Alla Tamashkina Tamashkina من عند Tasajeras, Gachetá, Cundinamarca, كولومبيا من عند Tasajeras, Gachetá, Cundinamarca, كولومبيا

I was thrilled when the bookgroup chose to read this book, largely because it was the sort of book that I expected I would want to talk about. And that was spot-on. The book is told in a style that seems free-wheeling and chaotic. Different characters fill things in for the reader; the narrator's voice is both funny and true with a smart-mouthed style that I enjoyed. The facts of Dominican Republic history and the way in which that effects Oscar (and other Dominican ex-pats) are much more significant to the story than I had expected. The details of life in New Jersey were also fascinating to me; though I live here I am not a native of the Garden State. The story is sometimes sad and Oscar is both tragic and funny; frustrating and inspiring. I recommend the novel highly.