Yo! : A Novel

ALA Notable Book. Yolanda Garcia has managed to put herself at the center of many lives. Each part of this novel is told from the viewpoint of one of those first tangled in her web and now frozen in the spotlight her literary fame has generated. While everybody from her three sisters to her third husband attempts to sort out Yo's character, motivations, and behavior, Yo herself never speaks on her own behalf, even though, in her native Spanish, her nickname means "I." "A literary dance . . .lively and engaging."—Los Angeles Times Book Review. A QUALITY PAPERBACK BOOK CLUB SELECTION. Julia Alvarez has been called "a one-woman cultural collision" by the Los Angeles Times Book Review, and that has never been truer than in this story about three of her most personal relationships?with her parents, with her husband, and with a young Haitian boy known as Piti. A teenager when Julia and her husband, Bill, first met him in 2001, Piti crossed the border into the Dominican Republic to find work. Julia, impressed by his courage, charmed by his smile, has over the years come to think of him as a son, even promising to be at his wedding someday. When Piti calls in 2009, Julia?s promise is tested.To Alvarez, much admired for her ability to lead readers deep inside her native Dominican culture, "Haiti is like a sister I?ve never gotten to know." And so we follow her across the border into what was once the richest of all the French colonies and now teeters on the edge of the abyss?first for the celebration of a wedding and a year later to find Piti?s loved ones in the devastation of the earthquake. As in all of Alvarez?s books, a strong message is packed inside an intimate, beguiling story, this time about the nature of poverty and of wealth, of human love and of human frailty, of history and of the way we live now "Charming and funny . . . Mesmerizing . . . Wonderful.” — USA Today Yolanda García—Yo, for short—is the literary one in the family. Her first published novel, in which uses as characters practically everyone she knows, was a big success. Now she’s basking in the spotlight while those “characters” find their very recognizable selves dangling in that same blinding light. But turnabout is fair play, and so here, Yolanda García’s family and friends tell the truth about Yo. Her three sisters, her Mami and Papi, her grandparents, tías, tíos, cousins, housemaids, her third husband: they take turns telling their side of the story, ripping into Yo and in the process creating their own endearing self-portraits. At once funny and poignant, intellectual and gossipy, lighthearted and layered, ¡Yo! is above all a portrait of the artist. And with its bright colors, passion, and penchant for controversy, it’s a portrait that could come only from the palette of Julia Alvarez. Julia Alvarez’s new novel, The Cemetery of Untold Stories, is coming April 2, 2024. Pre-order now! Quot;Charming#160;and funny . . . Mesmerizing . . . Wonderful. -- USA Today #160; Yolanda#160;Garca--Yo, for short--is the literary one in the family. Her first published#160;novel, in which uses as characters#160;practically everyone she knows,#160;was a big success. Now shes basking in the spotlight while those characters#160;find#160;their very recognizable selves dangling in that same blinding light. But#160;turnabout is fair play, and so here, Yolanda Garcas#160;family and friends tell#160;the truth about Yo. Her three sisters, her Mami and Papi, her grandparents,#160;tas, tos, cousins,#160;housemaids, her third husband: they take turns telling#160;their side of the story, ripping into Yo and in the process creating#160;their own#160;endearing self-portraits. #160; At once funny and poignant, intellectual and#160;gossipy, lighthearted and layered,#160; Yo! #160;is above all a portrait of the artist. And#160;with its bright colors, passion, and#160;penchant for controversy, its a portrait that could come only from the palette#160;of Julia#160;Alvarez 'Charming and funny... Mesmerizing... Wonderful.” —USA Today Yolanda García--Yo, for short--is the literary one in the family. Her first published novel, in which uses as characters practically everyone she knows, was a big success. Now she's basking in the spotlight while those “characters” find their very recognizable selves dangling in that same blinding light. But turnabout is fair play, and so here, Yolanda García's family and friends tell the truth about Yo. Her three sisters, her Mami and Papi, her grandparents, tías, tíos, cousins, housemaids, her third husband: they take turns telling their side of the story, ripping into Yo and in the process creating their own endearing self-portraits. At once funny and poignant, intellectual and gossipy, lighthearted and layered, ¡Yo! is above all a portrait of the artist. And with its bright colors, passion, and penchant for controversy, it's a portrait that could come only from the palette of Julia Alvarez.Don't miss Alvarez's new novel, The Cemetery of Untold Stories, available now! “[A] beguiling memoir of family and culture.”—O, The Oprah Magazine In a story that travels beyond borders and between families, acclaimed Dominican novelist and poet Julia Alvarez reflects on the joys and burdens of love—for her parents, for her husband, and for a young Haitian boy known as Piti. In this intimate true account of a promise kept, Alvarez takes us on a journey into experiences that challenge our way of thinking about history and how it can be reimagined when people from two countries—traditional enemies and strangers—become friends.Julia Alvarez's new novel, Afterlife, is available now. The American odyssey of Yo, a Dominican woman writer whose family arrived in the U.S. as refugees from a dictatorship. The novel follows her youth, with its energy and optimism, and the setbacks as she grows older, including two divorces. The Popular Author Talks About Three Of Her Most Personal Relationships--with Her Parents, With Her Husband, And With A Young Haitian Boy Known As Piti.