Latinx in Publishing is very excited to see so many books coming out this month. So much so, that we changed up our book release post for the month to show you all the exciting new titles. Be sure to click on these titles to learn more and add them to your TBR!
Castle of the Cursed by Romina Garber is a young adult contemporary fantasy that surprised me on many levels. The story follows Estela, an 18-year-old girl who’s left in a state of depression and survivor’s guilt after the death of her parents in a New York subway incident. No one believes her when she argues that she saw a strange smoke right after everyone fell dead—everyone but her. When Estela receives a letter from who might be her latest relative alive, an aunt from the fictional town of Oscuro, Spain, she knows this is her chance to uncover the truth behind her parents’ death and unveil the secrets from their past.
Garber took great care of the mental health aspect this story. Throughout the book, Estela is haunted by the death of her parents, the only loved ones she ever knew. The incident broke her until she stopped speaking, and when she arrives at the mysterious La Sombra castle, she starts questioning her sanity when supernatural events chase her every night. In that respect, this is a book of grief and mental health, but ultimately, it’s also a journey of hope and love.
The fantasy lore is where the book shines the most, and the more I read, the more intrigued I was. This title is dark and gothic and extremely atmospheric, which is sometimes hard to translate into a contemporary setting. However, the deeper you dive into the lore, the more you realize that this book is more than a castle and a sad vampire (which all the girls love, of course). Where most fantasy books dump a lot of information on the reader from the beginning, Castle of the Cursed drops breadcrumbs of lore that you will eagerly devour because like the castle, you’re always hungry for more. Weaved in with the murder mystery and the strange town of Oscuro, everything is executed cleanly. Although I had my theories, that were more or less accurate, Garber kept me guessing until the very end and the whole truth behind the castle was beyond my expectations.
“Romantic, unexpected, and deliciously unsettling, ‘Castle of the Curse’ is a page turner from start to finish. ”
One part that I found particularly interesting was the way Garber incorporated Spanish into the book. Estela was never taught Spanish by her parents, and when she arrives to Spain, she must affront that communication barrier. What’s interesting is that Garber did not translate the Spanish dialogue, and I love that. It puts the non-Spanish speaker reader in Estela’s shoes. Throughout the book, though, Estela starts learning Spanish, which is subtly paired with La Sombra’s past, and the reader embarks in a journey that starts with simple translations from Estela’s part and grows until she has a good grasp of the language.
The romance between Estela and Sebastián is another major plot in this book. At first dark and unnerving, their relationship grows sweet and caring. Theirs is the love story of two broken souls who find comfort in each other. Not a romance in the traditional sense, where you giggle and kick your legs when they kiss, but yes, also that. Despite their circumstances, Estela and Sebastián create a connection that goes beyond attraction. Readers of enemies-to-lovers might enjoy their dynamic, although it doesn’t completely adjust to the trope, instead evolving into a pleasant new direction.
Romantic, unexpected, and deliciously unsettling, Castle of the Curse is a page turner from start to finish. The delicate mental health representation, the dark, eerie secrets behind La Sombra, the soft romance amidst all things vicious—it all blends into the perfect book for those looking for a stimulating read.
Dianna Vega is a Dominican assistant editor, fiction writer, and poet based in Florida. She holds a bachelor’s degree in creative writing from the University of Central Florida. She is a 2024 Periplus Fellow. Her poetry has appeared in Outrageous Fortune and South Dakota Review.
Monica Brown believes there are many ways to structure a picture book biography. So in her forthcoming book about Felisa Rincón de Gautier, the author chose to begin at a pivotal moment in the life of Puerto Rico’s first female mayor.
“The people of La Perla were scared. The winds blew fiercely, and dark clouds swirled in the sky,” Brown writes. “A tropical storm headed toward the island of Puerto Rico.”
Depicted on the first spread are Rosa Ibarra’s illustrations of people fleeing wooden shacks, the ocean thrashing behind them. Brown wrote that there was only one place they could count on. Soon, a group of La Perla’s residents were at the door of Felisa Rincón de Gautier – who was affectionately known as Doña Fela.
Out on Sept. 3 from Little, Brown for Young Readers, Doña Fela’s Dream: The Story of Puerto Rico's First Female Mayor is the inspiring story of a woman who broke barriers on the island and cared deeply about her fellow Puerto Ricans. Doña Fela, known for her devotion to public welfare, died in 1994 at age 97.
