Gloria - A Nostalgic Stroll Through 1970s NYC
First Impression | Synopsis | Book Review | Book Details
First Impression
Star Rating: 🌟🌟🌟 - 3 stars (see my rating system)
Genre: Contemporary
Synopsis
Gloria is a nostalgic, cross-generational novel that traces the intertwined lives of a mother and son across five decades. Centered around the historic 1970 Madison Square Garden concert by Argentine singer Sandro, the story follows 20-year-old Gloria as she explores New York City, full of hope and possibility. As her son later pieces together her past through memory, photos, and imagination.
Book Review
As someone who lives in present-day New York, I found Gloria to be a fascinating window into the city of the 1970s—a gritty, vibrant period I’ll never experience firsthand. Andrés Felipe Solano captures the details of that era beautifully, from Queens diners to Madison Square Garden concerts, even down to peep shows of Times Square. Reading about Gloria’s early days in the city was a highlight: young, wide-eyed, and navigating a new world with a mix of innocence and quiet strength.
But while the setting enchanted me, the structure left me adrift. It took me a while to realize the story was being narrated by Gloria’s son, and even then, the non-linear style made it difficult to stay grounded. Just when I thought the plot was taking shape, we’d pivot to another loosely connected anecdote. Some storylines—like Gloria’s pending visit to a medium—were introduced and then abandoned, leaving me wondering what they were meant to reveal.
That said, there are meaningful through-lines. Gloria’s camera, and with it her memories, is lost not once but twice—a clever motif that speaks to how fragile and easily misplaced our past can be. Watching her evolve from a dreamy 20-something to a seasoned, successful businesswoman was rewarding, though I wish we had gotten more insight into her motivations and internal life, especially later on.
The ending, while poignant, left me a bit hollow. It felt more like a slow fade-out than a resolution. There’s a sadness that permeates the final chapters—not just in the events themselves, but in the sense that Gloria’s questions, her desires, her search for meaning, are never fully answered. Maybe that was the point, but it left me more contemplative than satisfied.
Overall, Gloria is a meditative novel with some gorgeous, cinematic moments and rich historical texture. I just wish the narrative structure had done more to support the emotional weight it was clearly trying to carry.
TLDR
Gloria is a nostalgic, atmospheric read set in 1970s New York, rich in detail but fragmented in structure. I read it in a single sitting and appreciated the glimpse into a version of the city I’ll never know—but found the disjointed narration and unresolved plot threads a bit unsatisfying.
Book Details
- Genre: Contemporary
- Publishing Date/ Release Date: April 1, 2025
- Format: Book
- Length: 172 pages
- Setting: New York, NY
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