, the Garca sistersCarla, Sandra, Yolanda, and Sofaand their family must flee their home in the Dominican Republic after their fathers role in an attempt to overthrow a tyrannical dictator is discovered. They arrive in New York City in 1960 to a life far removed from their existence in the Caribbean. In the wild and wondrous and not always welcoming U.S.A., their parents try to hold on to their old ways, but the girls try find new lives: by forgetting their Spanish, by straightening their hair and wearing fringed bell bottoms. For them, it is at once liberating and excruciating to be caught between the old world and the new. How the Garca Girls Lost Their Accents sets the sisters free to tell their most intimate stories about how they came to be at homeand not at homein America. A joy to read. The Cleveland Plain Dealer
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pdxannie
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Pickpick

I picked this book up at a used bookstore on a trip to NM this past spring. I think we were supposed to read it in HS? I didn‘t remember it. Anyway. It recently was challenged at a Tillamook HS and has been removed from the curriculum so I bumped it to the top of my list. It was phenomenal.

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Soubhiville
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Pickpick

Sietje had to have a broken tooth pulled yesterday, so last night was dedicated to babying her. She‘s doing fine, but her pain meds make her a little groggy.

This is my second by Alvarez, and it was pretty good. Vignettes about the four Garcia sisters and their parents, both in the Dominican Republic and after moving to the US. Some of the stories were really funny, and I liked this family.

Short story and vignettes aren‘t my favorite, low 👍.

Jari-chan Get better soon, little baby 🙏❤️ 4mo
Tamra 😘 4mo
Ruthiella Poor pup! 🐶❤️ 4mo
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LeahBergen Poor girl! 4mo
dabbe #sweetestSietje 🖤🐾🖤 4mo
Yenya1954 I‘m sorry for Sietje. Poor girl. ❤️ 4mo
Bookwomble ❤️‍🩹🐕❤️‍🩹 4mo
Hooked_on_books Back in the day, Gunther had a broken tooth pulled as well and bounced back really well. I hope Sietje had an easy recovery, too! 4mo
Soubhiville @Hooked_on_books she‘s doing much better, thank you. She actually was very stoic about the whole thing, barely showing that it bothered her at all. 4mo
62 likes9 comments
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SpeculativeFemale
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Eggs Perfect 👍🏼 1y
34 likes1 comment
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rjsthumbelina
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Mehso-so

I enjoyed listening to this via #audiobook , but I can't say I retained very much of it. I really enjoyed the relationships throughout the story, though that's pretty much all I remember.
I'm going to try to catch up on posting all my August reads.

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sarahbellum
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Got some beach reading in today on Catalina Island 😎

Megabooks Beautiful!! 3y
BarbaraBB Gorgeous picture 3y
27 likes2 comments
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sarahbellum
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Luckily came prepared for a long wait at the vet

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ManyWordsLater
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Mehso-so

Not great. I didn‘t understand why it was moving backwards until the second to last chapter.
They can‘t all be winners.

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MaureenMc
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Pickpick

Lyrical, heartbreaking novel-in-stories about four sisters from the Dominican Republic who flee to the U.S. in 1960 for their family‘s safety. The story is told in reverse chronological order, which was interesting. Alvarez tackles a lot in this brief book, including immigration, family duty, feminism, classism, and mental illness. I definitely want to read more of her books. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Emilymdxn
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Pickpick

I found the backwards structure of this a bit odd at first but once I got used to it I loved it. The writing was so clear and simple but everything was perfectly put. It reminded me of the virgin suicides at a lot of points, and though I did wish for more psychological details of the sisters sometimes I appreciated how dreamlike the uncertainty made it.

Storied I loved that book and have wondered what I would think if I reread it now. You might also enjoy the sequel which is told from each friend/family member‘s perspective—mostly about Yolanda 4y
81 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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umbrellagirl
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Excited to start this one.

63 likes2 stack adds
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Sharp_Cornaz
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Pickpick

Better than anything Junot Díaz ever wrote. Looking forward to Time of Butterflies.

Reggie She is one of my top 5 authors. Check out In the Name of Salome, which is my favorite of hers and Yó which is one of the Garcia Girls, Yolanda, and it‘s a compilation of short stories told from the people all connected to her. I read both books almost 20 years ago and still think about them sometimes. So glad you liked her. If you‘re also looking for other Latinx authors around the same time try Ana Castillo. 4y
Sharp_Cornaz Who‘s your other four. 4y
Reggie James Robert Baker, Ana Castillo, Chitra Bannerjee Divakaruni, and insert favorite horror author of the moment here, years ago I would have said Clive Barker or Robert McCammon but it changes all the time. 4y
4 likes1 stack add3 comments
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Lcsmcat
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This #BookWithLostInTitle is the first Alvarez I read. #FebruaryFeels @Eggs

Eggs Well done 👍🏼 5y
52 likes1 comment
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Emilymdxn
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My boyfriend‘s Christmas gift to me involved two books he brought back from his business trip to New York, he dropped into Strand Books for me 🥰 probably by fave bookshop tho I‘ve only managed to go a handful of times. I always love American paperbacks so much, not sure why I just find them prettier and more exciting than British editions. Feeling very happy and lucky right now!