Doña Fela’s Dream can be added to the list of picture book biographies Brown has written over the span of her publishing career. The award-winning author described the process behind this book as a collaborative journey. Brown began researching the late political figure after Nikki García (her longtime editor at Little, Brown & Company) shared her passion for Doña Fela’s legacy. “The more I delved into the life of a woman who broke political barriers and embodied compassion and care as the first female mayor of a capital city in the Americas, the more I agreed with Nikki,” Brown said in an email.
After many conversations, Brown said she agreed to take on the project.
“I want children to believe and know they have a voice in our world,” she added. “As a person deeply concerned about our political systems, I’ve wanted to use my work to shine the light on models of ethical leaders, of activism, of organizing, and justice-oriented citizenship.”
For illustrator Rosa Ibarra, the invitation to join the project was a very pleasant surprise. She received the invitation by email and mistakenly took it for spam. “And then I called them, and it was a real, real thing – to illustrate the book,” Ibarra recalled.
The book’s subject held even greater meaning to the fine artist from Puerto Rico.
“I was so happy,” Ibarra told Latinx in Publishing. “Doña Fela was our neighbor in San Juan.”
As a child, Ibarra remembers seeing Doña Fela surrounded by children and people of all levels of wealth and education. She said the mayor was loved by residents of La Perla, by other politicians and by foreigners.
Ibarra said Old San Juan used to be a very residential area, unlike the tourist area it’s now known as. She recalls playing outside with other children. Whenever they got thirsty, they’d pay a visit to Doña Fela’s house because it was even closer than their own homes. They’d ask her for water.
““I want children to believe and know they have a voice in our world,” she added. “As a person deeply concerned about our political systems, I’ve wanted to use my work to shine the light on models of ethical leaders, of activism, of organizing, and justice-oriented citizenship.””
“And then she would, so many times, invite us over to have lemonade,” Ibarra said. “And then we’d thank her, and continue playing. That was the kind of woman she was. She was a big woman, tall, and then she had her hair in these big hairstyles. And so for us little, we looked up at her. She was big. Imponente, you know?”
Brown said she and her editor looked at many talented artists, and Ibarra was her first and only choice. “Her art spoke to me because the women depicted in Rosa’s paintings radiate strength, complexity, and grace,” she said. “I was drawn to her lush use of color, her pure and accessible composition, and her use of light to make figures and faces sing.”
Brown added that her late mother was a painter. In an increasingly digitized world, Brown confessed that it is “still a thrill” to work with an artist whose medium is paint-brush, pigment, and canvas.
Ibarra used oil paint on canvas to render the illustrations for the book. She drew the distinction between illustrator and artist. “It’s fantastic what an illustrator can do. All my respect to the profession,” she said. “Because as artists, we can make whatever we want and that’s it. But an illustrator has to be very specific, and capture the essence of the writer.”
The artist said some images came very clear when she read Brown’s text, such as the storm scene in the beginning of the story. Ibarra said she would submit a sketch to the publisher and they would approve it before she began painting.
In Doña Fela’s Dream, the tall woman with braids in her hair and a flower behind her ear let the residents of La Perla in her home amid the brewing tropical storm. When local officials refused to open a shelter, Doña Fela declared she would do it herself. Others encouraged her to try to become San Juan’s mayor. But at the time, the city had never seen a female mayor. Compounding this was the fact that Doña Fela had been born before women in Puerto Rico were allowed to vote.
“Felisa’s father believed that women had no place in politics and that it was up to the men to solve Puerto Rico’s problems,” Brown writes. “But even as a young girl, Felisa disagreed.”
The rest is, as they say, history.
Brown said she hopes young readers will open the pages of this book and “go on a journey across the island of Puerto Rico and into the mind and heart of a remarkable woman, who persisted despite the limitations of her era—and people saying no.” She hopes young readers believe in their own voice and power.
Ibarra said she hopes those who read Doña Fela’s Dream will become familiar with a Puerto Rican woman who was ahead of her time. “We have famous people out there that not everybody knows about. And so thanks to Monica that Doña Fela will be known,” she said. “Her [Doña Fela’s] commitment to the community is very inspiring.”
Ibarra added that they illustrated only a portion of the cherished politician’s contributions. Doña Fela, she said, did so much more.
Monica Brown, Ph.D. is the author of many award winning books for children, including Waiting for the Biblioburro and Marisol McDonald Doesn’t Match/Marisol McDonald no combina. Her books have received starred reviews, Pura Belpre honors, an NCTE Orbis Pictus honor, Americas Awards, and a Christopher Award. Monica’s books are inspired by her Peruvian and Jewish heritage and her desire to bring diverse stories to children. Monica is a professor of English at Northern Arizona University, where she teaches multicultural literature. She lives in Arizona with her husband and two daughters, and she invites you to visit her website at monicabrown.net.
