New Chapter Book Series from David Bowles Coming in 2020

Claudia Gabel at HarperCollins has bought 13TH STREET, a new chapter book series from Pura Belpré Honor author David Bowles and illustrator Shane Clester, described as a Latinx Stranger Things adventure for kids ages 5-8, in which three cousins find themselves drawn into a strange world full of monsters. Publication is set for Summer 2020; Taylor Martindale Kean at Full Circle Literary represented the author and Justin Rucker at Shannon Associates represented the illustrator in the six-book deal for World rights.

Publication Date: July 7, 2020 (for the first 3 books)

David Bowles (c) Paul Chouy, UTRGV

Author David Bowles: 

David Bowles is a Mexican-American author from south Texas, where he teaches at the University of Texas Río Grande Valley. He has written several titles, most notably The Smoking Mirror (Pura Belpré Honor Book) and They Call Me Güero (Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children’s Book Award, Claudia Lewis Award for Excellence in Poetry, Pura Belpré Honor Book, Walter Dean Myers Honor Book).
His work has also been published in multiple anthologies, plus venues such as School Library Journal, Bookbird, Knowledge Quest, Rattle, Translation Review, and the Journal of Children’s Literature.
In 2017, David was inducted into the Texas Institute of Letters.

Illustrator, Shane Clester

Illustrator Shane Clester: 
Largely self taught, Shane has been a professional illustrator since 2005. Initially working in comics and storyboards, Shane has transitioned to his real passion—children’s books—even self-publishing several of his own. Shane’s commitment and work ethic are unrivaled, with many clients going on to become personal friends. Above all else, Shane values his flexibility, diversity and determination to produce nothing less than perfect. Shane currently lives in Florida with his wonderful wife and their two tots. When not illustrating, he can usually be found by his in-laws' pool.

Best Latinx Books of the Decade, According to Twitter

HARPERTEEN, 2018

THE POET X by Elizabeth Acevedo

An Afro-Latina heroine tells her story with blazing words and powerful truth.

Xiomara Batista feels unheard and unable to hide in her Harlem neighborhood. Ever since her body grew into curves, she has learned to let her fists and her fierceness do the talking.

But Xiomara has plenty she wants to say, and she pours all her frustration and passion onto the pages of a leather notebook, reciting the words to herself like prayers—especially after she catches feelings for a boy in her bio class named Aman, who her family can never know about.

With Mami’s determination to force her daughter to obey the laws of the church, Xiomara understands that her thoughts are best kept to herself. So when she is invited to join her school’s slam poetry club, she doesn’t know how she could ever attend without her mami finding out. But she still can’t stop thinking about performing her poems.

Because in the face of a world that may not want to hear her, Xiomara refuses to be silent.

CINCO PUNTO PRESS, 2014

GABI A GIRL IN PIECES by Isabel Quintero

Gabi Hernandez chronicles her last year in high school in her diary: college applications, Cindy's pregnancy, Sebastian's coming out, the cute boys, her father's meth habit, and the food she craves.

And best of all, the poetry that helps forge her identity

SIMON & SCHUSTER BOOKS FOR YOUNG READERS, 2012

ARISTOTLE AND DANTE DISCOVER THE SECRETS OF THE UNIVERSE by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

This Printz Honor Book is a “tender, honest exploration of identity” (Publishers Weekly) that distills lyrical truths about family and friendship.

Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But as the loners start spending time together, they discover that they share a special friendship—the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime. And it is through this friendship that Ari and Dante will learn the most important truths about themselves and the kind of people they want to be.

BOA EDITIONS LTD., 2018

CENZONTLE by Marcelo Hernandez Castillo

In this highly lyrical, imagistic debut, Marcelo Hernandez Castillo creates a nuanced narrative of life before, during, and after crossing the US/Mexico border. These poems explore the emotional fallout of immigration, the illusion of the American dream via the fallacy of the nuclear family, the latent anxieties of living in a queer brown undocumented body within a heteronormative marriage, and the ongoing search for belonging. Finding solace in the resignation to sheer possibility, these poems challenge us to question the potential ways in which two people can interact, love, give birth, and mourn―sometimes all at once.

SOHO TEEN, 2015

MORE HAPPY THAN NOT by Adam Silvera

In his twisty, gritty, profoundly moving debut—Adam Silvera brings to life a charged, dangerous near-future summer in the Bronx.

