ARC Review: “Neruda On The Park” by Cleyvis Natera 

“Neruda On The Park” by Cleyvis Natera 

Publishing Date: May 17, 2022

Genre: Fiction, Contemporary

Page Length: 336 pages (electronic review edition)

Synopsis:

The Guerreros have lived in Nothar Park, a predominantly Dominican part of New York City, for twenty years. When demolition begins on a neighboring tenement, Eusebia, an elder of the community, takes matters into her own hands by devising an increasingly dangerous series of schemes to stop construction of the luxury condos. Meanwhile Eusebia’s daughter, Luz, a rising associate at a top Manhattan law firm who strives to live the bougie lifestyle her parents worked hard to give her, becomes distracted by a sweltering romance with the handsome white developer of the company her mother so vehemently opposes.

As Luz’s father, Vladimir, secretly designs their retirement home in the Dominican Republic, mother and daughter collide, ramping up tensions in Nothar Park, racing towards a near fatal climax.

Review:

Neruda On The Park is a narrative that weaves together the tale of the Guerrero’s who live in the neighborhood of Nothar Park. This historical and rich neighborhood is under the threat of gentrification as a company wants to bring in new apartment buildings. This new development brings a new atmosphere to a community slowly recognizing that things are changing and becoming unrecognizable. The neighborhood as well as our main characters grapple with this change in their home and are unsure of how to stop it.

The book mainly follows the perspective of Luz and Eusebia and how the changes within the neighborhood also shift the dynamic of their mother-daughter relationship. Eusenia wakes up one day and suddenly has an epiphany that she’s going to fight for her home and what is important to her. On the other hand, Luz is a hard-working Harvard graduate who has been burned out by her job at a law firm and losing her job sparks have a fire within her that maybe this is not the career path she truly wants. She’s tired of always doing what’s expected of her or what people think she should do.

The lengths and desperation that Eusebia will go to keep the neighborhood from change become drastic, while Luz tries to change the trajectory of her career, and Vladimir is carving out a new life for him and his wife in the DR. I appreciated the constant shift of point-of-view while the detailed writing also allowed you to get into the character’s head. This novel is lyrically written, emotional, and sometimes heartbreaking. Natera paints a vivid portrait of the life of immigrants in the United States as well as the trauma that came come with a significant change in our lives. It’s a powerful novel about how fighting for what we believe in, the consequences of our choices, and what we define as home.

Final Verdict:

FTC Disclaimer: I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.