This is a tough one to review - I learned a lot and I really liked certain passages and characters, but overall I'm not entirely sure I'm glad I read it?

B̷R̷I̷N̷G̷ ✨ 𝗕𝗢𝗥𝗥𝗢𝗪 ✨ B̷Y̷P̷A̷S̷S̷

To me this read like historical fiction though a literary fiction lens, and that might be some of my problem (I tend to like strong character driven literary fiction less than that mixed with a plot). Following the descendants of Chen Pan through their lives following his arrival in Cuba as a slavehand in the 1800s was absolutely informative, as there was a lot that I did not know about many aspects of what Cristina Garcia shared in the novel. 

I heavily preferred Chen Pan's storyline over all the others - I loved when we would go back to his life, and that of his life with Lucrecia. The other storylines did not grab me as much and felt a bit more forced.

There were also a lot of details that, while they painted a very strong picture, felt unnecessarily graphic (i.e. the different violent ways a prostitute in Vietnam was violated by the men she had interacted with). I know these things have happened, but I (personally) didn't like the graphic nature of the way they were described.

If you're looking for a historical fiction book about times that are not often covered, this one could be a good choice for you - especially if you're looking for strong characterization with less of a driving plot.