About Mamey
Mamey [ma-may] is about the enduring power of family bonds that can both create and heal our deepest wounds.
When Dena’s mother, Gloria, passes, she must return to la República Dominicana for la novena: nine days of prayer dedicated to the deceased. At the funeral, a mysterious event hints at a long-buried secret. With the help of a handsome campesino, Dena begins to reconnect with her breathtaking motherland and uncover Gloria’s enigmatic past.
Growing up in rural DR, Gloria’s life was marked by duty, as she worked to pick and peel fruit for her family’s dulce business. Everything changed when she met a boy at the finca. Torn between her heart and the promise of freedom, she had to make sacrifices that redefined her family’s destiny.
Mamey is written in Spanglish (70% English/30% Spanish)
Customer Reviews
Healing
“Reading this book feels incredibly personal, like the author is speaking directly to anyone who has experienced Dominican culture and felt that tug of nostalgia for DR after growing up in the U.S… This is a must-read for anyone seeking cultural connection, personal reflection, or simply a story that feels like home.”
Beautiful Story
“I loved this book. You could really see the heart and soul of the author and the love of her culture leaping from the pages. I loved that it was Spanglish because honestly that happens a lot when I talk to my friends so it truly felt like just having a really good conversation with a gf.”
Literally my life in words
“As a Dominican this story was amazing. I cried, I laughed, I reminisced and I had flashbacks. I love every bit of the story and the family. Reminded me of my family, my aunts, my uncles and my cousins.”
Amazing Story
“This book being in spanglish felt “Homey.” For any first gen grieving a relationship with their mothers despite of the reason … this one is for you. This book was about grief, family secrets, sisterhood, forbidden love, and assimilation.”
More Spanglish novels please
“I relate to this book in so many ways. It's really incredible how Dominican cultural has deep ingrained values, beliefs, characteristic, and behaviors. I swear the Vegas sisters are my aunts and we all have that tío like Yunior. Btw reading in Spanglish was just like calling your bff con chisme.”
eBook available on Amazon
for free with Kindle Unlimited
Author Reviews
“Mamey captures the complicated love between mothers and daughters with a breathtaking honesty that lingers long after the last page. It reveals how the past shapes us—and how love, even when imperfect, roots itself deep within us.”
— Lauren E. Rico, author of After the Ocean
“The women of the Vega family are painted in colors so rich and grounded that I felt I could map them over tías and cousins in my own family. Infused with unapologetic Caribbean humor, Mamey is both a magical and relatable read.”
— Camille Gomera-Tavarez, author of High Spirits
“Mamey is an unforgettable narrative told in two languages that deftly explores the meaning of home, inheritance, and the unbreakable bonds that tie us to our mothers and our motherland."
— María Alejandra Barrios, author of The Waves Take You Home
Cover Artwork: Pegge Hopper, Okapaka. 1989, Hawai’i.