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Description
A fun, fresh, timely debut novel about the uproarious adventures that befall the Palacio family during their disastrous illegal residence in Trinidad that poignantly captures the complexities of dysfunctional families and passionate (but sometimes messy) romance.
After fleeing crumbling, volatile Venezuela, Yola Palacio wants nothing more than to settle into a peaceful new life in Trinidad with her family. And who cares if they’re there illegally—aren’t most of the people on the island? But life for the Palacios is far from quiet—and when Yola’s Aunt Celia dies, the family once again find their lives turned upside down. For Celia had been keeping a very big secret—she owed a LOT of money to a local criminal called Ugly. And without the funds to pay him off, Ugly has the entire family do his bidding until Celia’s debt is settled. What Ugly says, the Palacios do, otherwise the circumstances are too dreadful to imagine.
To say that the year that follows is tumultuous for the Palacios is an understatement. But in the midst of the turmoil appears Roman—Ugly’s distractingly gorgeous right-hand man. And although she knows it’s terrible and quite possibly dangerous, Yola just can’t help but give in to the attraction. Where, though, do Roman’s loyalties lie? And could this wildly inappropriate romance just be the antidote to a terrible year of Ugly?
Combining the spark of Imbolo Mbue with the irresistible wit of Maria Semple, One Year of Ugly brilliantly explores cross-cultural struggles and assimilation from a unique immigrant perspective and introduces us to an extraordinary new voice in contemporary fiction.
After fleeing crumbling, volatile Venezuela, Yola Palacio wants nothing more than to settle into a peaceful new life in Trinidad with her family. And who cares if they’re there illegally—aren’t most of the people on the island? But life for the Palacios is far from quiet—and when Yola’s Aunt Celia dies, the family once again find their lives turned upside down. For Celia had been keeping a very big secret—she owed a LOT of money to a local criminal called Ugly. And without the funds to pay him off, Ugly has the entire family do his bidding until Celia’s debt is settled. What Ugly says, the Palacios do, otherwise the circumstances are too dreadful to imagine.
To say that the year that follows is tumultuous for the Palacios is an understatement. But in the midst of the turmoil appears Roman—Ugly’s distractingly gorgeous right-hand man. And although she knows it’s terrible and quite possibly dangerous, Yola just can’t help but give in to the attraction. Where, though, do Roman’s loyalties lie? And could this wildly inappropriate romance just be the antidote to a terrible year of Ugly?
Combining the spark of Imbolo Mbue with the irresistible wit of Maria Semple, One Year of Ugly brilliantly explores cross-cultural struggles and assimilation from a unique immigrant perspective and introduces us to an extraordinary new voice in contemporary fiction.
Product Details
| Publisher | 37 Ink |
| Publish Date | July 07, 2020 |
| Pages | 336 |
| Language | English |
| Type |  Hardback |
| EAN/UPC | 9781982128913 |
| Dimensions | 228.6 X 152.4 X 27.9 mm | 485.3 g |
About the Author
Caroline Mackenzie is a freelance translator living in Trinidad. She was shortlisted for the 2017 Commonwealth Short Story Prize and her nonfiction articles are regularly featured in regional magazines MACO People and MACO Caribbean Living. Her short fiction has been published in literary journals around the world. One Year of Ugly is her first novel.
Reviews
“Caroline Mackenzie’s debut novel is a glorious stew of family, friendship, and felony. The Palacios family is not only trying to get by, but to thrive-though first they must pay off a debt, by any means necessary. Sly, funny and shocking One Year of Ugly is Yola Palacios’s story of love and survival, and one family’s quest to remain united through the best and worst of times. Viva Yola!" –Adriana Trigiani, New York Times bestselling author of Tony’s Wife
“Absolutely joyous! A deliciously dark comedy about family and loyalty. Sharp, slick, merciless— and packed with unexpected love stories. It shoots from the hip and steals your heart. I gobbled it up.” —Emma Jane Unsworth, author of Grown Ups
“Brilliant. Beautifully drawn characters, and a unique mixture of dark, funny and gritty—I found myself laughing in places I probably shouldn’t have” —Ella Dove, author of Five Steps to Happy
“Engrossing and hilarious.” —Joanna Glen, author of The Other Half of Augusta Hope
“Timely, evocative, funny and important—a gorgeous exploration of love, family, and what it means to call a place home.” —Laura Jane Williams, author of Our Stop
“Absolutely joyous! A deliciously dark comedy about family and loyalty. Sharp, slick, merciless— and packed with unexpected love stories. It shoots from the hip and steals your heart. I gobbled it up.” —Emma Jane Unsworth, author of Grown Ups
“Brilliant. Beautifully drawn characters, and a unique mixture of dark, funny and gritty—I found myself laughing in places I probably shouldn’t have” —Ella Dove, author of Five Steps to Happy
“Engrossing and hilarious.” —Joanna Glen, author of The Other Half of Augusta Hope
“Timely, evocative, funny and important—a gorgeous exploration of love, family, and what it means to call a place home.” —Laura Jane Williams, author of Our Stop
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