"Aquino's debut novel explores complex ideas: how things that are
threatening can also be attractive and whether a debt is owed to
the people and places that shaped you."-- WASHINGTON POST "I was
crying like I lost my best friend as I finished. . . . This book is
an act of love . . . It will break you apart and remind you that we
can all be put back together again, stronger, and wiser than
before." -- XOCHITL GONZALEZ, New York Times bestselling author of
Olga Dies Dreaming An emotionally riveting coming-of-age drama
about two cousins lured into the underground drug trade at a young
age and the inextricable ties that bind them, as one woman seeks
power and the other seeks a way out--the debut of a vibrant and
stunningly original new voice in fiction. Carmen and Grace have
been inseparable since they were little girls--more like sisters
than cousins, survivors of a childhood marked by neglect and
addiction and a system that never valued them. For too long, all
they had was each other. That is, until Doña Durka swept into
their lives and changed everything, taking Grace into her home,
providing stability and support, and playing an outsize role in
Carmen's upbringing too. Durka is more than a beneficent force in
their Bronx neighborhood, though. She's also the leader of an
underground drug empire, a larger-than-life matriarch who
understands the vital importance of taking what power she can in a
world too often ruled by violent men. So, when Durka dies suddenly
under mysterious circumstances, Carmen and Grace's lives are thrown
into chaos. Grace has been primed to take over and has grand plans
to expand the business. While Carmen is ready to move on--from the
shadow of Durka and her high expectations and, most of all, from
always looking over her shoulder in fear. She's also harboring a
secret: she's pregnant and starting to show, and desperate to build
a new life before the baby arrives. But how can Carmen leave the
only family she's ever known--this tight sisterhood of women known
as the D. O. D., a group of lost girls turned skilled professionals
under Durka's guiding hand, all bonded in their spirituality and
merciless support for one another--especially now, when outside
threats are circling, and Grace's plans are speeding recklessly
forward? As tough and tender as its main characters, Carmen and
Grace will grab readers from the first page with its raw beauty,
depth of feeling, and heart-pounding plot. A moving meditation on
the choices of women and the legacy of violence, it's a
devastatingly wise and intimate story about the bonds of female
friendship, ambition, and found family. "Melissa Coss Aquino
brilliantly delivers a loving novel with characters you are
inspired to ride or die with. . . . If you love reading novels
about creative, ambitious, and relentless women who are committed
to community and making a way out of no way, read this book!" --
ANGIE CRUZ, author of How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water and
Dominicana "Electric, heartrending, and exceptionally tender . . .
Every sentence of Melissa Coss Aquino's debut feels acute and
deliberate, a shard of glass held up to the light." -- DANYA
KUKAFKA, bestselling author of Notes on an Execution
General
Imprint: |
Collins
|
Country of origin: |
United States |
Release date: |
April 2024 |
Authors: |
Melissa Coss Aquino
|
Dimensions: |
203 x 135 x 21mm (L x W x T) |
Pages: |
368 |
ISBN-13: |
978-0-06-315908-2 |
Categories: |
Books
|
LSN: |
0-06-315908-2 |
Barcode: |
9780063159082 |
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