America Is Not the Heart by Elaine Castillo

His younger wife knows enough about the might and secrecy of the De Vera family to keep her head down. Her uncle gives her a fresh start in the Bay Area, and he doesn't ask about her past. When Hero De Vera arrives in America-haunted by the political upheaval in the Philippines and disowned by her parents-she's already on her third. Castillo is part of a younger generation of American writers instilling literature with a layered sense of identity.' - Vogue 'A saga rich with origin myths, national and personal. With exuberance, grit, and sly tenderness, here is a family saga an origin story a romance a narrative of two nations and the people who leave one home to grasp at another.Named one of the best books of 2018 by NPR, Real Simple, Lit Hub, The Boston Globe, San Francisco Chronicle, The New York Post, Kirkus Reviews, and The New York Public Library But their daughter - the first American-born daughter in the family - can't resist asking Hero about her damaged hands.Īn increasingly relevant story told with startling lucidity, humor, and an uncanny ear for the intimacies and shorthand of family ritual, America Is Not the Heart is a sprawling, soulful debut about three generations of women in one family struggling to balance the promise of the American dream and the unshakable grip of history.

When Hero De Vera arrives in America - haunted by the political upheaval in the Philippines and disowned by her parents - she's already on her third. Castillo is part of a younger generation of American writers instilling literature with a layered sense of identity.' ( Vogue)

Named one of the best books of 2018 by NPR, Real Simple, Lit Hub, The Boston Globe, San Francisco Chronicle, The New York Post, Kirkus Reviews, and The New York Public Library

America Is Not the Heart by Elaine Castillo