Rosa Ibarra is a fine artist who works in oils, interweaving thick layers of paint to convey the vibration of light and to build texture and design. Born in Puerto Rico, she spent her childhood in Old San Juan. She received a degree of Fine Arts from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst and exhibits her work in galleries and museums in the United States and abroad. She invites you to visit her online at rosaibarra.com.
Amaris Castillo is an award-winning journalist, writer, and the creator of Bodega Stories, a series featuring real stories from the corner store. Her writing has appeared in La Galería Magazine, Aster(ix) Journal, Spanglish Voces, PALABRITAS, Dominican Moms Be Like… (part of the Dominican Writers Association’s #DWACuenticos chapbook series), and most recently Quislaona: A Dominican Fantasy Anthology and Sana, Sana: Latinx Pain and Radical Visions for Healing and Justice. Her short story, “El Don,” was a prize finalist for the 2022 Elizabeth Nunez Caribbean-American Writers’ Prize by the Brooklyn Caribbean Literary Festival. She is a proud member of Latinx in Publishing’s Writers Mentorship Class of 2023 and lives in Florida with her family.
Yamile Saied Méndez’s forthcoming picture book, Pockets of Love, begins with a flood of memories. “Grandma Monona used to visit her children and grandchildren all over the world. She would bring special candy, a new recipe or two, but most of all her laughter and love.”
Sebi and Star, the book’s young protagonists, are keenly aware that things are different now. Their maternal grandmother isn’t coming to visit them for Mami’s birthday. Méndez writes, “Heaven is just too far away.”
But the brother-sister duo are determined to cheer up their mother. They try different things like bringing Mami breakfast in bed, and flowers. Then, when she leaves for work, the siblings devise a plan. They’re going to make empanadas just like Monona used to.
But there’s one problem. They don’t know the secret ingredient in Monona’s recipe.
Will Star and Sebi be able to lift their Mami’s spirits on her special day, the way Monona did? And what is this secretive special ingredient?
Pockets of Love is a heartfelt story about the ways in which we express affection to our loved ones, and the ways in which we carry on the legacy of our departed. Illustrator Sara Palacios adds extra warmth and heart to the story with her signature style of expressive and diverse characters. There’s also incredible detail into the different “pockets of love,” among them egg rolls, tamales, dumplings, and more.
Writers Mentorship Program mentee Amaris Castillo sat down with Méndez, her 2023 middle grade mentor, to discuss Pockets of Love – out on Sept. 3 from HarperCollins.
This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
Amaris Castillo (AC): Congratulations on Pockets of Love. What inspired you to write this story?
Yamile Saied Méndez (YSM): I was in the grandparents mode when I was writing it, because What Will You Be? had just come out. I was talking to my brother about some recipes my mom used to make that we thought she had never written down. We learned them by standing next to her while she was cooking. And so I just had this idea.
I’ve had Star and Sebi, my two siblings (in the book), as little characters in my mind for a long, long time – but I didn’t have a story for them. Then everything kind of fell together like a puzzle. I thought about empanadas, because they’re one of my favorite things to make and that my mom used to make. It’s one of those magical things where I had the characters, I had a premise. I was missing my mom. And then in the meantime, we’d also lost another grandma – my husband’s mom – and so all these things were fresh in my mind. And the story just came together.
I was also reading reports about how many people we’ve lost during the pandemic, and that one in five children had lost a loved one that they lived with, or somebody from their immediate family. I was thinking about these children and how they were coping and processing the loss of a loved one.
AC: Your story follows Star and Sebi, siblings who decide to make their Grandma Monona’s empanadas for their mami’s birthday. You write that their abuela is in heaven. Obviously death is a delicate subject. Can you talk about your approach on the page for young readers?
YSM: It is a very complicated subject because it’s not fun. This is part of life and it’s something that we need to talk about with our children, whether they’ve experienced the loss of a pet hamster or a beloved cat or a dog. When it comes to a beloved family member, those can make for very difficult conversations. But at the same time, I believe that we need to be open so that our children can process these losses in a safe and loving environment.
I’m hoping that reading my book will bring families together, and open the door for these conversations in a way that each family can fill in the blanks for what they believe is next. Whether they’re religious or not, I hope that the story will, again, give families the space and opportunity for these loving conversations… We all have different beliefs. But at least one thing we can all agree on is that, even if we don’t know what happens next, we know what happened while we shared that time together with our loved ones in this life. And we can go back and reminisce on those times, and not forget them.
