Cara Romero is enrolled in the Senior Workforce Program, which aims to improve the career opportunities of older unemployed people by helping them with communication skills, interviewing practice, and pre-vocational training so that they can reenter the workforce. A proud Dominican woman living in Manhattan’s Washington Heights, she lost her factory job during the recession but makes it clear she is ready to return to work. Cruz’s (
Dominicana) latest documents Cara’s 12 captivating sessions with her job counselor. Through one-sided first-person narration, listeners will be drawn into Cara’s story as they learn about her upbringing, her family, and her neighbors. Narrator Rossmery Almonte provides a distinctive voice for this compelling character—at times hysterically funny, and always tough as nails. The utterly convincing narration superbly carries listeners through Cara’s ups and downs. Narrator Kimberly M. Wetherell provides a counterbalance to Almonte’s rich narration, reading through paperwork filed throughout the program. Together, Almonte and Wetherell are the key to this exceptional novel.
VERDICT A brilliantly narrated immigrant story, spiked with heart and flair, that will have patrons rooting for Cara’s success. Highly recommended for all public libraries.
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