Catalina Ituralde is a fascinating protagonist; prepare to be hooked by her twisting, turning narrative. Catalinatells the story of an undocumented immigrant from Ecuador, who is currently in her senior year at Harvard and hopes to be a writer. As she struggles to find her place in the world, Catalina works through her feelings on gender, desire, relationships, belonging, and family bonds. The book’s stream-of-consciousness prose style emulates authors such as Virginia Woolf and James Joyce, while also reflecting the state of Catalina’s jumbled thoughts. If you’re looking for a wry narrative with cheeky dialogue and plenty of literary references, this is the book for you!
Catalina by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio, (List Price: $28, One World, 9780593449097, July 2024)
Reviewed by Catherine Pabalate, Epilogue: Books Chocolate Brews in Chapel Hill, North Carolina