I’m excited to take part in another awesome blog tour with WOW! Women on Writing. We’ve had a busy season with a ton of great books. This one is called A Delicate Marriage by Margarita Barresi.
Before we get to my review, here’s more about the book:
From glittering ballrooms to verdant mountains to poverty-stricken slums, A Delicate Marriage takes the reader on a vivid tour of Puerto Rico forty years after becoming a U.S. colony, a time of great change and political turmoil on the island.
Isabela, a wealthy woman, sacrifices her artistic aspirations to marry Marco, a penniless man dedicated to improving conditions on the island. As the island’s insular government enacts pro-U.S. policies, Marco builds a real estate empire while struggling to maintain his populist principles. Meanwhile, Isabela feels unfulfilled in her traditional role as a wife and mother and becomes disillusioned with Marco’s shifting moral compass. She begins to identify with anti-U.S. factions, leading a dangerous double life that puts her family in peril.
As political violence threatens their paradise, Isabela and Marco question whether their marriage, like the island’s relationship with the U.S., should continue. Margarita Barresi’s debut novel celebrates Puerto Rican culture while delving into themes of class, oppression, and the effects of colonialism through the lens of a marriage.
My Review
What a fascinating book this was! It had a intriguing blend of political drama and love story, with a great deal of the book leaning a lot on the romance, which I thought was done so well. And that’s truly what it’s about! Love. I loved the setting, I felt like the author did such a great job of making me feel like I was there. I really enjoyed the historical background woven in the book, it made me do some side googling in the midst of reading (always a great sign for a novel). Definitely strong character development too.
I highly recommend it!
Purchase a copy of the book at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and Bookshop.org and add it to
your Goodreads reading list.
About the Author
Raised in Puerto Rico by her grandparents, Margarita Barresi grew up hearing stories about the “good old days”—the genesis for this, her first novel. She studied public relations at Boston University, and after a successful career in marketing communications, now devotes her time to writing. Her essays have been published in several literary magazines and compilations. Margarita lives in the suburbs north of Boston with her husband and two Puerto Rican cats, Luna and Rico.
Learn more at www.margaritabarresi.com.
Instagram: @margaritabarresi https://www.instagram.com/margaritabarresi/
X/Twitter: @Barresi_Writes https://twitter.com/Barresi_Writes
Facebook: Margarita Barresi