AC: Star and Sebi worry about not knowing their grandma’s secret ingredient. I felt like that was deeply resonant; many families have relatives who keep certain ingredients closely guarded, or whose measurements are vague and, instead, instinctual. There was also this innocence you capture when children place so much emphasis on something. In Star and Sebi’s eyes, what is at stake if they don’t get the ingredients right?
YSM: They just want to make their mom feel special on her birthday. Since making food was the way that the grandma made their mom feel special, they’re just scared that their mom won’t have a special day because she’s missing the grandma’s empanadas.
I think that’s a way that children show love, and that they care. Even when they’re little. The stakes are super high because, when you’re a little child and you’re scared that you’re not going to have those answers like what the special ingredient is, it makes for a very stressful situation. But when they learn that the special ingredient is love – and they do love their mom – that’s something that they can give. Even if it was a different kind of love from Monona, they do love their mom and, again, that’s an ingredient that they do have in their power to share.
“I’m hoping that reading my book will bring families together, and open the door for these conversations in a way that each family can fill in the blanks for what they believe is next. Whether they’re religious or not, I hope that the story will, again, give families the space and opportunity for these loving conversations…”
AC: In the book, Star learns what pockets of love are, and how every country has its own version of them. Why was it important for you to highlight that?
YSM: Because I wanted to make the story accessible for children that are not Latine, also. We call them empanadas, but it is true that versions of these little savory or sweet turnovers exist in pretty much every culture. I wanted to open the book for people that are not from my background, to also feel seen in the story.
AC: You dedicate this book to your late parents, and I saw in your author’s note you mention your mom’s famous empanadas. What was it like to work on this book with your parents in mind?
YSM: It was very emotional. In fact, I really don’t know how I’m going to get through a reading of this book without getting choked up. It was also a little bittersweet. One of the most magical things happened to me while I was going through a box of things that I brought from Argentina. I’m an immigrant. You know how it is; for immigrant families, you can’t bring everything from home. You have to pick and choose. Among the things that I brought, and that I was able to keep all these years, were some old journals of mine. And mixed in these old journals was a spiral notebook in which my mom had written recipes by hand. She dedicated it to my dad and my siblings and me. It was such a special thing to actually have the recipes in her handwriting. Like we say in Spanish – “puño y letra.”
It was like a gift. My mom’s been gone for 10 years now. I didn’t ever remember having this notebook in my possession, but since then I’ve made copies for my siblings to give to them. It’s very special that, even though I didn’t think that she’d written the recipes for these dishes, she had. I also found this notebook after this book was written, so it was like a little present from my mom from beyond.
AC: What are you hoping readers take away from Pockets of Love?
YSM: In my family and in my culture, food is one of the ways in which we show love. With my busy lifestyle and having teenagers and kids that are in college, it gets difficult to get together for a meal. But nothing makes me happier than when we’re all together and my kids eat my food, or the food that I provided.
I hope that when families read the book, they can find the ways in which each family shows love. Maybe it is through food. Maybe it is through playing a game together, or sharing stories of the people that are not here anymore… Hopefully families will identify their own particular ways in which they share love.
Yamile Saied Méndez is the author of many books for young readers and adults, including the award-winning picture books Where Are You From? and What Will You Be? She was born and raised in Rosario, Argentina, and now lives in a lovely valley surrounded by mountains in Utah with her husband, five children, two dogs, and a majestic cat. She’s a graduate of Voices of Our Nations (VONA) and the Vermont College of Fine Arts MFA writing for children and young adults program. She’s always trying new empanada recipes. Connect with her at yamilesmendez.com.
Amaris Castillo is an award-winning journalist, writer, and the creator of Bodega Stories, a series featuring real stories from the corner store. Her writing has appeared in La Galería Magazine, Aster(ix) Journal, Spanglish Voces, PALABRITAS, Dominican Moms Be Like… (part of the Dominican Writers Association’s #DWACuenticos chapbook series), and most recently Quislaona: A Dominican Fantasy Anthology and Sana, Sana: Latinx Pain and Radical Visions for Healing and Justice. Her short story, “El Don,” was a prize finalist for the 2022 Elizabeth Nunez Caribbean-American Writers’ Prize by the Brooklyn Caribbean Literary Festival. She is a proud member of Latinx in Publishing’s Writers Mentorship Class of 2023 and lives in Florida with her family.
Pamela Nunez was our Writers Mentorship Program's 2023 Graphic Novel Mentee.
The Latinx in Publishing Writers Mentorship Showcase series features excerpts by our Class of 2023 mentees from the projects they’ve developed with the guidance of their mentors.
