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Cover of Dominicana by Angie CruzDominicana
Modern · Fiction, Young Adult, Literary Fiction

Dominicana

by Angie Cruz
2019 · 336 pages · Fiction
Critics' pick
≈ 8 hours to read · about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day

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

Good to know

It deals with domestic abuse.

By the numbers

69.4Must-Read Score
  • 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

Why it made the list

Shortlisted
Women's Prize for Fiction finalist (2020)

Reads as

Moving

How we rank

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Explore the best-of lists

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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.