Anita de Monte Laughs Last cover art

Anita de Monte Laughs Last

A Novel

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Anita de Monte Laughs Last

Written by: Xochitl Gonzalez
Narrated by: Jessica Pimentel, Jonathan Gregg, Stacy Gonzalez
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About this listen

Long-listed, Kirkus Reviews Best Books of the Year, 2024

Long-listed, Time Magazine Best Books of the Year, 2024

Long-listed, Library Journal Best Books of the Year, 2024

Long-listed, NPR Best Book of the Year, 2024

This program is read by a full cast of Stacy Gonzalez, Jonathan Gregg, and Jessica Pimentel, best known for her role on Orange Is the New Black.

"The book is clever and original, but what’s more, Jessica Pimentel, a star of Orange Is the New Black, reads Anita as if she’s in a fever dream. There’s a vibrant wickedness to her performance that no doubt will make this one of the best listens of the year."—Vulture

REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK New York Times bestselling author Xochitl Gonzalez delivers a mesmerizing novel about a first-generation Ivy League student who uncovers the genius work of a female artist decades after her suspicious death

A Most Anticipated Book of 2024: TIME, The Washington Post, Refinery 29, Barnes & Noble, Marie Clare, Real Simple, Entertainment Weekly, LA Daily News, LitHub, The Millions, TODAY.com, HipLatina, Book Riot, Kirkus, and more!

Anita de Monte Laughs Last is a cry for justice. Writing with urgency and rage, Gonzalez speaks up for those who have been othered and deemed unworthy, robbed of their legacy."―The Washington Post

"Anita De Monte Laughs Last by Xochitl Gonzalez asks some big questions, like who in art or history is remembered, who is left behind or erased and WHY. I have goosebumps just talking about this story."Reese Witherspoon

1985. Anita de Monte, a rising star in the art world, is found dead in New York City; her tragic death is the talk of the town. Until it isn’t. By 1998 Anita’s name has been all but forgotten—certainly by the time Raquel, a third-year art history student is preparing her final thesis. On College Hill, surrounded by privileged students whose futures are already paved out for them, Raquel feels like an outsider. Students of color, like her, are the minority there, and the pressure to work twice as hard for the same opportunities is no secret.

But when Raquel becomes romantically involved with a well-connected older art student, she finds herself unexpectedly rising up the social ranks. As she attempts to straddle both worlds, she stumbles upon Anita’s story, raising questions about the dynamics of her own relationship, which eerily mirrors that of the forgotten artist.

Moving back and forth through time and told from the perspectives of both women, Anita de Monte Laughs Last is a propulsive, witty examination of power, love, and art, daring to ask who gets to be remembered and who is left behind in the rarefied world of the elite.

A Macmillan Audio production from Flatiron Books.

©2024 Xochitl Gonzalez (P)2024 Macmillan Audio
Coming of Age Fiction Historical Fiction Psychological United States Women's Fiction World Literature Student Witty Tearjerking
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What the critics say

"Gonzalez crafts excoriating and whip-smart commentary on the art world’s Eurocentric conceptions of beauty and the racism faced by first-generation students of color. This is incandescent."Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Funny, piercing, and full of moxie, Anita de Monte Laughs Last is unsparing in its assessment of what goes on behind the castle walls, the price people pay to be accepted into those hallowed halls, and what it takes to liberate oneself from the dangers that lurk within. Really, what Xochitl Gonzalez has written is an affirmation for anyone who's ever had to 'work twice as hard to get half as much.' Anita de Monte Laughs Last is rollicking, melodic, tender, and true. And oh so very wise."—Robert Jones, Jr., author of The Prophets, a finalist for the National Book Award for Fiction

"Bravo! A remarkable story about reclaiming what has been erased. Reader, enjoy!”—Ana Castillo, author of So Far From God

What listeners say about Anita de Monte Laughs Last

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

So relevant and REAL! The topics of white supremacy and systemic racism are on point!!

I love the story and the characters. However, I found the narrator for Anita to be a bit tooooo much!
I understand that’s probably how the author intended it but I found the performance exaggerating and even in my opinion it perpetuates the stereotype of Latinas.
In my opinion this performance takes away from the
story and I will definitely recommend the book but Not the audiobook.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Just ok

I didn’t love this one. It was a slow start and I found myself forced to finished. Last couple of chapters were the best part.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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Lively Book very engaging

I enjoyed the Latina perspective.
I have read of many cultures but never read a book with Latin viewpoint.
Absolutely loved the performance. !!. it just felt so natural.
Not a good choice for those sensitive to F-bombs.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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Jesssssssica Pimentel!!!

Jessica Pimentel’s Anita de Monte is EVERYTHING! Unbelievable performance. The book is a take on real life artist, Ana Mendieta.

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