In the months after his father's suicide, it's been tough for sixteen-year-old Aaron Soto to find happiness again—but he's still gunning for it. With the support of his girlfriend Genevieve and his overworked mom, he's slowly remembering what that might feel like. But grief and the smile-shaped scar on his wrist prevent him from forgetting completely. 

When Genevieve leaves for a couple of weeks, Aaron spends all his time hanging out with this new guy, Thomas. Aaron's crew notices, and they're not exactly thrilled. But Aaron can't deny the happiness Thomas brings or how Thomas makes him feel safe from himself, despite the tensions their friendship is stirring with his girlfriend and friends. Since Aaron can't stay away from Thomas or turn off his newfound feelings for him, he considers turning to the Leteo Institute's revolutionary memory-alteration procedure to straighten himself out, even if it means forgetting who he truly is. 

FEIWEL & FRIENDS, 2017

WILD BEAUTY by Anna-Marie McLemore

McLemore introduces a spellbinding setting and two characters who are drawn together by fate—and pulled apart by reality.

For nearly a century, the Nomeolvides women have tended the grounds of La Pradera, the lush estate gardens that enchant guests from around the world. They’ve also hidden a tragic legacy: if they fall in love too deeply, their lovers vanish. But then, after generations of vanishings, a strange boy appears in the gardens.

The boy is a mystery to Estrella, the Nomeolvides girl who finds him, and to her family, but he’s even more a mystery to himself; he knows nothing more about who he is or where he came from than his first name. As Estrella tries to help Fel piece together his unknown past, La Pradera leads them to secrets as dangerous as they are magical in this stunning exploration of love, loss, and family.

KNOPF BOOKS FOR YOUNG READERS, 2017

I AM NOT YOUR PERFECT MEXICAN DAUGHTER by Erika L. Sánchez

A poignant and often laugh-out-loud funny contemporary YA about losing a sister and finding yourself amid the pressures, expectations, and stereotypes of growing up in a Mexican-American home. 
 
Perfect Mexican daughters do not go away to college. And they do not move out of their parents’ house after high school graduation. Perfect Mexican daughters never abandon their family.
 
But Julia is not your perfect Mexican daughter.

HAYMARKET BOOKS, 2018

CITIZEN ILLEGAL by José Olivarez

In this stunning debut, poet José Olivarez explores the stories, contradictions, joys, and sorrows that embody life in the spaces between Mexico and America. He paints vivid portraits of good kids, bad kids, families clinging to hope, life after the steel mills, gentrifying barrios, and everything in between. Drawing on the rich traditions of Latinx and Chicago writers like Sandra Cisneros and Gwendolyn Brooks, Olivarez creates a home out of life in the in-between. Combining wry humor with potent emotional force, Olivarez takes on complex issues of race, ethnicity, gender, class, and immigration using an everyday language that invites the reader in.

RICK RIORDAN PRESENTS/DISNEY, 2019

SAL & GABI BREAK THE UNIVERSE by Carlos Hernandez

When Sal Vidon meets Gabi Real for the first time, it isn't under the best of circumstances. Sal is in the principal's office for the third time in three days, and it's still the first week of school. Gabi, student council president and editor of the school paper, is there to support her friend Yasmany, who just picked a fight with Sal. She is determined to prove that somehow, Sal planted a raw chicken in Yasmany's locker, even though nobody saw him do it and the bloody poultry has since mysteriously disappeared.

Sal prides himself on being an excellent magician, but for this sleight of hand, he relied on a talent no one would guess except maybe Gabi, whose sharp eyes never miss a trick. Gabi learns that he's capable of conjuring things much bigger than a chicken—including his dead mother—she takes it all in stride, and Sal knows that she is someone he can work with. There's only one slight problem: their manipulation of time and space could put the entire universe at risk.

YALE UNIVERSITY PRESS, 2012

SLOW LIGHTNING by Eduardo C. Corral

Seamlessly braiding English and Spanish, Corral's poems hurtle across literary and linguistic borders toward a lyricism that slows down experience. He employs a range of forms and phrasing, bringing the vivid particulars of his experiences as a Chicano and gay man to the page. Although Corral's topics are decidedly sobering, contest judge Carl Phillips observes, "one of the more surprising possibilities offered in these poems is joy."

LATINX IN PUBLISHING HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

Best Latinx Books of 2019

The Latinx in Publishing team got together to select our favorite books for the year. There were so many wonderful titles this to chose from. Read on to find out which books made it on our best of list for 2019!

TITLE: My Papi is a Motorcycle/Mi Papi Tiene un Moto
AUTHOR: Isabel Quintero | @isabelinpieces
ILLUSTRATOR: Zeke Peña | @zpvisual
PUBLISHER: Kokila/Penguin | @kokilabooks
“This warm, joy-infused ode to neighborhood, community, and family has been a favorite bedtime read in my household this year. We love Daisy Ramona’s pink unicorn helmet, the love and closeness between her and Papi, and how much you feel like you are riding right along with them. A true masterpiece in both languages.” - Nancy Mercado, Latinx in Publishing, Steering Committee Member

TITLE: In the Dream House: A Memoir
AUTHOR: Carmen Maria Machado | @carmenmmachado
PUBLISHER: Graywolf Press | @GraywolfPress
“You can always trust that you’re in good hands when reading anything new from Machado, but such an unflinchingly honest examination of abuse within the context of a queer relationship is rarer than rare. Stunningly brilliant and groundbreaking!” - Carolina Ortiz, Latinx in Publishing, Social Media Committee Member

TITLE: Dealing in Dreams
AUTHOR: Lilliam Rivera | @lilliamr
PUBLISHER: S&S Books for Young Readers | @simonteen
“Rivera’s sophomore novel about girl gangs battling for the favor of Mega City’s beloved founder is an action-packed dystopian tale. I adored the dark and mysterious world of this novel.” - Natassja Haught, Latinx in Publishing, Social Media Member

TITLE: Gods of Jade and Shadow
AUTHOR: Silvia Moreno-Garcia | @silviamg
PUBLISHER: Del Rey | @DelReyBooks
“It would have been unlikely for a fantasy novel like this—one so steeped in Mexican culture and Indigenous mythology—to even be published in the US ten years ago, let alone get review attention. I love that Moreno=Garcia is pushing the fantasy world in such exciting directions, but equally importantly, she has serious writing chops; this is an epic and beautiful story of a young woman finding her power.” - Sophia Jimenez, Latinx in Publishing, Steering Committee Member

TITLE: With the Fire on High
AUTHOR: Elizabeth Acevedo | @acevedowrites
PUBLISHER: HarperTeen | @HarperTeen
“Acevedo’s writing hums with deliciousness and love. I felt every emotion Emoni expressed, and my heart and soul were always hungry for more. Plus it was so refreshing to read about a teenage mom who was handling her own, taking care of her baby, her abuela, and still striving to make her dreams come true. This book is a statement for all the Latinx young moms out there that anything is possible despite your circumstances!” - Saraciea J. Fennell, Latinx in Publishing, Steering Committee Member

Dominican Writers Interview with Angela Abreu & Angie Cruz

FRIDAY, AUGUST 23rd, 2019

 On a beautiful evening in Washington Heights, Angela Abreu and I met outside of Café 181 to talk about the Dominican Writers Association, Abreu’s collaboration with Word Up Community Bookshop to help launch Uptown Reads, in which my novel, Dominicana, was selected as their inaugural pick. We left our eleven-year-old sons playing Minecraft while we discussed the challenges of being a person of color in publishing, and also what we are each trying to do to change both the system and our communities.

 Angie Cruz: Why don’t we start with you telling me how and why you started Dominican Writers?

 Angela Abreu:  I founded the organization in 2015. I used to have a spoken word organization that ran Uptown where I curated featured performers at venues like Apt 78 and Word Up Bookshop. During the course of me running the organization, I met a lot of really great Dominican writers who were writing screenplays or were poets or were working on novels. One of the artists we featured at Word Up was actually Elizabeth Acevedo. And I said to myself —why does no one know these people? I didn’t think it was fair that everyone else, every Latinx writer that you looked up—would be Puerto Rican or Cuban, but no one was talking about us, Dominicans, as writers. It was important to me that people get to know these amazing Dominican writers, like Elizabeth who I discovered on YouTube, Googling, you know, searching for Dominican writers and one of her videos came up.

 AC: Were you also writing at the time?

 AA: Yes. I have a poetry book that I self-published.

 AC: What’s the name of the book?

 AA: It’s called, I Have No Room for the Broken, and is a collection of poems about heartbreak and moving on and what not. I self-published that in 2016.

 AC: Who were some of the first Dominican writers that influenced you as a writer?

 AA: You were one of them. (Laughter) When I was in college I took a creative writing workshop...

 AC: What college did you go to?

 AA: I went to John Jay, where I was a forensic psychology student. During my last semester, I had to take an elective for one credit that I was missing, and took a creative writing class. It had never occurred to me to take one in my four years in college. In that class something clicked, and I thought I don’t know anybody writing stories like mine. About Dominicans and our culture. So, I researched and found you, Julia Alvarez and Junot Diaz. I read all the books and I was like, “Oh my god!” Especially when I read your book, Soledad, I was living on 164th street, between Edgecombe and Amsterdam. I could literally imagine Soledad out on the corner in front of the church and coming home. I felt so close to her, especially because we had similar relationships with our mothers. When I read Julia Alvarez’s books, it was the same thing, and then with Junot, he is a little more americanized and you could see it when he would mention science fiction and Star Wars and I was like “ok, these are a handful of writers; there’s got to be more.”

 AC: What were some of the first things you did with the organization?

 AA: Before I even thought about creating an organization, my first post on Instagram was “tag a Dominican writer.” I wanted to know who was out there. The plan was to give visibility to writers and then be like, “go read this person’s work.” Then with time, it became bigger than I could imagine. Now it includes writers’ workshops, panel discussions, and educating emerging writers about how to get published traditionally or teaching them how to self-publish.

 AC: So, you also publish writers? Why did you choose to do that?

 AA: We wanted to offer services to writers who didn’t want to self-publish because it’s a lot of work and as you know the process itself of getting a publisher, a literary agent is so difficult. So, what we are doing is not just publishing writers but planning their book events, booking them on podcasts, and other places.

 AC: So, it’s like a full publicity and publishing service?

 AA: Yes, exactly.

 AC: Do writers have to pay?

 AA: No, I apply for grants to fund the services we provide to writers. We recently became an official a 501c.

AC: What books have you published so far?

AA: The first book we published was Para Cenar Habra Nostalgia, a collection of poetry by Fior Plasencia about her experience immigrating to the U.S. like getting on the train for the first time, going to the consulado, feeling homesick. She’s bilingual, going back and forth between two languages. It’s so wonderful. Fior is a great poet.

AC: You choose the books?

AA: Yes. The second book we published was Conversacion con un Prostituto by Rigo Diaz. And then this year, we published another poetry book, La Casas de las Maletas by Roxana Calderon. We also published Kianny Antigua's  book, 10 Dominicanas de Letras: Homenaje & Antologia. She really wanted us to help her get that out.

AC: What is the most challenging thing about doing this work?

AA: The most challenging thing? Time. Finding time to do so much because I head everything. Even though I might tell my team what I need done, it still comes from me. Currently, we’re moving our website and redesigning it. Planning events. We are working on an anthology where 90 writers submitted, and we have two editors. So, there’s a lot of work! Collecting all the information from the writers, editing the works. I have to stay on top of that. And as you know, Malcriada & Other Stories is coming out by end of September so we are also giving Lorraine Avila’s book attention. I also write all the grants. It’s a lot to find the time outside of having a child and working 9-5.

AC: Do you feel people are receptive? Once the book is out? Have you found support?

AA: I think that Dominican Writers has developed enough connections to garner the support we need for our Authors. It definitely helps if the person is known. Lorraine, for example, has a big following on social media and they have been very supportive of her book. They have pre-ordered it. La Guardia Community college bought 100 copies of the book because they are teaching it this upcoming semester, they are also booking her for Hispanic Heritage Month. I told Lorraine, "be ready for this, emotionally.” I remember when I published my book it wasn't until it came out that I was like, “Oh my god now everyone is gonna talk about this and my mom is going to have questions!” You gotta prepare yourself for everything that comes with it, the praises, the criticism. When I launched my book, I made it into a theatrical performance because I hate being front and center.

AC: In a culture where many people are ready to take credit for work they are not even doing, you are the opposite. You prefer to work quietly behind the scenes. Why is that?