The LxP Writers Mentorship Program is an annual volunteer-based initiative that offers the opportunity for unpublished and/or unagented writers who identify as Latinx (mentees) to strengthen their craft, gain first-hand industry knowledge, and expand their professional connections through work with experienced published authors (mentors).
Below is an excerpt from one of our 2023 mentees, Pamela Nunez:
Image provided by Pamela Nunez
Zahir is a 13 y/o queer immigrant who along with his family have just moved to the city of Leonids looking for a better life. Leonids, a city known for its small but thriving magic community, is perfect for Zahir to develop his talent for magic. However, the complete opposite has been happening, after turning a blind eye to his own heart and suppressing his grief for the home he left behind, Zahir’s magic becomes unstable and gives shape to an apparition that runs rampant across the city. Luckily for Zahir he will have the help of a small forest deity called Quéque and a strange but charming enchanter called Eliot. Together, Zahir will find strength to confront the grief he has suppressed, and learn to open his heart once again.
See more of Pamela’s work here.
Pamela Nunez (she/they) is a Mexican comic artist and illustrator based in Chicago. Their art is inspired by their identity and experiences as a queer immigrant, as well as their love and passion for anime, comics, and videogames. She received an associates degree in math and engineering from her local community college, and later pursued an education in computer science at DePaul University. However, since her heart lay in the arts, she decided to instead pursue a career in comics and illustration. Pamela’s favorite pastime is catching feelings due to silly little fictional characters, and daydreaming about her own stories.
Celebrate Read A Romance Novel Month! Bookshop.org and Latinx In Publishing have curated this list of books by Romance authors for you to enjoy. Please enjoy 15% OFF all titles in this list and use the discount code Romance at checkout, valid through August 31st!
A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow by Laura Taylor Namey
For Lila Reyes, a summer in England was never part of the plan. The plan was 1) take over her abuela's role as head baker at their panadería, 2) move in with her best friend after graduation, and 3) live happily ever after with her boyfriend. But then the Trifecta happened, and everything--including Lila herself--fell apart.
Worried about Lila's mental health, her parents make a new plan for her: spend three months with family friends in Winchester, England, to relax and reset. But with the lack of sun, a grumpy inn cook, and a small town lacking Miami flavor (both in food and otherwise), what would be a dream trip for some feels more like a nightmare to Lila...until she meets Orion Maxwell.
Most Ardently: A Pride & Prejudice Remix by Gabe Cole Novoa
London, 1812. Oliver Bennet feels trapped. Not just by the endless corsets, petticoats and skirts he's forced to wear on a daily basis, but also by society's expectations. The world--and the vast majority of his family and friends--think Oliver is a girl named Elizabeth. He is therefore expected to mingle at balls wearing a pretty dress, entertain suitors regardless of his interest in them, and ultimately become someone's wife.
But Oliver can't bear the thought of such a fate. He finds solace in the few times he can sneak out of his family's home and explore the city rightfully dressed as a young gentleman. It's during one such excursion when Oliver becomes acquainted with Darcy, a sulky young man. But in the comfort of being out of the public eye, Oliver comes to find that Darcy is actually a sweet, intelligent boy with a warm heart. And not to mention incredibly attractive. As Oliver is able to spend more time as his true self, often with Darcy, part of him dares begin to hope that his dream of love and life as a man could be possible.
The Next Best Fling by Gabriella Gamez
Librarian Marcela Ortiz has been secretly in love with her best friend for years--and when he gets engaged, she knows it's long past time to move on. But before she gets the chance, she has a bigger problem to contend with in the form of Theo Young, ex-NFL player and older brother of the man she's in love with. When she discovers Theo's plans to confess his feelings for his brother's fiancée at their engagement party, Marcela is quick to stop him--despite how tempting it is to let him run away with the bride-to-be. She manages to convince Theo to sleep off his drunken almost-mistake at her place and when they arrive at a family brunch the next day together, everyone wrongly assumes they hooked up.
Since Theo needs a cover for his feelings for the bride and Marcela needs a distraction from her unrequited feelings for the groom, they decide to roll with the lie. Until one late night at a bar, they take it a step further and discover a layer of attraction neither realized existed.
Sun of a Beach by Mia Sosa
No-nonsense executive Naomi Reyes can't believe she let her boss manipulate her into babysitting Donovan Taylor, the most insufferable creative director of all time. Worse, she'll be trapped on a private island with him, while a bevy of gorgeous models vie for a coveted chance to grace the cover of M-Class Magazine's inaugural Swimsuit Edition-and, if the office rumors are true, an equally coveted place in Donovan's bed. Still, if she survives the trip with no major mishaps, she'll earn a shot at landing a dream job as an M-Class writer. Easy peasy, right?
