Earlier this month, Xochitl Gonzalez’s debut novel, Olga Dies Dreaming, was released to the world. Now a New York Times Best Seller, this proud Puerto Rican story about two siblings, in gentrifying Brooklyn, is making its way through countless media publications, while leaving readers with plenty to discuss.
Gonzalez depicts a striking portrait of Latine family dynamics, along with powerful complexities that are so often hidden beneath the surface, stressing many of the emotional dilemmas that are frequently buried within. Though apart from the overarching plotline of familial strife and complicated relationships, plus emotions, there is undoubtedly something unique for each reader to gravitate towards. In just under 400 pages, there’s plot lines tackling subjects that range from loss, abandonment, identity and trauma to capitalism, elitism, privilege, corruption and radical revolution.
Olga Dies Dreaming starts off in 2017 with Olga Acevedo, a Nuyorican Brooklyn native, discussing napkins. In what feels like a political statement wrapped in satirical prose, the reader learns that Olga is a prominent wedding planner that has made a name for herself by using what the elite has to offer her, money and status. As we continue to dive further into Olga’s journey, we come to discover that she suffers through her traumas in silence, and that her life decisions are shaped by her past.
Shortly after meeting Olga, we are introduced to Pedro “Prieto” Acevedo, her brother. Prieto has lived his entire life living the role of the ‘golden child;’ the one who makes minimal mistakes and has everyone’s admiration. However, just like his sister, we learn that Prieto dwells alone, with secrets that haunt him and baggage that weighs him down. A once well supported congressman in his community, now finds himself struggling to keep the support of his constituents. With Prieto’s story, Gonzalez shows us that nothing is ever what it seems to be in America.
The Acevedo siblings were abandoned by their mother Blanca, and shortly after had to endure the loss of their father. However, with the love of their grandmother they weathered the storm. Though despite Blanca’s abandonment to pursue her own aspirations, she never seemed to be too far away; managing to keep an eerie and toxic hold on her children. A hold that throughout the years strongly affects them both.
Olga Dies Dreaming is a compelling debut with surprises at every turn of the page. The multifaceted characters in this bold plot line will have you in a constant state of shifting emotions. If you haven’t read this yet, you might have just found your next binge read!
“Olga Dies Dreaming is a compelling debut with surprises at every turn of the page.”
Xochitl Gonzalez received her M.F.A. from the Iowa Writers' Workshop, where she was an Iowa Arts Fellow and the recipient of the Michener-Copernicus Fellowship for Fiction. Olga Dies Dreaming is her debut novel. Prior to writing, Xochitl wore many hats, including entrepreneur, wedding planner, fundraiser and tarot card reader. She is a proud alumna of the New York City Public School system and holds a B.A. in Art History and Visual Art from Brown University. She lives in her hometown of Brooklyn with her dog, Hectah Lavoe.
Tiffany Gonzalez is the Marketing Manager at Astra House. She previously worked in Production at HarperCollins Publishers. She has worked on the Publicity and Marketing campaign for Dreaming of You by Melissa Lozada-Oliva and on the Marketing campaigns for Becoming Abolitionists by Derecka Purnell, The Sex Lives of African Women by Nana Darkoa Sekiyamah and The Town of Babylon by Alejandro Varela. She has earned her Bachelors and Master's degrees from Rutgers University - NB. She is Dominican-American and fluid in Spanish. You can follow her on Instagram @wandering_tiff_ or visit her website at wanderingtiff.com
