SHORTLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION 2020 'A story for now an important story . .
. told with incredible freshness' Martha Lane Fox Chair of Judges Women's Prize 2020 ' The
harsh reality of immigration is balanced with a refreshing dose of humour' The Times ' This
compassionate and ingenious novel has an endearing vibrancy in the storytelling that page
after page makes it addictive reading' Irish Times ' Engrossing . . . the story itself and
Ana the protagonist are terrifically interesting. Loved this' Roxane Gay 'This book is a
valentine to my mom and all the unsung Dominicanas like her for their quiet heroism in making
a better life for their families often at a hefty cost to themselves. Even if Dominicana is a
Dominican story it's also a New York story and an immigrant story. When I read parts of
Dominicana at universities and literary venues both here and abroad each time audience
members from all cultures and generations came up to me and said this is my mother's story my
sister's story my story' Angie Cruz Fifteen-year-old Ana Canción never dreamed of moving to
America the way the girls she grew up with in the Dominican countryside did. But when Juan
Ruiz proposes and promises to take her to New York City she must say yes. It doesn't matter
that he is twice her age that there is no love between them. Their marriage is an opportunity
for her entire close-knit family to eventually immigrate. So on New Year's Day 1965 Ana
leaves behind everything she knows and becomes Ana Ruiz a wife confined to a cold six-floor
walk-up in Washington Heights. Lonely and miserable Ana hatches a reckless plan to escape. But
at the bus terminal she is stopped by César Juan's free-spirited younger brother who
convinces her to stay. As the Dominican Republic slides into political turmoil Juan returns
to protect his family's assets leaving César to take care of Ana. Suddenly Ana is free to
take English lessons at a local church lie on the beach at Coney Island dance with César at
the Audubon Ballroom and imagine the possibility of a different kind of life in America. When
Juan returns Ana must decide once again between her heart and her duty to her family. In
bright musical prose that reflects the energy of New York City Dominicana is a vital portrait
of the immigrant experience and the timeless coming-of-age story of a young woman finding her
voice in the world.