Wrong.
Donovan detests people who try to undermine his artistic control, and his boss's latest machinations send Donovan to a very devious place. Sure, Naomi will get her precious photo shoot, but it won't be what she expects. Bonus? Ruffling the feathers of the humorless exec who's never liked Donovan will be satisfying too-assuming she doesn't drown him in the ocean first.
Let the beach games begin.
Love Unwritten by Lauren Asher
—
Rafael
Ellie Sinclair is a hopeless romantic who writes love songs. I'm a struggling workaholic who could inspire a hundred breakup albums. On paper, we have nothing in common except for my son. For eight months, I avoid her until our summer trip.
Fourteen days. Two islands. And one nanny I shouldn't be attracted to. Spending time with Ellie is expected, but enjoying her company?That isn't part of our travel plans. After my divorce, I swore to protect my heart at all costs. Even if it means breaking hers in the process.
Ellie
What's worse than working for a grumpy single dad? Admitting that I once had a secret crush on him in high school. Thankfully, Rafael Lopez and I have changed since we graduated from Wisteria High. He is a billionaire with a company to run and a child to take care of.
I'm an unemployed songwriter he hired to watch his son and teach music. We coexist without any issues until a vacation changes everything. Lines blur and old feelings for Rafael return with a vengeance as I face a new dilemma. Being his son's nanny is one thing, but wishing for more? Sounds like a heartbreak song waiting to be written.
The first time I heard about Honduras was in elementary school. Our class had to talk about different Latin American countries, and I was assigned Honduras. I recall making the white and dark blue flag and its stars with glossy paper, yet what I remember the most is the one fact I read in an article during my research: “Honduras is one of the most dangerous countries in Central America.” For years, the memory lingered in my easily impressionable brain, creating a separation between my country, Venezuela, and la república bananera. I grew up believing the two had nothing in common, like two planets in different galaxies. However, the space between them shortened after I read Libertad, by Bessie Flores Zaldívar, where I was introduced to a fictional family of hondureños trying to survive their country’s government in 2017, the same year my family and I left Venezuela, escaping ours.
Readers see the novel’s world through the observant eyes of Libertad Morazán. She is a 17-year-old girl who lives with her mom, grandmother, and two brothers during the civil manifestations in her country. Libertad is about to graduate from high school and deals with the stress that represents, but that is not the only milestone our character must face. She struggles with her sexuality, her role in her family dynamics, and her art, which takes the form of poetry. Libi—as those close to her call her—finds an outlet for her frustration with the political situation in Honduras by writing and anonymously posting poems about it, taking a clear political stance that rejects the current government. Although a work of fiction, the book portrays the reality of this country seven years ago, when the pueblo wanted the opposition to win their country back. Still, the authoritarian government wouldn’t give up power—a tale that certainly felt familiar to this reader.
Flores Zaldívar’s richly descriptive craft oozes through Libertad’s narration of events, sensations, and settings. While reading their words, it was impossible not to feel the heat inside buses and cars that lack air conditioning—like in most cases back home—or perfectly picture the intricate scenarios Libertad, her family, and friends dealt with during the tense election year. Similarly, the feelings of guilt so familiar to closeted queers were almost palpable, and I would cry next to Libi when she realized her mom wouldn’t accept her sexuality. But I would cry just as hard whenever her big brother, Maynor, showed unconditional support regardless of whom she loved. The author’s ability to place readers within the story—as if we are standing next to the characters when the events unfold—makes it easy to relate to them; thus, laughing with them, crying with them, cheering with them, and mourning with them is an inevitable reaction.
That said, this novel is not as plot-driven as it is character-driven. Although one could think that the story unfolds around the infamous elections, the true driving force in Libertad is Libertad herself. Like many teenagers transitioning into adulthood, her life is unexpected, exploratory, and seemingly lacking a clear path. Flores Zaldívar’s narrative develops simultaneously with the main character, meaning that the point isn’t to reach a determined event but to witness Libi’s both painful and joyful growth. The author, however, doesn’t leave the secondary characters aside; they become just as important to the reader as they are to Libertad. As an older sister, I found myself wishing for an older brother such as Maynor who would buy me plantain chips—a testimony of Flores Zaldívar’s ability to entrap us with their carefully crafted characters that make the novel feel undeniably human.
