If there was one book I could read over it would be American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins, so I was really anticipating the release of Speak to Me of Home.
This is a poignant, multigenerational saga that explores the intricate threads of identity, belonging, and the meaning of home through the lives of three Puerto Rican women.
Make no mistake – this is a very different novel to her first.
With lyrical prose and emotional depth, Cummins crafts a narrative that is both intimate and expansive, inviting readers into the heart of a family shaped by migration, memory and resilience.
The story begins in 1968 with Rafaela Acuña y Daubón, a young bride in San Juan, Puerto Rico, who marries Peter Brennan Jr and moves to the American Midwest.
Her romantic optimism is soon tested by cultural displacement and the quiet erosion of her identity.
Then we meet Rafaela’s daughter, Ruth, who grows up in St Louis, eager to assimilate and shed her Puerto Rican roots – unlike her own daughter Daisy, who returns to Puerto Rico, seeking connection and clarity.
Cummins masterfully explores themes of assimilation, generational trauma and the immigrant experience.
She treats Rafaela’s struggle with cultural alienation and Ruth’s internal conflict over her heritage with empathy and nuance.
Daisy’s journey becomes a catalyst for healing, as the family reckons with the past and redefines what it means to belong.
The novel’s emotional core lies in its portrayal of mother-daughter relationships.
Each woman’s voice is distinct yet they are harmoniously woven into the narrative.
Their stories reflect the tension between personal identity and familial legacy, and the longing for a place to call home.
Puerto Rico is more than a backdrop – it’s a living, breathing presence in the novel.
Cummins paints the island with vivid detail, contrasting its lush vibrancy with the cold, isolating landscapes of the Midwest.
The hurricane that injures Daisy serves as both a literal and metaphorical storm, forcing the characters to confront truths they’ve long avoided.
Daisy is critically injured and the three women are drawn back to the island, confronting buried secrets and long-held regrets.
Cummins’ prose is elegant and evocative, capturing the sensory richness of each setting and the emotional complexity of her characters.
Her ability to shift seamlessly between timelines and perspectives adds depth to the narrative, and the inclusion of historical context, such as the political shifts in Puerto Rico and racial dynamics in the US, grounds the story without overshadowing its focus.
While the novel is successful, some critics note that certain characters feel underdeveloped and that the resolution of key conflicts may come too neatly given the weight of the issues explored.
For me, these minor flaws do not detract significantly from the novel’s overall impact.
Speak to Me of Home is a beautifully written, emotionally resonant novel that will linger in readers’ minds.
It’s a celebration of heritage, a meditation on displacement, and a tribute to the enduring strength of family bonds.
The novel reflects Cummins’ own multigenerational and bicultural experience, particularly the tension between assimilation and heritage.
Speak to Me of Home is not just fiction – it’s a reclamation of voice and heritage, shaped by Cummins’ lived experience and her desire to explore the complexities of home through the lens of women across generations.
Julie Chessman
