Ordinary Girls

A Memoir

By: Jaquira Diaz

Narrated by: Almarie Guerra

A fierce, beautiful, and unflinching memoir from a wildly talented debut author

While growing up in housing projects in Puerto Rico and Miami Beach, Jaquira Diaz found herself caught between extremes: as her family split apart and her mother battled schizophrenia, she was surrounded by the love of her friends; as she longed for a family and home, she found instead a life upended by violence. From her own struggles with depression and sexual assault to Puerto Rico's history of colonialism, Ordinary Girls vibrates with music and lyricism. Diaz triumphantly maps a way out of despair toward love and hope to become her version of the girl she always wanted to be.

©2019 Jaquira Díaz (P)2019 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

Hard book to hear ...

There is a lot of sadness in this book. A lot of hard lessons as well. I had to stop several times ... perhaps because memories I had long stored away came back to the surface. Perhaps also because I wondered how she made it through.
Glad I finished it and didn’t leave myself wondering.
A heartfelt book and stories Im glad she shared.
We are all Ordinary Girls.

Such resilience

The author definitely had a traumatic life. it's surprising when someone can go through all of those things and still become a productive successful person. I wish her continued success in her life. Thank you for sharing.

unexpected

I really loved this book. the author bounces back and forth through different places and times, but brings it together perfectly.

Courage

"For all the girls that never thought to see themselves in books" Jaquira Diaz" A courages and honest story of living and growing up under extreme, yet all too common circumstances. I love the way the story weaves in and out almost like thoughts that pop up while telling a story. It is so real and so raw. The reader does a wonderful job.

A chaotic life story

I listened to ORDINARY GIRLS by Jaquira Diazvob Audible

I don't read a lot of biography or autobiography, so when I noticed that 2 of the 3 books I was working on were memoirs, I was surprised. I also made a huge error in my choice of books. All 3 books involved, to some extent, violence, abuse, and rape. All three books involved race. Hence, I had to remind myself what I was reading because I got a bit confused at times. Fortunately, I usually listen on a long car ride or while spending an afternoon knitting, so it does not take me long to remember the storyline.

Ordinary Girls begins in Puerto Rico with the larger part taking place in Miami. Jaquira's father is Black, her mother, White. The family struggles with food, housing, drugs, and alcohol. Both her mother and her maternal grandmother are addicts, and her mother has mental health issues. Her father favors women, drinking, and sometimes criminal activity. It's a lot to listen to, and it often makes me cringe with discomfort.

I learned a bit about the US treatment of Puerto Rico, and once again, I am ashamed of our country.

I recommend this book because of its gritty telling of the effects of poverty on a family. I give no one any pass for their behavior. It is worth your time.

Now, my biggest problem with the book is the chaotic storyline. Jaquira's life was chaotic, of course, but her storytelling was so chaotic I sometimes wondered whether the author had gone back to a previous event or moved ahead in time. It was very hard to tell.

Her obsession with a particular criminal was oddly placed in the book, and often, the history of Puerto Rico unnecessary; although I did not mind it at all.

An extraordinarily remarkable narrative of tragedy, trauma, and triumph

Ordinary Girls is a teleological masterpiece, providing insight to the daily life stressors and struggles of the main character from childhood, through adolescence, and into adulthood. This heart wrenching story offers hope and encourages perseverance for a generation of young women often suffering in painful silence.

Lots packed into what seems like fiction

There is so much packed into what can seem like a simple story. It sounds a lot like fiction and it takes some effort to remember it is memoir. It can seem a bit disjointed as it changes timelines without mich warning or indication and I'm not sure that added much. This is the story of a youth that is challenging even with its bright spots. It is hard to see how she will get out and move up, but her friends seems to become more important, especially as more is revealed about what they go through together. The inclusion of political issues and the situation in Puerto Rico serve as a reminder of how young the author is and how recent her experience are. It is an interesting read and easy to get through in a short amount of time.

Amazing

Loved it, so raw and so real. Couldn't put it down, finished in 4 days!

Wish this existed when I was a teenager….

Diaz is exactly the kind of writer I wish I’d had access to as a teenager, when we weee reading the canon. I’m so grateful to be living on a planet where she is creating and sharing her art. My eye welled up at the end. Bravo, Jaquira.

Not Bad

This book bounces around a little. I felt sometimes it was hard to tell who when and where you were. A truly sad story with a some what happy ending. I feel she can be a force to reckoned with in the future.