Afterlife, Julia Alvarez, author; Alma Cuervo, narrator
I looked forward to reading this book. This is an author I have admired in the past. The book is short and since this author makes every word count, I expected to enjoy the book. I am sorry to say that while it was interesting, it was disappointing. It read like a Progressive Primer.
Antonia lives in Vermont. She is an immigrant, originally from the Dominican Republic, but now she teaches English to university students. She loves words. She was going to meet her husband for dinner to celebrate her retirement, although she was not really celebrating the event. He was a beloved doctor who never showed up to meet her. On his way to the restaurant, he suffered from a medical event and died. Now a widow, she was adrift.
Her neighbor employed illegal Mexican workers. One day he offered to help her because he noted that the gutters on her house had been neglected and now needed cleaning. Her husband used to do that job. He sent Mario, one of his workers, to do the job for her. Mario asked for a favor. He wanted to call his girlfriend, Estella. Could he use her phone? She was in America with the coyotes who smuggled her in, but they refused to release her without more money. He also needed to get money for bus fare to bring her to him. Antonia becomes involved with her travel arrangements and then her care. She sympathizes with the plight of these illegal immigrants. So, apparently, does the local sheriff.
At the same time as Antonia faces the dilemma of the immigrants, her three sisters, all past middle age, call her to arrange to celebrate her birthday. This is the first birthday she is celebrating without her husband. Although not always on the same page, they are very close. They are worried about one sister, Izzy, who has behaved erratically all her life. They plan an intervention to try and get her medical help. However, when she fails to show up at their birthday celebration, they launch a missing person’s investigation and hire a private detective to try and locate her.
These two issues, immigration and mental illness, are the main threads guiding the novel. Because of Antonia’s profession as an English instructor, it is fitting that the title word inspires many variations as the novel’s themes and the characters are developed. The following issues are touched upon, some deeply and some superficially; racism, illegal immigration, feminism, mental illness, and universal healthcare are just a few of them. The title, “Afterlife”, as a double entendre can refer to life after death or life after a traumatic event of some kind or after a possible major change in one’s life. Each of the characters will deal with the definition of “afterlife” in their own particular way.
The message of the book is definitely filled with a progressive message, as are most books today in an industry that is decidedly left-wing. Sometimes the novel felt contrived with an interjection of a topic just because the author wanted to make her personal feelings known. She obviously had no love for the current administration. The use of profanity seemed out of place, as well, but many authors seem to feel it is necessary for the success of a modern novel.

The book was easy enough to get through because it was short but it didn’t grab my attention. The book jacket does a poor job of marketing the book, since the description is not reflective of the plot. The supporting characters weren’t as developed as I would have liked. Overall, interesting topics but subpar delivery.