Feminist Reading Group

Welcome to the Feminist Fiction Reading Group!

Every month, we will delve into one book written by an amazing female author. The book of the month has been chosen to fit in with a particular theme, but this is just the launching point! There will be ample opportunity to get into the nuances and grittier details of each book.

Alongside each month’s fiction choice, there will also be a suggested further reading pairing of nonfiction books which highlight the theme, either complementing or challenging it.

This month's choice is Dominicana by Angie Cruz, which was shortlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction in 2020.

Fifteen-year-old Ana Cancion 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 Cesar, 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 Cesar 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 Cesar 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.

Exploring the theme of sacrifice, let's delve into this heart-breaking, emotional, yet quietly powerful exploration of womanhood and the age-old battle between following our heart or fulfilling our duties.