A familiar, if uneven, tale of generational disapproval and resentment ... , Rivero delivers a pleasingly heartwarming resolution with a useful message about not jumping to conclusions about one’s parents.
Lively ... In a novel that is by turns dishy and soulful, Rivero braids depictions of the frivolity and self-seriousness of start-up life with the authentic and connected culture of Peruvian immigrants in New York City.
As they navigate grief and seek relevance in their very different professional lives, each woman confronts the choices she has made and the daunting challenge of communicating across the generation gap.
Sensitive ... Wryly humorous and often tender, Flores and Miss Paula explores the generational divide between two strong women, the effects of grief, and the possibilities of change.
Precarity—of identity, money, shelter, relationships, health—is the central tension for both women: How do we muster the strength and hope to move forward despite life’s fragility and disappointments? It’s a question rich enough to stand on its own; unfortunately, it’s crowded by side characters and minor plots. Still, Flores and Paula are so vibrant and endearing that they minimize these narrative frustrations. An abundance of heart makes up for underdeveloped side plots in this story of life after loss.
