How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. Cruz structures the novel as a series of job counseling sessions that transform into deep personal revelations. What did you think about this unusual format? How effective was it in telling Cara’s story?

2. Which aspects of Cara’s distinctive voice and storytelling style resonated most strongly with you?

3. If you’ve read Cruz’s previous novel Dominicana, how does her portrayal of Dominican immigrant experiences compare between the two works? For those unfamiliar with Cruz’s other work, how does this novel compare to other immigrant narratives you’ve read?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Throughout the novel, Cara navigates her identity as both Dominican and someone living in the US. Have you ever experienced living between two cultures or identities? How did Cara’s experience compare to yours?

2. Cara consistently puts others’ needs before her own, believing that community survival depends on mutual support. Think about the balance between caring for others versus caring for yourself. Has this balance shifted over time in your life?

3. The novel explores how economic hardship impacts different people during the Great Recession. How did this portrayal of financial insecurity compare to experiences you or people in your community have faced during economic downturns?

4. Cara uses astrology as a coping mechanism throughout the novel. What belief systems or frameworks do you rely on to make sense of challenging circumstances in your life?

5. Family relationships in the novel are complex and often strained by unspoken expectations and past traumas. Which family dynamic in the book felt most familiar to you, and why?

6. Cara stubbornly resists changing her parenting approach despite the damage it causes. Have you clung to beliefs or behaviors that weren’t serving you well? What finally helped you recognize the need for change?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. The novel is set during the Obama era and the Great Recession. What insights does this specific period provide about hope, disillusionment, and economic inequality in the US?

2. Cruz portrays gentrification through evictions, lease violations, and changing businesses in Washington Heights. In what ways does this depiction challenge or confirm your understanding of gentrification’s impact on immigrant communities? How have you seen similar processes unfold in your city or neighborhood?

3. Cara’s relationship with documentation and citizenship reveals the precarious position of many immigrants in the US. The novel suggests that being an immigrant means living in a place built for others. What does this perspective add to conversations about immigration and belonging in the US?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. The title, How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water, comes from the Dominican expression for getting overwhelmed by minor problems. What significance does this metaphor hold throughout the narrative? Which characters seem most at risk of drowning in their circumstances?

2. Cruz juxtaposes Cara’s rich, meandering storytelling with official documents throughout the novel. What does this contrast reveal about how institutional systems reduce complex individuals to paperwork? How does this structure build narrative tension? How does it help build the novel’s themes?

3. How does Cruz use food as a symbol throughout the novel? Why might she have chosen this as a symbol, and how does it contribute to the novel’s themes?

4. Cara and Ángela represent different approaches to dealing with their traumatic childhood. Their contrasting coping mechanisms shape both their adult lives and their relationship with each other. How do their different approaches ultimately lead to growth or stagnation?

5. The relationship between Fernando and Cara remains largely unresolved until the novel’s end. What factors contributed to their estrangement? What is the effect of the novel’s uncertain resolution?

6. La Vieja Caridad plays a pivotal role in Cara’s life despite appearing directly in only a few scenes. What does this character represent within the novel? How does her influence affect Cara’s development and final circumstances?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. Imagine that you’re Lissette, Cara’s caseworker, writing a personal reflection after your final session with her. What would you include about your experience listening to Cara’s story? How might this experience change your approach to your work?

2. Cara receives emails throughout the novel from Alicia the Psychic, whose predictions surprisingly come true in unexpected ways. Draft your own “psychic” email to Cara that predicts her life five years after the novel’s conclusion.

3. The novel ends with uncertainty about Cara’s future, though there are hopeful signs of reconciliation with Fernando. If you created another epilogue set five years later, how might life have changed for Cara, Fernando, Ángela, and Lulú? How would their relationships have evolved?

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