Review: 'Olga Dies Dreaming' is a unique and beautiful force

“Olga Dies Dreaming” by Xochitl Gonzalez follows Olga and her brother, Prieto, two New York natives with Puerto Rican roots who have spent their lives trying to figure out who they are and what they want

“Olga Dies Dreaming,” by Xochitl Gonzalez

"Olga Dies Dreaming" by Xochitl Gonzalez follows Olga and her brother, Prieto, two New York natives with Puerto Rican roots who have spent their lives desperately trying to figure out who they are and what they want.

Both Olga and Prieto have found professional success. Olga is a wedding planner for the uber-rich, and Prieto is a congressman. Yet, neither is content with the life they have built. Their mother abandoned them when they were young to become a radical leader in the movement to free Puerto Rico. While it takes them a long time to realize it, that abandonment ultimately shapes who they become.

Both Olga and Prieto have their secrets, and the story follows each of them as they keep those secrets close while navigating love, lies, family, and success — all while their mother begins creeping back into their lives.