I’m thrilled and honored to have my novel reviewed by Paul LaRosa in “New York Journal of Books.”
Here’s a short excerpt. Please click on the link here to read the entire review.
I’m especially grateful to LaRosa for noting the complexity of what I was striving for with Mother Mother. And because he mentioned my memoir, Mamalita, describing it as “page-turning.” How amazing to read that.
This is where O’Dwyer uses a storytelling device that elevates Mother Mother. The author doesn’t merely have Julie and the reader imagine what happened. She switches gears to tell the story of how Juan came to fall into the adoption process, and it is a harrowing tale. Suffice it to say that Guatemala was, during much of its recent history, a very violent country. Its citizens are still poor and ripe for abuse.
The photo above is of three friends and me in Guatemala, maybe two years ago, on a day we climbed a (small-ish) mountain near Antigua and finished with an impromptu poetry reading. In the Acknowledgment section of Mother Mother, I thank these three–Susan, Gretchen, and Wende–“who are as obsessed with Guatemalan history as I am.” One of these years, we may be able to return to Guatemala for another reunion.
In the meantime, please read Paul LaRosa’s review. It’s really good!