Carmen and Grace
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A female Latinx drama. Carmen and Grace is the story of two cousins who are raised as sisters. Their bond is true and tight. They share dreams of being better than their own mothers.
Doña Durka
That is until Grace meets Doña Durka’s son. Grace then begins to live in the Durka home, she has a mother she never really had and continues to benefit from the silent respect everyone shows to Doña Durka. Even though she doesn’t fully know what Doña Durka does for a living, she has an idea. Doña Durka is an inspiration to Grace. She sees Doña Durka and how everyone knows of her, respects her, goes to her for help, and more. One could say Doña Durka takes Grace under her wings, seeing a daughter in Grace.
The Bond of Carmen and Grace
Keeping their bond even when life circumstances have changed, Carmen and Grace now begin to enter the drug trade by doing small jobs for Doña Durka.
Grace always with a plan, continues to follow Doña Durka’s vision and expands to a group of females based on loyalty, trust, respect, and friendship. Known as the “Lost Girls” this group of women were looking for opportunities to support themselves and their families. They also became a family, sharing meals, and telling stories, it was all going smoothly.
Unexpected Death
That is until the unexpected death of Doña Durka. That also comes with news of Carmen’s pregnancy. As Grace is now put in a position of power, taking over Doña Durka, she sees an opportunity to expand. While dealing with Doña Durka’s two sons, one is also in the drug trade while the other is the complete opposite with his military career. Carmen is struggling with the distancing of her cousin and sister and keeps the pregnancy a secret. Wanting out but knowing she can never be fully out, she struggles until it becomes almost impossible.
No Spoilers!
Carmen and Grace go through it! And the sisterhood they formed with the other women is invigorating, they are no longer “lost girls”.
The idea of making them learn anything and everything for their betterment and that of the business shows how important friendship is. The bonds that even if the job on paper was illegal, they were more than dealers, they were more than muscles. So much goes on in this book, and it’s hard to realize how much you feel for these two characters until the part in the lawyer’s office bathroom.
Get Your Tissues!
When I reached that part of the book, it was like I had been holding my breath the entire time I was reading. Everything hit me all at once at that point. The flow of tears that streamed down my face felt like I was right there, as a part of the book. The feelings that Carmen and Grace stirred up in me, I didn’t even know I had. Melissa Coss Aquino wrote a very special book about female friendship, perseverance, and bonds.
To the author, Melissa Coss Aquino, from the bottom of my heart, thank you.
“Carmen and Grace” was received as an ARC copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest book review. To order Carmen and Grace by Melissa Coss Aquino, click the link here*. Check it out on Bookshop.org and support your local bookstores. If you’re interested Carmen & Grace is also available on AMAZON*. This blog post includes affiliate links. To read more about Curating Edits Affiliate Disclosure Policy, click here.