Tamra The grass is always greener! I often feel the same about UK editions. Then I end up on Book Depository. 😉 5y
Librarybelle I second @Tamra ...I often think the UK edition is prettier and will head over to Book Depository to buy it. It‘s fun to see what we prefer! 5y
Cinfhen Sweet gift 🎁 5y
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readordierachel That Alvarez is lovely! 5y
EmilyM How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents is excellent! 5y
Emilymdxn @tamra @librarybelle that‘s so interesting to hear! I feel like US paperbacks are a bit bigger and covered in softer paper, I often find they have more abstract or nature-y covers where British covers are often pictures of objects? Maybe I just associate them with my few trips to US bookstores which have all been wonderful 5y
linipanini Ah, Julia Alvarez has another novel I love called “In the Time of the Butterflies” that I read in college for a lit class and I absolutely loved it. 5y
63 likes7 comments
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Mrs.C
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Pickpick

I love that as a “coming of age” novel, it doesn‘t follow the typical structure. I love hearing the story is told through various voices and that it begins at the end! I would recommend others to check it out if you‘re interested in something a bit different!

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Camille2
Mehso-so

⭐️⭐️⭐️

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moarbookspleaze
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I'm almost halfway through but I have to finish this by Wednesday at lunch for the Diversity & Inclusion book club at work.

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merelybookish
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Pickpick

One step closer to completing the Litsy Reading Challenge. This one for "Girl(s) in the title." Only four left. ☺️
This was my first novel by Alvarez. I liked it. It took some adjusting. At first, it seemed random, disjointed. But I came to appreciate how the individual events (some major, some minor) came together to help us understand "the girls" and how they understand themselves.

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danimgill
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Mehso-so

First book of #24in48 complete! ✅ I think I was expecting more out of a book with so much general praise but the reverse chronological structure was a fabulous way to illustrate the lives of the four sisters.

Not where I should be time-wise in the #readathon but I knew I had work all weekend so not much I can do haha. Now for a change in medium and to finally get to a comic that's been on my shelf for about 2 years 💥

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danimgill
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Despite having to work both days this weekend I still signed up for the #24in48 readathon 🤷‍♀️ Thankfully I can read ebooks while I work the front desk!

This stack (if it even qualifies lol) is not nearly as impressive as many others but these are the two books I'm hoping to make serious progress in, if not finish this weekend! I haven't even come close to 24 in the past so we'll see how this goes 😜⏱📚

MinDea I love these wordcloud flexibook books! I want them all! Only have a couple. 7y
danimgill @MinDea This is my only one but I love the feel of it so much! I definitely need to invest in more haha 7y
MinDea Also, I love your photo! The glasses and the shirt, I wonder what your real identity is! Clar (a/k) Kent or Super (wo)man!! 7y
danimgill @MinDea Thanks so much! ☺️ It's from last Halloween, an easy costume since I already wear the glasses and the buttondowns - I guess that makes me Clark Kent in real life haha 7y
39 likes4 comments
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FairyHighRoad
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One of my favorite #multiethnic books. Everything by Julia Alvarez is amazing! #junebookbugs

18 likes1 stack add
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Chelapf
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Match made in heaven: DQ pecan cluster blizzard and a good book. Parts of this book remind me of my own teenage years and all the frustrations that came with them. Almost TOO relatable. 😪

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bookwrm526
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This is the most recent book I've read that counts for the #immigrantsong prompt for #RockinMay! I need two books with immigration as a major theme, though, so I'm definitely following this hashtag to find some great suggestions 😜Kitty is NOT impressed, btw.

Bookzombie 💕🐱 8y
Cinfhen Great choice & there have been dozens of awesome titles today!!! The Littens are in top form💙📚💜📚❤️📚💗📚 8y
45 likes2 comments
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Loreen
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Look at her calf #muscles ! #AprilBookShowers

RealLifeReading Great pick! 8y
ferskner I swear I had more leg envy from this book when I was reading it than I've ever had at the gym. 8y
33 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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Lcsmcat
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"At that hour and in that loneliness, I hear her, a black furred thing lurking in the corners of my life, her magenta mouth opening, wailing over some violation that lies at the center of my art." #marchintoreading #bestlastsentences

i.z.booknook Awesome! 8y
RealLifeReading Powerful! 8y
25 likes2 stack adds3 comments
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Peaceful_Reader
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March Book Club choice. I'm having a tough time getting pulled in...

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BrainyHeroine
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Soubhiville Oh yes. So true. 8y
CatLadyBibliophile I'm at that bad stage where it's "Hey you got out of bed? You deserve two books!" My TBR stacks could be used to build a small apartment. 8y
Sue Bahahahaha ! @CatLadyBibliophile you are not alone! 8y
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BrainyHeroine I mean, to be fair I bought 5 new books right before I posted this. Lol 8y
Branwen It's very comforting to know that I'm not the only one that does this! 8y
SaraFair So true. 8y
22 likes6 comments
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Jas16
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When I first moved to San Francisco I wasn't sure I had made the right decision. I really missed my friends and didn't know if the city was for me. One of my first nights here (my brain keeps saying first night but that seems too perfect) my sister took me to dinner and we randomly went into the bookstore next door where this happened. That helped me decide that this city was for me. #latinx #feistyfeb

Zelma What a fantastic memory! 8y
38 likes1 stack add1 comment
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JacintaMCarter
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#LitsyAtoZ Part 3: Books published from 1991-2017 alphabetized by author. I don't own most of these, so I'm relying on the library. Also, the book from 2017 is a bonus that just happens to come out on my 26th birthday.

Suzze I just looked and my birthday is on a Tuesday this year. Wonder if anything good will be released that day? 8y
TheNextBook Are you doing the #birthdaychallenge! This list is awesome! 8y
JacintaMCarter @TheNextBook I'm combining the #BirthdayChallenge with the #LitsyAtoZ challenge. Just to make it all more challenging. 8y
TheNextBook @JacintaMCarter 😂 I love it!! 8y
41 likes1 stack add4 comments
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rachellayown
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Julia Alvarez is one of my favorite writers and this is the first book I read by her so it's my pick for #publishedinthe90s

charl08 Love that cover. 8y
47 likes4 stack adds1 comment