The Review

My freshman year of college, I took our standard English course required for graduation, English 125 – Writing & Academic Inquiry. Though the concept was the same—to learn how to write like writers—each individual class was tailored by its Graduate Student Instructor (GSI). My class was taught by a free spirit, whom I can only classify as a beatnik, even though they clearly were not alive in the 1950s or 60s. However, the lesson they taught us has stayed with me for the past 12 years: how to push the boundaries of the essay. It was the first English class, and my first college class, where I earned an A.

I mention this because, as I read through Karla Cornejo Villavicencio’s Catalina, I couldn’t help but think of the first question I was asked in that class: “What makes an essayist?” At the time, I had a narrow-minded view of what an essayist could be, focused solely on how it relates to academia in strict APA or MLA format. Now, I can confidently say that even with its framing as a novel, Catalina is an essay at heart.

Catalina is written in four distinct parts, with an introduction and an epilogue, chronicling the protagonist Catalina Ituralde’s senior year at Harvard University. Catalina is a talkative, shrewd, and irresistible protagonist. Her wit and self-awareness deepen our understanding of how small slights and epic challenges shape an immigrant’s life. The novel is narrated by Catalina through a continuous, conscious stream of thought in each section, allowing the reader to feel as if they are truly inhabiting her mind. This approach blurs the line between fiction and personal essay, making the story feel both free-flowing and intimate, as well as clearly structured and deeply reflective.

Cornejo Villavicencio has a clear intention to inform the reader about life as an undocumented immigrant in 21st-century America, subtly persuading the reader’s subconscious against anti-immigrant rhetoric—especially pertinent during this election season. Though the novel is fiction, it is evident that Cornejo Villavicencio draws from elements of her own life, as Harvard’s first undocumented graduate. The novel carries the essence of The Bell Jar, which Catalina herself references multiple times in the latter half of the story.

Where Catalina truly excels is in its comedic prose, which often hides the melancholy behind Catalina’s story. Near the beginning of “Part Two: Fall Semester,” Catalina recalls a quote her high school guidance counselor shared: “At this school, you are a big fish in a small pond; at Harvard, you will be a very small fish in a very big pond. And it is best to approach with humility.” This sentiment, delivered early in the story, resonates throughout the novel. It encapsulates Catalina’s journey as an immigrant and a scholar, navigating a world where she must constantly prove her worth while grappling with internal and external challenges. The quote also serves as a metaphor for the immigrant experience: navigating a new and often overwhelming environment with resilience and humility.

This sentiment echoes again in the epilogue. “Out of all the abandoned girls in the world,” she notes, “I could be their valedictorian.” This line encapsulates her blend of humor and heartbreak, illustrating the complexities of her identity and experiences.

Ultimately, Catalina pushes the boundaries of both the novel and the essay, much like my college English course encouraged me to do over a decade ago. It challenges traditional forms and invites the reader to see beyond labels, whether those labels are “essayist,” “immigrant,” or “student.” Through Catalina’s voice, Cornejo Villavicencio delivers a powerful narrative that is as thought-provoking as it is entertaining. I highly recommend this novel as a book club choice, as I believe it deserves a true deep-dive literary analysis.

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Short Review (AKA TLDR)

Catalina pushes the boundaries of both the novel and the essay, much like my college English course encouraged me to do over a decade ago. It challenges traditional forms and invites the reader to see beyond labels, whether those labels are “essayist,” “immigrant,” or “student.” Through Catalina’s voice, Cornejo Villavicencio delivers a powerful narrative that is as thought-provoking as it is entertaining. I highly recommend this novel as a book club choice, as I believe it deserves a true deep-dive literary analysis.