Soledad | Angie Cruz

Soledad: A Novel

Extended Synopsis

At eighteen, Soledad couldn't get away fast enough from her contentious family with their endless tragedies and petty fights. Two years later, she has established a new life as an art student at Cooper Union, complete with a gallery job and a hip East Village walk-up. But her carefully constructed independence is shattered when Tía Gorda calls with the news that Soledad's mother has lapsed into an emotional coma, insisting that Soledad's return is the only cure.

Fighting the memories of open hydrants, leering men, and slick-skinned teen girls with raunchy mouths and snapping gum, Soledad reluctantly moves back home to West 164th Street in Washington Heights. As she tries to tame her cousin Flaca's raucous behavior and resist falling for Richie—a soulful, intense man from the neighborhood—she finds herself facing the greatest challenge of her life: confronting the ghosts from her mother's past and salvaging their damaged relationship. Evocative and wise, Soledad is a wondrous story of culture and chaos, family and integrity.

Reader Targeting

• Fans of character-driven literary fiction and evocative coming-of-age stories centering on diaspora and family dynamics.
• Readers who appreciate authentic, gritty, and poetic explorations of urban life and Latinx culture.
• Book club participants looking for rich narratives exploring mother-daughter relationships, community mysticism, and personal identity.

About the Author

Angie Cruz is an award-winning author recognized as a guiding light in Latina literature. Known for her deeply poetic, authentic portrayals of contemporary urban life and the Latinx diaspora, her work masterfully weaves elements of neighborhood mysticism and community resilience into highly compelling literary fiction.

Accolades & Features

This distinctive Simon & Schuster trade paperback edition features an integrated reader's companion guide, perfectly positioned for literature studies and reading groups. The cover presents an intimate, texturized contemporary urban layout indicative of community life in upper Manhattan.

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