“The author’s ability to place readers within the story—as if we are standing next to the characters when the events unfold—makes it easy to relate to them; thus, laughing with them, crying with them, cheering with them, and mourning with them is an inevitable reaction. ”
It is because of how human Libertad is that I could not help but relate to Libi. The homophobia, violence, loss, disappointment, family love, friendships, and creative outlet she experiences in the novel are almost the same as what I experienced growing up. Suddenly, after finishing this book, Honduras and Venezuela felt like sisters separated at birth, and I was reminded of the common history that unites Latinx people. Flores Zaldívar’s emotionally charged storytelling leaves a long-lasting impact on whoever reads their work, on whoever grew up or knows someone who grew up in Latin America's unforgiving summers, too-often blackouts, warm family dinners, colorful sceneries, and corrupt governments. Libertad is the coming-of-age story of a queer artist, yet it is also a reminder of what unites our community. I still picture the phrase on Maynor’s t-shirt: Solo el pueblo salva al pueblo—and I know I will for a long time.
Roxanna Cardenas Colmenares is a Venezuelan writer living in New York City who loves to consume, study, and create art. She explores multiple genres in her writing, with a special interest in horror and sci-fi, while working on her B.A. in English with a Creative Writing concentration.
Her work has made her a two-time recipient of the James Tolan Student Writing Award for her critical essays analyzing movies. She has also won The Henry Roth Award in Fiction, The Esther Unger Poetry Prize, and The Allan Danzig Memorial Award in Victorian Literature.
In her free time, she likes to watch movies, dance, and draw doodles that she hopes to be brave enough to share one day.
There’s a lot weighing on Vega Lucero’s mind these days. She’s worried about her abuelo, Tata, after his fall. She’s also stressed about the prospect of her mom selling their family business, the Lone Star Market. Situated in Vega’s rest-stop desert hometown of Date City, the small store sells mostly snack food and necessities like sunblock and cold medicine. It’s been in the family for generations.
“What would happen to the Lone Star if we went away?” Vega wonders. “What would happen to all of our stories?”
One day, as these intrusive thoughts take over, something flashes at the edge of Vega’s vision. A fireball blazes in the sky over her family store and disappears into the wilderness. Vega will soon find out it was a meteorite. And she’ll also learn just how much it could be worth. So Vega devises a plan: If she could only find the meteorite and sell it, then she could take care of Tata’s medical expenses and save the store.
Vega’s Piece of the Sky by Jennifer Torres is an engrossing and heartfelt middle grade novel about three middle schoolers whose lives intersect when a meteorite crashes down in California’s Imperial Valley. The book’s chapters alternate between the first-person voice of Vega, and the third-person narration over Vega’s very anxious cousin, Mila, and an out-of-towner named Jasper – the son of a zealous meteorite hunter. Both Vega and Jasper have their own motives for wanting to find the meteorite, and Torres does an effective job at concealing them from the other characters. Readers may also find Mila’s story intriguing, as we don’t initially know the reason her parents sent her to stay with Vega for the summer.
Vega, Mila, and Jasper embark on an overnight adventure and a treasure hunt that feels very urgent – as urgent as anything can feel for the middle schoolers. Out now from Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, Vega’s Piece of the Sky has just the right amount of knowledge tidbits about meteorites and space, and plenty of heart. This is a wonderful book for readers who want a story that is both touching and filled with excitement.
Torres spoke with Latinx in Publishing about the inspiration behind Vega’s Piece of the Sky, her research process, and more.
This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
Amaris Castillo (AC): Congratulations on Vega's Piece of the Sky! I understand the Lone Star Market in the book was inspired by a real market in California that belonged to your great-grandparents. Can you tell us more about the real Lone Star Market, and what made you want to center a fictionalized version of it for this story?
Jennifer Torres (JT): Thank you so much. That was a really special detail for me in this book. My great-grandparents, Albert and Clara Sandoval, opened the Lone Star Market in 1936 near Calexico, California – so very, very near the California-Mexico border. This was how they established themselves in California, created a new life for their family, and built a community. Calexico is in the Imperial Valley, so it’s a desert, and it was a very diverse place then. The market was a gas station and a little convenience store, and then also grew into a dance hall. My great-grandmother would throw big parties with bands and decorations and things. But after a while, they closed it up and moved up to the Los Angeles area, where they had some more family – and where I’m from.
As far as I can tell, there is nothing left of the Lone Star; just some newspaper clippings I was able to find from old newspaper archives and one single picture of my nana, my grandmother, sitting in front of it on a summer day.
I wanted to set the book in the Imperial Valley near Calexico because it’s a place that’s important to my family. The book involves meteors and I talk about how meteors carry with them the story of our early solar system. And just like those meteors, we carry around so much history with us. So even though I never personally stepped foot in the Lone Star, it is a part of me and a part of my story, and a part of how I got to be who I am today – that struggle, that dedication, all of that. Even though the physical proof of it is gone, it still lives on in me and in my family. So by bringing the story back to life, I got to honor that part of my own personal history.
