How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water cover art

How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water

 Preview
LIMITED TIME OFFER

3 Months Free + £10 Audible voucher

£5.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly.
Get this deal
Offer ends on 5 July 2026 at 11:59 BST.
More purchase options

How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water

By: Angie Cruz
Narrated by: Kimberly M. Wetherell, Rossmery Almonte
Get this deal

£5.99/mo after 3 months. Offer ends on 5 July 2026 at 11:59 BST. Cancel monthly.

Buy Now for £14.35

Buy Now for £14.35

From the author of the Women's Prize-shortlisted Dominicana comes an inventive, funny and deeply moving new novel about a Dominican-American woman who has lost her job, her son and her sense of purpose but is fighting to get it all back.

Write this down: Cara Romero wants to work.

Cara Romero thought she would work at the factory of little lamps for the rest of her life. But when, in her mid-50s, she loses her job in the Great Recession, she is forced back into the job market for the first time in decades. Set up with a job counselor, Cara instead begins to narrate the story of her life. Over the course of twelve sessions, Cara recounts her tempestuous love affairs, her alternately biting and loving relationships with her neighbor Lulu and her sister Angela, her struggles with debt, gentrification and loss, and, eventually, what really happened between her and her estranged son, Fernando. As Cara confronts her darkest secrets and regrets, we see a woman buffeted by life but still full of fight.

Structurally inventive and emotionally kaleidoscopic, How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water is Angie Cruz's most ambitious and moving novel yet, and Cara is a heroine for the ages.

©2022 Angie Cruz (P)2022 Macmillan Audio Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Women's Fiction World Literature Funny
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_t1

Critic reviews

"One of my favorite books I have read in years." (Quiara Alegria Hudes, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and screenwriter of In the Heights)
All stars
Most relevant
Stupendo!!! Narrato proprio benissimo, il top sarebbe stato avere Angie Cruz, ma la narratrice fa un lavoro egregio e la storia e’ bellissima.

Bellissimo!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I enjoyed the story but I really struggled to hear as I have hearing difficulties

Great story

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Wow. This story was very touching. No matter how hard our immigrant parents misunderstand us, just know they are trying their best to survive. I recommend everyone to listen/read this book, especially kids of immigrants. The narrator was also amazing, and made the experience of listening to this audiobook engaging for me.

Amazing

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This type of book must be listened to as an audiobook to get the whole experience. Some knowledge of Spanish and Latin American culture is also needed. It is not the type of books I usually read/listen to, but it was a pleasant experience. I even cried a bit at the end. I would definitely recommend it!

Wonderful audiobook!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I usually hate audio books that include sound effects in the narrative so I was initially put off by this one. However in this case the sound effects only add to the listening experience and take nothing away.

This was an immersive experience and an excellent performance. 👏🏾

Having said that I am not sure how the book would read and if it would be so alive and engaging without the performance of the voice actor

Pleasantly surprised

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews