The Grand Paloma Resort

The Grand Paloma Resort is a lush paradise in the Dominican Republic where the guests enjoy incredible luxury, and the staff is always eager to please—that is, until they are pushed to the brink.

Laura is a local Dominican woman who, through sheer hard work, has risen through the ranks to become manager at the Grand Paloma Resort. Her idea to pair a “platinum” guest with their own resort employee to attend to their every whim has been wildly successful, and she’s just weeks away from a promotion that could blaze a path for her off the resort and toward a life of opportunity. If only her younger sister, Elena—who she’s looked after since the death of their mother—could get with the program.

Elena has tried to live up to her sister’s expectations, but to escape the drudgery of waiting on rich tourists, she’s become increasingly dependent on pills and partying. As a babysitter at the resort, she’s at the beck and call of guests who are indulging their worst impulses and need someone else to watch their kids while they do so. Now, after an accident, a child left in her charge is believed dead, and Elena knows she'll be held responsible.

When Elena runs into the child’s father at a nearby beachfront watering hole, he offers her an obscene amount of money for private time with two young local girls. Elena pockets the cash to fund her escape and prays she’s gotten the girls out of harm’s way. But then the girls are reported missing.

Set over the course of seven days, The Grand Paloma Resort offers an unforgettable story of class, family, and community, building to an intense climax in which the true costs of luxury are laid bare, redeemed only by true acts of love.

Cleyvis Natera is the author of Neruda on the Park. She was born in the Dominican Republic, migrated to the United States at ten years old, and grew up in New York City. She holds a BA from Skidmore College and a MFA from New York University. Her writing has won awards and fellowships from the International Latino Book Awards, PEN America, the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference, The Kenyon Review’s Writers Workshops, the Vermont Studio Center, the Hermitage Artist Retreat, Rowland Writers Retreat, and the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. She is currently a Fulbright Specialist. She lives with her husband and two young children in Montclair, New Jersey. The Grand Paloma Resort is her second novel.

Also available en Español translated by Erika Morillo

El Grand Paloma Resort es un paraíso exuberante en la República Dominicana donde los huéspedes disfrutan de increíbles lujos y el personal siempre está dispuesto a complacer, pero solo hasta que los llevan al límite.

Laura es gerente del Grand Paloma Resort. Es una mujer dominicana que ha llegado a donde está gracias a su esfuerzo. Está a pocas semanas de recibir un ascenso que le abrirá un camino hacia nuevas oportunidades. Pero su hermana menor, Elena, a quien ha cuidado desde la muerte de su madre, no parece cooperar.

Elena ha hecho todo lo posible por estar a la altura de las expectativas de su hermana. Sin embargo, para escapar de la monotonía de atender a turistas ricos, se ha vuelto dependiente de las pastillas y las fiestas. Como niñera en el resort, está a merced de los huéspedes que le dan rienda suelta a sus peores impulsos y necesitan que alguien cuide a sus hijos mientras tanto. Después de un accidente, se cree que una niña a su cargo ha muerto, y Elena sabe que la harán responsable.

En un bar frente a la playa, Elena se encuentra con el padre de la niña, quien le ofrece una obscena suma de dinero para poder estar a solas con dos niñas locales. Elena guarda el dinero para financiar su escape y, aunque reza para que nada les pase, las niñas desaparecen.

Ambientada a lo largo de siete días, Grand Paloma Resort nos ofrece una historia inolvidable de clase, familia y comunidad, creando un intenso clímax en el que se revelan los verdaderos costos del lujo, y se exponen secretos largamente callados y verdaderos actos de amor.


“Apasionante y estremecedora, la novela no solo cuenta una historia: te agarra por el cuello y no te deja ir”. —Angie Cruz, autora de Cómo no ahogarse en un vaso de agua

• Publisher: Ballantine (August 12, 2025)
• Language: English
• Hardcover: 352 pages
• ISBN-13: 9780593873267
• Item Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Dimensions: 6.1 x 0.9 x 9.1 inches
• BISAC Categories: Popular Fiction, Literary Fiction