Loca
By Alejandro Heredia
Read by André Santana
Table of Contents
About The Book
If Junot Diaz’s critically acclaimed collection Drown and Janet Mock’s Emmy-winning series Pose produced offspring, Alejandro Heredia’s Loca would be their firstborn.
It’s 1999, and best friends Sal and Charo are striving to hold on to their dreams in a New York determined to grind them down. Sal is a book-loving science nerd trying to grow beyond his dead-end job in a new city, but he’s held back by tragic memories from his past in Santo Domingo. Free-spirited Charo is surprised to find herself a mother at twenty-five, partnered with a controlling man, working at the same supermarket for years, her world shrunk to the very domesticity she thought she’d escaped in her old country. When Sal finds love at a gay club one night, both his and Charo’s worlds unexpectedly open up to a vibrant social circle that pushes them to reckon with what they owe to their own selves, pasts, futures, and, always, each other.
Loca follows one daring year in the lives of young people living at the edge of their own patience and desires. With expansive grace, it reveals both the grueling conditions that force people to migrate and the possibility of friendship as home when family, nations, and identity groups fall short.
It’s 1999, and best friends Sal and Charo are striving to hold on to their dreams in a New York determined to grind them down. Sal is a book-loving science nerd trying to grow beyond his dead-end job in a new city, but he’s held back by tragic memories from his past in Santo Domingo. Free-spirited Charo is surprised to find herself a mother at twenty-five, partnered with a controlling man, working at the same supermarket for years, her world shrunk to the very domesticity she thought she’d escaped in her old country. When Sal finds love at a gay club one night, both his and Charo’s worlds unexpectedly open up to a vibrant social circle that pushes them to reckon with what they owe to their own selves, pasts, futures, and, always, each other.
Loca follows one daring year in the lives of young people living at the edge of their own patience and desires. With expansive grace, it reveals both the grueling conditions that force people to migrate and the possibility of friendship as home when family, nations, and identity groups fall short.
Reading Group Guide
Loca Discussion Questions
1. The novel opens with the epigraph, “friendship is so friendship & ain’t it.” How do you read it in relation to the dynamic between Sal and Charo? In what ways does their relationship blur the lines between friend and family?
2. Sal and Charo become part of a queer, intersectional community in NYC. How does this newfound community impact their understanding of themselves and their aspirations? What does the novel suggest about the importance of chosen family?
3. Charo leaves the Dominican Republic seeking freedom from traditional gender roles but finds herself in a similar situation in New York. What factors contribute to her feelings of entrapment? How does her friendship with Ella challenge her?
4. Loca grapples with many forms of identity, including Afro-Dominican heritage and queer identities in a society that often marginalizes both. How do they navigate these intersecting identities, and what challenges do they face in seeking acceptance?
5. Sal and Charo both seek liberation from societal and personal constraints. How do their paths toward freedom differ, and what obstacles do they encounter? What commentary does the novel offer on the balance between personal desires and communal expectations?
6. How does Sal’s past trauma influence his actions and relationships in the novel? In what ways does his relationship with Vance serve as a catalyst for confronting his past? What do you think of Sal and Vance’s relationship at the end of the book?
7. The setting of 1990s New York plays a crucial role in shaping the novel’s atmosphere and the characters’ experiences. How does the city serve as both a place of possibility and a battleground for identity, safety, and love?
8. How does the novel’s nonlinear timeline affect your understanding of Sal and Charo’s journeys? In what ways does shifting between past and present deepen the emotional impact of their experiences, particularly in relation to trauma, memory, and self-discovery?
9. “[Sal] wants it to be simple, like it was for a long time, this story he’s told himself about his struggling immigrant life. What’s worse than leaving your life, your world, to begin again in a place that wants your working hands but not your culture, language, history? Than living in this new place feeling torn in half, of two places but somehow from neither at once?” (191)
10. How does Loca portray the complexities of the immigrant experience, particularly for Afro-Dominican characters like Sal and Charo?
11. The novel’s first and last chapter show Sal silently looking at the sky. How does this imagery reflect Sal’s personal growth over the course of the story? In what ways does this “full circle” moment encapsulate the journey of self-discovery, resilience, and change?
Enhance Your Book Club
1. Culinary Exploration
Prepare traditional Dominican dishes such as sancocho or habichuelas con dulce to immerse yourselves in the cultural backdrop of the novel.
