Olga Dies Dreaming is a novel by Xochitl Gonzalez that takes its title from Pedro Peito’s poem Puerto Rican Obituary in which, in the words of title character Olga’s mother, a character named Olga (“was ashamed of her identity and died dreaming of money and being anything other than herself”). Olga is a ritzy wedding planner and minor celebrity who circulates with the rich. Her brother, Prieto, is a well-known politician and closet homosexual. Their father died a drug addict and their mother, still alive, is involved in radical Puerto Rican politics. Without detailing the plot too much, Olga and Prieto undergo events that require them to come to terms with who they are, all in the context of Brooklyn gentrification, hurricane Maria, and Puerto Rico fighting to escape the thumb of White colonialism. The novel moves well and there are a number of engaging, memorable characters, the primary one being Olga. Kirkus Reviews calls it warm-hearted but tough-minded:
https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/xochitl-gonzalez/olga-dies-dreaming/
