Vanishing Maps

Praise

“Full of antic energy, very funny though still quite tender . . . As moments of wisdom thread through the madcap, magical realist scenes, García’s reunion with her characters becomes a party worth attending.” —The Washington Post

“An intricate, rewarding portrait of a globe-spanning, multigenerational family . . . Not only is García a masterful writer, effortlessly weaving together multiple narrative strands, she also demonstrates a remarkable facility for languages, switching from English to Spanish to Russian to German with ease . . . Vanishing Maps is, at heart, a book about family, yet it’s also about geography, culture, and language. There is something for everyone in its pages.” —Washington Independent Review of Books

“A kaleidoscopic, dazzling portrait of global diaspora—the ties that bind, the winds that scatter, and the passions that connect and divide human hearts. Sexy and philosophical, cosmic and intimate, rippling with humor and insight and tenderness, this novel is a wonder and a joy to read.” —Carolina De Robertis, author of The President and the Frog

“Now here is a family saga for our time! Edgy, full of life, and compulsively readable, Vanishing Maps sends one Cuban family through the blender of history and brings it out miraculously whole. A triumph.” —Gish Jen, author of The Resisters

“Who else but Cristina Garcia could construct a novel of such elegance and grace? A feat of magical realism that is also a hyper-realistic depiction of the Cuban diaspora? That is also very, very funny? This family saga gripped me from start to finish. Unforgettable.” —Joanna Rakoff, author of My Salinger Year

“Vanishing Maps is a beautiful novel: hilarious one moment, haunting the next.  Cristina García brings us to Cuba, Germany, Russia, Spain, and the United States in this wonderful mad dash of a tale, but the topography she knows best is the human heart.  I devoured this book.  You will, too.” —Chris Bohjalian, author of The Flight Attendant and The Lioness

“García serves up a sabroso (tasty) smorgasbord of muy human family foibles, from obsession to passion, forbearance, and all kinds of love.” — Booklist (starred review)