The Storyteller's Death: A Novel
International Latino Book Award Gold Medal Winner!
"A beautiful book about family, memories, and the power of stories." --BuzzFeed
"Mystical, masterful storytelling." --Ms. Magazine
A gorgeously written family saga about a Puerto Rican woman who finds herself gifted (or cursed?) with a strange ability.
There was always an old woman dying in the back room of her family's house when Isla was a child...
Isla Larsen Sanchez's life begins to unravel when her father passes away. Instead of being comforted at home in New Jersey, her mother starts leaving her in Puerto Rico with her grandmother and great-aunt each summer like a piece of forgotten luggage.
When Isla turns eighteen, her grandmother, a great storyteller, dies. It is then that Isla discovers she has a gift passed down through her family's cuentistas. The tales of dead family storytellers are brought back to life, replaying themselves over and over in front of her.
At first, Isla is enchanted by this connection to the Sanchez cuentistas. But when Isla has a vision of an old murder mystery, she realizes that if she can't solve it to make the loop end, these seemingly harmless stories could cost Isla her life.
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Community Reviews
Isla's father dies when she is a young girl. She had lived in Puerto Rico with her aunt during her father's lengthy illness. When she returns to New Jersey to live with her mother, her life is completely changed and she now has to go to public school. When she spends summers in Puerto Rico she becomes familiar with her family’s stories. Once she turns 18 she begins to see visions of her aunt and her grandfather and realizes that the stories they shared were not truthful. What is the real story? And why is she getting these visions?
Ann Dávila Cardinal’s “The Storyteller’s Death” is a magical realism genre entry that manages to weave in classism, racism, colorism, religion, and spirituality into one young woman’s journey through her family’s repressed story. Isla’s unexpected connection to the souls of her family, combined with her haphazard detective skills, are the primary drivers of the narrative. The ending brings things full circle but not in how you might expect.
From the start, Cardinal sets up the idea of broken trust and traumas that go unsaid as major issues that need resolving. She layers on the typical pride that keeps immigrant and minority families behind. The two combine to create a gritty tension that is compelling but also a rehash of themes typical in these stories. What was refreshing was the representation of Isla’s parents’ careers and connection with timeless design. Fitting given the way connections to the past tie into the story.
Cardinal uses stories from the past to create a mosaic of experiences that bind a family. A mosaic because the stories are fragments and disjointed. A combination that left the story feeling contrived at times. There were themes of belonging, code switching, and navigating loss that were more interesting to me and that I wished Cardinal explored more. If you’re a fan of magical realism and reading about all things Puerto Rico, this one will be a worthwhile read.
The story follows Isla from about age 8 through adulthood as she spends her summers in Puerto Rico with extended family and school years with her alcoholic mother in New Jersey. This was a long narrative of generational trauma and familial secrets. I enjoyed the ending and all of it revelations. Book #68 in 2025
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