2. Musical Journey
Create a playlist featuring songs from the late 90s.
3. Historical Context Discussion
Research the socio-political climate of New York City in the late 1990s, focusing on immigrant and LGBTQ+ communities, to better understand the challenges and opportunities the characters faced.
4. Author Interview Viewing
Watch an interview with Alejandro Heredia to gain insights into his inspirations and intentions behind Loca.
5. Thematic Exploration
Read and discuss works by authors who explore similar themes of identity, migration, and queer experiences, such as White Teeth by Zadie Smith or Another Country by James Baldwin.
1. The novel opens with the epigraph, “friendship is so friendship & ain’t it.” How do you read it in relation to the dynamic between Sal and Charo? In what ways does their relationship blur the lines between friend and family?
2. Sal and Charo become part of a queer, intersectional community in NYC. How does this newfound community impact their understanding of themselves and their aspirations? What does the novel suggest about the importance of chosen family?
3. Charo leaves the Dominican Republic seeking freedom from traditional gender roles but finds herself in a similar situation in New York. What factors contribute to her feelings of entrapment? How does her friendship with Ella challenge her?
4. Loca grapples with many forms of identity, including Afro-Dominican heritage and queer identities in a society that often marginalizes both. How do they navigate these intersecting identities, and what challenges do they face in seeking acceptance?
5. Sal and Charo both seek liberation from societal and personal constraints. How do their paths toward freedom differ, and what obstacles do they encounter? What commentary does the novel offer on the balance between personal desires and communal expectations?
6. How does Sal’s past trauma influence his actions and relationships in the novel? In what ways does his relationship with Vance serve as a catalyst for confronting his past? What do you think of Sal and Vance’s relationship at the end of the book?
7. The setting of 1990s New York plays a crucial role in shaping the novel’s atmosphere and the characters’ experiences. How does the city serve as both a place of possibility and a battleground for identity, safety, and love?
8. How does the novel’s nonlinear timeline affect your understanding of Sal and Charo’s journeys? In what ways does shifting between past and present deepen the emotional impact of their experiences, particularly in relation to trauma, memory, and self-discovery?
9. “[Sal] wants it to be simple, like it was for a long time, this story he’s told himself about his struggling immigrant life. What’s worse than leaving your life, your world, to begin again in a place that wants your working hands but not your culture, language, history? Than living in this new place feeling torn in half, of two places but somehow from neither at once?” (191)
10. How does Loca portray the complexities of the immigrant experience, particularly for Afro-Dominican characters like Sal and Charo?
11. The novel’s first and last chapter show Sal silently looking at the sky. How does this imagery reflect Sal’s personal growth over the course of the story? In what ways does this “full circle” moment encapsulate the journey of self-discovery, resilience, and change?
Enhance Your Book Club
1. Culinary Exploration
Prepare traditional Dominican dishes such as sancocho or habichuelas con dulce to immerse yourselves in the cultural backdrop of the novel.
2. Musical Journey
Create a playlist featuring songs from the late 90s.
3. Historical Context Discussion
Research the socio-political climate of New York City in the late 1990s, focusing on immigrant and LGBTQ+ communities, to better understand the challenges and opportunities the characters faced.
4. Author Interview Viewing
Watch an interview with Alejandro Heredia to gain insights into his inspirations and intentions behind Loca.
5. Thematic Exploration
Read and discuss works by authors who explore similar themes of identity, migration, and queer experiences, such as White Teeth by Zadie Smith or Another Country by James Baldwin.
About The Author
Photograph © Alejandro Heredia
Alejandro Heredia
Alejandro Heredia is a writer from the Bronx. He has received fellowships from LAMBDA Literary, Dominican Studies Institute, UNLV’s Black Mountain Institute, and elsewhere. He received an MFA in fiction from Hunter College. Loca is his debut novel.
About The Reader
André Santana
Product Details
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio (February 11, 2025)
- Runtime: 9 hours and 58 minutes
- ISBN13: 9781797198859
Resources and Downloads
High Resolution Images
- Book Cover Image (jpg): Loca Unabridged Audio Download 9781797198859
- Author Photo (jpg): Alejandro Heredia Photograph © Alejandro Heredia(0.1 MB)
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