Review: Singing to the Sun by Regina Rodríguez Sirvent

Title: Singing to the Sun
Author: Regina Rodríguez Sirvent
Translator: Beth Fowler
Publication Date: January 20, 2026
Publisher: Amazon Crossing
Genre: General Fiction

An entertaining novel that reminds us getting lost can be instructive.

Not many stories begin with failure, but that is exactly how Singing to the Sun by Regina Rodríguez Sirvent, translated by Beth Fowler, opens. When Rita fails her college’s required English course, her summer plans evaporate, leaving her unmoored and unsure of what comes next. At her grandmother’s urging, she heads to America and eventually lands in Atlanta as an au pair for a wealthy family with three precocious children. I am always drawn to books that promise a sense of adventure and a slightly offbeat journey, and this novel’s premise, equal parts quirky and uncertain, was compelling enough to pull me in.

It’s no secret that European life, particularly Spanish life, moves at a different pace than life in the United States. After Rita learns of her failure and returns home to the mountains, she flounders, unsure of what comes next. A chance exchange with a friend eventually lands her in the U.S. with the Booklands, a picture-perfect American family whose lives run on schedules and ambition. Their children juggle multiple extracurriculars in pursuit of prestigious universities, charity galas replace casual gatherings, and books are favored over television. The streets are quiet, neighbors are distant, and laid-back Rita suddenly finds herself living within the confines of a rigid routine. The resulting culture clash is ripe for humor, and the novel makes the most of it.

The entire story is written in the first person and narrated by Rita herself, which allows the reader to settle fully into her perspective. The writing is sharp, observational, and unapologetically irreverent, delivered at a pace that often thinks faster than it filters. Sentences spill forward in long, tumbling runs, stacked with clauses that mimic spiraling thought rather than polished reflection. This was one of my favorite aspects of the novel, as it made Rita feel like someone I might know, or even recognize in myself. While the prose is intimate, it is never sentimental. It is raw and honest, exposing a wide range of emotions plainly and trusting the reader to keep up. That said, there were moments of tonal whiplash, butting a return to everyday normalcy up against events that felt momentous. Still, Rita’s honesty and humor consistently made those moments engaging.

Several themes run through Singing to the Sun, including identity, displacement, class, and language. At its heart, however, the novel is about finding one’s place. Rita’s adventures and misadventures illustrate how growth is often messy and incremental rather than transformative all at once. Her relationship with the children, shaped as much by mistakes as by care, creates shared experiences that bridge cultural differences and social expectations. By following her grandmother’s advice, Rita shows how stepping outside of one’s comfort zone, and learning to laugh at missteps along the way, can quietly shape who we become.

This novel will appeal most to readers who enjoy voice-driven stories, and although it is set in the United States, I would also recommend it to armchair travelers, as getting to know Rita feels very much like getting to know Spain. It will particularly suit those who value character over plot. That said, there were moments that felt slow or drawn out, and a few that struck me as simply strange. Even so, I found this to be a heartwarming story, filled with relatable and often genuinely funny human moments.

Nerd Rating: 🤓🤓🤓— A warm, voice-driven coming-of-age novel that understands how instructive getting lost can be.

Find out more about Singing to the Sun at Goodreads.

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I read a digital copy made available by Amazon Crossing through NetGalley, and this review reflects my honest opinion.