The Island
For Yolanda and her sisters, the Island (shorthand for the Dominican Republic) isn't just a physical place. It's also an imaginary place. It exists in their heads as a symbol with a double meaning:...
Mama Cat
At first, the mother cat is just a cat. She's a black cat who has had a litter of kittens in the coal shed, a tiny shack on the edge of the Garcías' property where they keep the coal for boiling l...
The Red Sneakers
When Mami tells her favorite story about Carla, "The Red Sneakers," Carla (who's a psychologist) likes to analyze it for hidden meaning with her analyst husband.Thing is, they never really let anyo...
The Black Bird
We know what you're thinking. What's with all these black birds and ravens that keep popping up throughout the novel? Here are a couple of subtle allusions for you: Mami makes a roundabout referenc...