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Title: Crudely crafted vehicle doesn't run
Review: This is one of the most disappointing reads in years. The author may have had a good idea, examining the tensions between expatriate Cubans and those who remained behind, but it's lost amid the cardboard cut-out characters and the formulaic "magical realism". There are occasional glimmers of interesting imagery, but the "story" wanders aimlessly over the years and the members of the family appear to be pathetic (e.g., Felicia) and/or hateful (e.g., Lourdes). The author's attitude towards her characters comes across as arbitrary and random. The vignettes from Pilar's "life" were particularly unsatisfactory. The question arises: If the author cares so little about her characters, why should the reader care at all?
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