This was my second attempt on this book and I only made it through because I went with the audio. The story itself is good and the premise has merit, but the execution just rubbed me the wrong way. The writing style is not quite my speed, the language is just a bit too crude (in a way that felt unnecessary and absolutely superfluous), and the organizational structure is a bit rough. I did enjoy the historical aspects and would like to read more on the history of the Dominican Republic, I just struggled with the flow on this one. Can neither recommend nor condemn. I can see the value in the story, it just didn't jive with my personal preferences in terms of style.