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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
--Latino Books Examiner, November 16, 2009
This review is from: Evenings at the Argentine Club (Paperback)
Evenings at the Argentine Club is a tale of love and family relationships set in modern Southern California. It centers on two families, The Torres and the Ortellis, who came to the US from Argentina to follow their dreams and `make it' in America. Together with other families, they formed The Argentine Club, a place where they meet on Sundays for entertainment and as a way to preserve their traditions.
The story begins many years after the club was formed and our protagonist, Victoria Torres, is already twenty-eight years old. Victoria still lives with her parents, helping her father with his restaurant business, La Parrilla. From the start, we get the feeling that although Victoria loves her family with all her heart and wants to make her father proud, she also silently regrets not finishing college and pursuing her dreams to become `someone'. She feels a bit lost, mostly following the plans set out for her--mainly by her father--and putting her desires aside.
Then one weekend, during an evening at the club, Victoria meets Eric Ortellis, the son of her parents' best friends. From that day on, Victoria's life begins to change. The change doesn't happen overnight but gradually. Eric is considered a `black sheep', a lost son who has come back to his family after many years of being away. Eric had his reasons--to make it on his own and somehow `escape' the fatality of their little town--but no one seems to understand. Soon Victoria is influenced and affected by his ambition and views about life and the Argentine culture. A transformation begins to take place in Victoria's character, one that deeply affects her relationship with her family but especially with her father, who has never given her total credit for the smart young woman that she really is. More tension arises when Victoria and Eric begin to feel attracted to each other.
The story is told from various points of views, including Victoria's and Eric's parents, offering a clear snapshot of their family dynamics. In the end, it is not only Victoria who changes, but her friends and family as well.
Evenings at the Argentine Club is an absorbing novel that sheds light into the Argentine immigrants living in the United States. It is also a love story between two different people who share the same cultural background. The author has done an excellent job in creating everyday, genuine characters that shine on every page. The secondary characters are as compelling as the protagonists. I was hooked from the start by Amante's simple, smooth prose and by the lives of these people, their culture and beliefs. Even though the story centers on an Argentinean family, the themes and family dramas explored in the novel are universal. Above all, I loved the author's genuine voice and unpretentious writing style. I recommend you pick this one up!
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautifully written - share this book with friends and family!, October 18, 2009
This review is from: Evenings at the Argentine Club (Paperback)
"To every Argentine immigrant, July 9 is a day that brings back memories of family celebrations centered around food, wine, and heart-pounding renditions of national theme playing on every radio and TV across the nation. July 9 is Independence Day. A day of freedom and new beginnings. But to those Argentines living in America, it's also a day to admit with a fair amount of guilt that they chose to give up their old life for the intangible, unexplainable dream of. . . something better."
- Evenings at the Argentine Club by Julia Amante
So opens, Julia Amante's newest work, Evenings at the Argentine Club. Julia Amante fashions a story around the lives of two families that have emigrated from Argentina to the United States. She captures with depth and sympathy the points of view of the many and diverse characters.
You'll meet the Torres family. At twenty-eight years, Victoria, has worked for the family restaurant, La Parilla, and the Argentine Cafe, ever since she left college. Vivacious, organized, and kind, she has handled the decorations, celebrations, daycare and helped develop a sense of community. It's been seemed natural for her to step in, so much so, that she's hasn't considered going after her own dreams but this changes. Victor Torres, her ambitious and protective father, who dreams of opening a chain of successful restaurants and returning back to Buenos Aires with his lovely wife. Jacqueline Torres, who has made her family her life and is only now allowing herself to feel lonely and disaffected with her daughter gone. Fortunately, Jacqueline is well loved and easy to befriend - her old friends and new help her ride the transition and find her own path.
The Ortelli family has its own secrets. Eric Ortelli, the successful son, visits home for the first time in years. He spent years building a career and business from scratch. He doesn't expect the hostility and disapproval from his old friends and the Argentine community, but he's determined to make a success of his new venture and to help Victoria with the changes in her life. His father Antonio Ortelli was disappointed when Eric chose not to go to law school but he tries to understand his son's new business. Antonio tries to offer his advice and get involved in Eric's business, but his optimism and business naivete threatens their fragile relationship. Lucia Ortelli is happy just to have her family together in one roof. Lucia can't help dreaming that her Eric will fall in love with her best friend's daughter Victoria and that the young couple will choose to make their lives in the neighborhood.
I thoroughly enjoyed Evenings at the Argentine Club for many reasons. What I loved most about the book is how it captures so well the longings, sacrifices, and the compromises that accompany the immigrant experience. Each person balances the desire to succeed in their new country with the love and longing for a place or time that was left behind.
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (September 25, 2009), 352 pages.
Review copy provided by Hatchette Book Group.
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4.0 out of 5 stars
Reviews by Livin' la vida Latina, May 23, 2011
Reviewed by: Sandra Lopez, author of [...]
Member of Livin' la vida Latina
[...]
Review: The whole story centers around the Argentine Club--a business owned by a working family that migrated to America for a better life. Victor, the father, who wants to leave something "great" before leaving this life; Victoria, the daughter, who never wanted to run her father's business; and Jaqueline, the mother, who fears she may no longer love her husband. Eventually, another family enters the story: Antonia, Lucia, and their son, Eric.
Written from a multi-character perspective, this book pulls you into a world of Argentine culture and values. With every character's personal issues, the story takes on a complexity that intertwines into the livelihood (and gossip) of the club. At times, I felt that there were too many characters to keep track of. I usually like it when a story is centered more on one, two, or even three characters at most. With this story, I sometimes asked myself, "Whose dad was he again?" I kept forgetting. But that was mostly in the beginning. Luckily, I got to know the characters more and more as I got deeper into the book.
Each chapter had a tad too much drama for my taste that it sometimes felt exhausting; however, as secrets are slowly revealed, you can't help but find out how it all ends. I enjoyed the blossoming romance between Victoria and Eric. Growing up, they began as friends; but they ended up falling into a deep love that they could not get anywhere else. It was like falling in love with the kid next door--the kid that kept all your secrets, the one that never made fun of you, the one that always accepted you for the way you were and still hung out with you. Those two were great together! But with Eric at the possibility of leaving again and Victoria finally going after her dreams, I couldn't help but wonder how things were going to turn out for them. A must read!
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