Anita de Monte Laughs Last: A Novel

I have made a commitment to read books outside of my comfort zone. This book was within this challenge for myself. The author goes between the two characters, one is positioned in the past and the second is in the present. As the story unfolds the two character intersect within the present of the book, but heads up, there is a twist and one character is oblivious to the physicality of the relationship that forms between the two. Strange? Depending on the reader. For me, ii was frustrated through the first 40 percent of the story. I liked Rebecca, I did not like Anita. I hated Jack and I was dismissive of Nick. The supporting characters contribute to the richness of the story and as we move through the second half of the story I was in. I had a great deal of conflict with Anita. I will leave it to you the next reader. My conflict with Anita was my own. The style of story takes you between different t years and brings you to the present. From the description, I was under the assumption that Rebecca is going the same path as Anita when it comes to relationships and her professional expectations.. for me, I see that both have chosen their men for the same reasons many of us may misguidedly chose a man, magnetism, charm, strength and the assumption they are smarter. However. I observed that Anita and Jack had more in common than not. Rebecca will gain so much from her angels and her instincts. So in my opinion it is complicated! Hah! So do I recommend d you read this book? I do feel like the first part was frustrating. The middle has me shift into curiosity and the third part brings me to a place I can settle into the story. The end is a sigh of relief or a ease to how it all comes together. The author pushed me to read into the lives of some characters I am not keen to know more of and forces me to wait to find out how other characters will fair. So the conflict in the story was for me the characters and how I felt about some of the main ones and how I had to know them through the story, not being able to have them leave or become less prominent. It was all or nothing. I liked Rebecca. She reminded me of myself or at least who I may have been in her circumstances. Anita was a powerful and tragic character that took a lot of energy. I can say I was able to turn the last page and praise the author for her work in how she managed two very different characters and how they found their individual ways to go forward.

Sat on it and I'd

❤️❤️❤️

This book had me reading into the late hours of the night - it was that good! Following the story lines of 2 Latinas in the art world spanning a decade from the late 80’s - late90’s there is so much to uncover in this novel. From relationships, academia to family and sense of belonging. Do I have a background in art or art history? No. Have I ever been to an art museum? Once - because my friend asked me to join her. Did I speed read through this book because the storylines kept me wanting to know what happened next? ABSOLUTELY. I don’t want to spoil the stories here (because there are different lives to follow) but I really enjoyed the way the author not only spoke through the different characters, but tied in what was happening to them from all their own perspectives. It is easy to assume what a character would respond to situations or why they did so, but the author didn’t have the reader guessing, she told us through their voices.

I did rate it 4 ⭐️ but I just saw this book is base in a true story and the autor doesn’t mention Ana Mendieta in any part of the book and how the family had to relieve her death again. (There’s a New York Times Article talking about her live and how we can make Ana Mendieta legacy alive)