Afterlife

Description

A Most-Anticipated Book of the Year: O, The Oprah Magazine * The New York Times * Vogue * Bustle * Buzzfeed * The Millions * The Lily * Goodreads * Library Journal * LitHub * Electric Literature The first adult novel in almost fifteen years by the internationally bestselling author of In the Time of the Butterflies and How the García Girls Lost Their Accents Antonia Vega, the immigrant writer at the center of Afterlife, has had the rug pulled out from under her. She has just retired from the college where she taught English when her beloved husband, Sam, suddenly dies. And then more jolts: her bighearted but unstable sister disappears, and Antonia returns home one evening to find a pregnant, undocumented teenager on her doorstep. Antonia has always sought direction in the literature she loves--lines from her favorite authors play in her head like a soundtrack--but now she finds that the world demands more of her than words. Afterlife is a compact, nimble, and sharply droll novel. Set in this political moment of tribalism and distrust, it asks: What do we owe those in crisis in our families, including--maybe especially--members of our human family? How do we live in a broken world without losing faith in one another or ourselves? And how do we stay true to those glorious souls we have lost? “Ravishing and heartfelt. This is Julia Alvarez at her best and most personal.” STEWART O’NAN, author of Henry, Himself “A stunning work of art…Alvarez is in a class of her own.” ELIZABETH ACEVEDO, author of The Poet X "A gorgeously intimate portrait of an immigrant writer and recent widow carving out hope in the face of personal and political grief." O, The Oprah Magazine "A sweeping tour de force . . . one of the most significant Latina writers of her time." Entertainment Weekly " "Alvarez's poignant return to adult fiction . . . raises powerful questions about the care people owe themselves and others . . . Alvarez blends light humor with deep empathy toward her characters, offering a convincing portrait of an older woman's self discovery. This will satisfy her fans and earn new ones." Publishers Weekly "The In the Time of the Butterflies icon makes a satisfying and long-awaited return to adult fiction with this kind tale of grief and sisterhood. ...deeply poignant." Entertainment Weekly "A tart, lovely book about rising to the challenge of understanding and accepting others." The Philadelphia Inquirer, "Spring 2020's Best Books" "This timely novel explores how we're all responsible for the world we live in, and how our lives can and must begin again.” St. Louis Magazine "A book that strives to elevate from the anger and tribalism of our times, Afterlife wonders aloud about the obligations we owe to our human family.” Goodreads, "33 Highly Anticipated Books of 2020"