CATALINA

Karla Cornejo Villavicencio narrates her debut novel about undocumented immigrant Catalina Ituralde. Facing an uncertain future after her Harvard graduation, Catalina reflects on her time as a student and her childhood with her grandparents. Villavicencio speaks with a smile in her voice, capturing Catalina's skepticism and wry humor. Her melodic intonation lends itself well to Catalina's stories of the people around her. As Catalina's homelife begins to unravel, she is drawn to her classmate Nathan, who is an expert on the Latin America she can't remember. Refusing to be a symbol or cause, Catalina breaks away from the promise of safety to do things her own way. Told through vignettes and fantasies, this is a vibrant and fast-paced novel. C.R. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine [Published: AUGUST 2024]