Olga Dies Dreaming: A Novel

Olga is a wedding planner for wealthy New York couples, and she has found success by outsmarting her clients. Meanwhile, her brother Prieto is an up-and-coming political figure who is beloved by the city. The siblings are close, especially since their mother abandoned them at a young age, leaving them with a father who died shortly after. However, their mother is the leader of a radical political movement and watches Olga’s and Prieto’s lives from afar. She sends them letters either praising their successes, or more often, scolding them for disappointing her and their Puerto Rican heritage.

This book was very well written and original, and I learned a lot about the tension between the continental US and Puerto Rico. I appreciate the details that the author wove in about Puerto Rico, and how the main characters grappled with their ties to the country while living in New York. On the whole, I enjoyed the book and the characters and events were beyond entertaining. However, some of the politics was too complex to follow. I loved the relationship between Matteo and Olga, and Prieto’s self-discovery. The flawed characters were refreshing and realistic. The mother was a frustrating character, and so important to the story!