DominicanaDominicana
Score Modern
What it's about
Fifteen-year-old Ana Cancion never dreamed of moving to America like the other girls in the Dominican countryside. But when Juan Ruiz proposes and promises to take her to New York, she goes, and finds herself isolated in a small apartment, longing for a life of her own.
Why it's worth reading
It was a finalist for the Women's Prize for Fiction. It's a moving immigrant story about a young woman finding her own strength.
You'll love it if you liked
The House of Broken Angels
Americanah
A Tree Grows in BrooklynGood to know
It deals with domestic abuse.
By the numbers
- Readers70 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics25 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller11 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz14 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #89 of the 219 young adult books we rank
- #163 of the 309 literary novels we rank
- #727 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #1367 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving
If you like this, read next
The Last Song
The Deal
It Ends with Us
Gone with the Wind
The Rescue
Purple HibiscusExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →Quick answers
Is Dominicana worth reading?
Yes. It was a finalist for the Women's Prize for Fiction. It ranks #1,367 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 69.4 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Dominicana about?
Fifteen-year-old Ana Cancion never dreamed of moving to America like the other girls in the Dominican countryside. But when Juan Ruiz proposes and promises to take her to New York, she goes, and finds herself isolated in a small apartment, longing for a life of her own.
How long does it take to read Dominicana?
About 8 hours (336 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Dominicana?
If you liked it, try The House of Broken Angels by Luis Alberto Urrea, Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie or A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith.

