AA. In the past with my spoken word collective, the majority of people didn’t know that I was the one organizing everything. At the end of the day, it's not about me. It's about the writers. If you email us or if you come to our workshop, or events, you know I’m the one running it because now I introduce myself to folks. Otherwise, I don’t like putting my face out there. But, if I happen to be in a picture, I happen to be in a picture. What I care about is the work getting done.

AC: Do you hope to one day support yourself doing this work?

AA: Recently, I sat down with a consultant because there’s so many things I want to do with the organization, and she said to me, “one day this could take care of you.” I was like, “What? I plan to retire from my job.” I never planned to make money from Dominican Writers, it never even crossed my mind. My vision is for Dominican Writers to become the organization that all Dominican writers would want to come to. That we would be the bridge between them, the Dominican community and publishing platforms.

AC: Well, there’s approx. 650,000 Dominicans in NYC. That’s a huge market. And even a larger Latinx community. It's great how for your conference and events you reiterate that it's for all writers. There is an openness.

AA: Definitely, we are out there, our conference yielded approx. 300 people in attendance and that was overwhelming for me. I was finally able to make my point, that we are out here doing the work, and our stories matter. It’s also about changing the culture of reading. To develop more readers. We try to do something different with every event. For example, Mary Ely Peña-Gratereaux wrote a book, Narrativas en el Tiempo de Bachata. So, we hosted a bachata night to debut her book, and we had performers come in and share their bachata themed poems. It was a full house, and Mary Ely loved it. She was like “Oh my god, toda la juventud!” She’s an elderly lady. She was happy to have a new audience exposed to her work. I did it at my cousin’s restaurant at Pop and Pour and we filled up the place. It was just a wonderful event.

AC: What is the most surprising thing that’s happened in your journey as an organizer?

AA: I will tell you that the most surprising thing for me was sitting in the audience at the PEN America event with Julia Alvarez and Elizabeth Acevedo and hear Elizabeth bring us up in conversation like 5 times. It was unexpected, I didn’t ask her to do that. I can say it’s been amazing witnessing Elizabeth’s success; our community has come through to support her and I’m happy for the relationship we have with her. I’ve supported Elizabeth since she was a slam poet. So many years later to have her sit in conversation with Julia Alvarez in front of PEN America, it meant everything to me.

AC: She’s such a hard worker and is one of the most generous literary citizens I know.

AA. She introduced me to Julia Alvarez and suggested we work together, that was a lot for me that night. It would be a dream to one day work with Julia Alvarez. That event changed a lot of things for us in a great way, PEN America reaches out to include us in events and are super supportive of what we need. Great things are coming.

AC: But they should invite you. 

AA: Well, I see PEN America as such a HUGE organization and we are just so small in comparison.

AC. Your presence is an asset to PEN because you have established a large following of Latinx writers, and this is a great resource for literary organizations that want to develop audiences of color. You are a leading literary organizer in our community who has conceived a vision and built an organization to fill an obvious need and hole for Dominican Writers and writers of color in general.

One of your events this year, is my launch party for Dominicana, but also the inauguration of @wordups Uptown Reads, where numerous organizations will be reading the novel toward a culminating event in November. Why do you think Dominicana was a good choice for the community and why should people read the book?

AA: When I heard you were publishing a third novel I remember asking Veronica at Word Up all these questions about it, the title, when was it coming out and how could I get in touch with you and your team because the book needed to come home, to Washington Heights. I am intentional about sharing the literary arts with our Dominican community, of sharing the works of authors such as yourself so that people can not only see themselves reflected in the stories we write but also open their minds to the possibility that maybe they too can write. Ana’s story in Dominicana is personal to many Dominicans, its personal to my mother, and my aunts, because they lived very similar experiences. Not only should Dominicans read it, but also those who are unfamiliar with the sacrifices immigrants make to come to this country and sustain their families back home. In this political climate, where Trump is detaining undocumented immigrants and separating families, and deporting people by the loads, it’s even more important that we share our stories. It's not easy for us to leave all we know, to leave our family, and try our luck in a country where we don't speak the language, don't know anyone. Ana tries her luck married to a man who mistreats her, and she sucks it up because she feels that she needs to accomplish what she set out to do, to help her family come to the U.S. despite how she may feel about her marriage. It is a story we as immigrant women are too familiar with.

AC: Thank you for your work and vision.

