Between Here and Gone, Barbara Ferrer

I finished reading this in one fell swoop, rubbing my eyes, entranced and enthralled well into the wee hours of the morning.

Why couldn’t I put it down? Her name is Natalia and her story is both riveting and luminous. She is a Cuban refugee who bore witness to horrifying brutality. Those experiences scarred and strengthened her. Ferrer’s portrayal of Natalia follows her from naivete to wisdom, recrimination to redemption.

This is a novel about the importance of forgiving oneself, and grabbing the blessings bestowed on us with courage and grace. It is about seeing the past through a clarifying lens – and realizing that we did all it was in our power to do.

The writing is impeccable, the setting is artfully wrought, and the narrative is compelling. My first 5 star read of 2019.