First published 1996
America Gonzales accepts a position caring for children in an affluent Westchester household. The job promises a fresh beginning far from her Caribbean homeland. She moves into comfortable quarters and tends to her employers' family. Yet prosperity cannot erase the wounds she carries. Memories of mistreatment and rejection on her Puerto Rican island refuse to fade. The contrast between her current circumstances and her troubled origins creates an internal struggle. America discovers that geographic distance cannot heal emotional scars. Her new life offers material comfort but leaves deeper needs unmet. The story explores whether true renewal is possible when the past maintains its grip on the present.
Genres: literary-fiction, american-fiction, american, contemporary, 21st-century, family-drama
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, new-beginnings, past-haunts-present
Setting: Caribbean, Puerto Rico, Westchester
Period: 21st Century
79 pages · Hardcover · HarperCollins