Since this interview, Word Up Community Bookshop/Librería Comunitaria  & Dominican Writers Association celebrated the release of Dominicana with author Angie Cruz at Alianza Dominicana Cultural Center, during the inauguration of UPTOWN READS, a neighborhood-wide program that celebrates great literature and the community-wide reflection that can come of a shared reading experience. The evening yielded approximately 200 attendees, among them was Orange is the New Black, actress Laura Gomez, who led the Q&A with Angie Cruz, and actress Coral Peña, the voice of Ana in the audio book. The Washington Heights community, birthplace of Cruz, welcomed her back home with open arms and embraced the publication of Dominicana.

To view images of the book release click here.

Word Up Facebook page- https://www.facebook.com/pg/WordUpBooks/photos/?tab=album&album_id=2600932016604058&ref=page_internal

Dominican Writers Events Gallery

https://www.dominicanwriters.com/events-gallery

For more information on how to join UPTOWNREADS with Reading & Discussing Dominicana visit:  https://www.wordupbooks.com/uptownreads

For more info about Dominican Writers visit www.dominicanwriters.com.

Here's How to Celebrate Latinx Heritage Month

Latinx in Publishing is excited to kickoff Latinx Heritage Month with an event series featuring Latinx bookstores and Latinx authors.

Latinx in Publishing has partnered with Latinx owned bookstores across the US on an event series to celebrate Latinx Heritage Month! We have partnered with several Latinx authors who will visit participating stores to do a reading and sign copies of their books. We hope you'll come out and support Latinx business owners and creators.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27th AT 7 PM
Latinx in Publishing presents Stephanie Jimenez Kew & Willow Books 8163 Lefferts Blvd, Kew Gardens, Queens, NY 11415

Join us for an evening with Stephanie Jimenez (stephaniejimenezwriter.com), debut author of They Could Have Named Her Anything! Jimenez's novel is the story of two teenaged girls, one Latina and one white, questioning what it means to live up to the name you’ve been given and how far you’ll go for the life you’ve always dreamed of; grappling with racism, class privilege, female friendship, and familial expectations, set in Queens and the Upper East Side, Manhattan.

ABOUT THE BOOK:
They Could Have Named Her Anything is Stephanie Jimenez's debut novel—the story of two teenaged girls, one Latina and one white, questioning what it means to live up to the name you’ve been given and how far you’ll go for the life you’ve always dreamed of; grappling with racism, class privilege, female friendship, and familial expectations, set in Queens and the Upper East Side, Manhattan.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28th AT 5 PM
Latinx in Publishing presents Matt Mendez Palabras Bilingual Bookstore 1738 E McDowell Road Phoenix, AZ 85006

Join us for a reading by Matt Mendez (mattmendez.com) from his debut YA novel, Barely Missing Everything! In the tradition of Jason Reynolds and Matt de la Peña, Mendez's heartbreaking, no-holds-barred debut novel told from three points of view explores how difficult it is to make it in life when you—your life, brown lives—don’t matter.

ABOUT THE BOOK:
In the tradition of Jason Reynolds and Matt de la Peña, this heartbreaking, no-holds-barred debut novel told from three points of view explores how difficult it is to make it in life when you—your life, brown lives—don’t matter.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5th AT 6 PM
Latinx in Publishing presents Melissa Rivero Café con Libros 724 Prospect Place Brooklyn, NY 11216

Join us for an evening with Melissa Rivero (melissa-rivero.com), author of The Affairs of the Falcóns—a stunning debut about a young undocumented Peruvian woman fighting to keep her family afloat in New York City. Rivero's novel is a beautiful, deeply urgent story about the lengths one woman is willing to go to build a new life, and a vivid rendering of the American immigrant experience.

ABOUT THE BOOK:
Ana and her husband Lucho, along with their two young children, have fled the economic and political strife of Peru for a chance at a new life in New York City in the 1990s. Being undocumented, however, has significantly curtailed the family’s opportunities. While Lucho dreams of returning to Peru, Ana is deeply haunted by the demons she left behind and determined to persevere in this new country. But how many sacrifices is she willing to make? And what lines is she willing to cross in order to protect her family? The Affairs of the Falcóns is a beautiful, deeply urgent novel about the lengths one woman is willing to go to build a new life, and a vivid rendering of the American immigrant experience.