“ The book involves meteors and I talk about how meteors carry with them the story of our early solar system. And just like those meteors, we carry around so much history with us.”
AC: Your book is about three middle graders who are united over a search for a meteorite. I love how your story is compelling and, interspersed throughout, are details on these rare rocks from outer space. What was the research into meteorites like for you?
JT: In 2012, a meteorite fell in Northern California, where I was living at the time. It landed in Sutter’s Mill. If you grew up in California, you would know that it’s where settlers found gold and sparked the Gold Rush. So I thought that was really interesting, especially because after the meteor fell, that area was just swarmed with all kinds of people coming to look for a piece of it. There were scientists, there were rock enthusiasts, there were curious neighbors and everyone working together to try to find this piece of the sky, really. That was just so intriguing to me. What would inspire someone to drop everything and just try to search for a rock on the ground?
As I learned more about meteors and what they are, and where they come from, I found it so fascinating and really awe-inspiring that something that could be orbiting Earth for millions, maybe billions of years, and [how] one day, something tugs it out of orbit and it can land at your feet. So that inspired a lot of meteorite research. I read lots of accounts from meteorite hunters – people who drop everything and will go anywhere in the world where a meteorite is found – to try to get a feel for the passion that drives them and some of the personalities. NASA has wonderful resources on meteorites, as does the University of Arizona.
As I finally got down to writing it [the book], I got to talk to actual scientists who have searched for meteorites and studied them, to help me make sure that what I was writing about was sound. I learned so much in writing this book. I didn’t want to slow down the story at all, or make it a distracting amount of science, but I do think that those little details are enriching and make the experience of reading the book a little deeper.
AC: How were you able to make meteorites digestible for young readers?
JT: I think it helps that I was coming to it not as a scientist, either. I’m coming to it as a novice and someone who is learning. And so I figured if I could write about it in a way that was understandable to me, then it would be understandable and engaging to young readers. One of the exciting things about writing for middle grade audiences is that readers will always surprise and inspire you by how much they know, or how much they perceive. I’ve gotten to share the book with a couple of classrooms, and there are students who are already meteorite enthusiasts or into astronomy. It’s really fun to see that spark of recognition in them. It was a balance; you want to make it understandable and engaging, but you never want to talk down to the reader. So that was the balance I was hoping to strike.
AC: You do a great job of tapping into the voice of young people and how they sometimes try to solve problems on their own. Vega, for example, believes with all her heart that finding the meteorite will stop her mother from selling the family store. What message were you hoping to send about young people when they place too much on their shoulders?
JT: That is a really great question. I think part of the middle grade years is figuring out who are you outside of your home? And who are you in your community, and what powers [do] you have on your own? I would like readers to take away that they are problem-solvers, and they do have responsibility to themselves and to their communities. But of course, she took on too much, right? And so I also think it’s important to recognize when to seek help. It’s always OK to reach out when you don’t have the understanding or don’t have the resources to solve a problem. There’s nothing wrong with that. And to realize that it’s not all on you. That this problem that Vega thinks she created really wasn’t her fault, and that it’s just a thing that happened – and that her family and community can pull together – and they do – to try to make things better.
AC: What are you hoping readers take away from Vega’s Piece of the Sky?
JT: So much. I love this book so much. First of all, a sense of wonder at the natural world and at the universe. I included details about the stars and the meteorites, and even fossils and rocks. There’s so much out there that is inspiring to learn about and to be a part of. I grew up camping and being outside. It’s getting better for sure, but you don’t see a lot of Latine children portrayed outdoors in literature and being a part of the sciences. So I definitely wanted to show some representation there.
I hope that readers take away that courage can look like many different things. You can have courage that looks like Vega’s. That’s what we think of when we think of bravery; she’s going to march out into the night and she’s going to find this meteorite. But courage also looks like Mila’s courage – Vega’s anxious cousin. I think she’s probably the bravest of the three. She has to overcome so much of what she thinks about herself, and the very real anxieties that she faces. And the kind of courage that Jasper shows in standing up to his dad is also a really brave act. So courage can look like all of these different things. It doesn’t always look the way you expect it to.
Jennifer Torres is the author of Stef Soto, Taco Queen; The Fresh New Face of Griselda; and other books for young readers. She writes stories about home, friendship, and unexpected courage inspired by her Mexican American heritage. Jennifer started her career as a newspaper reporter, and even though she writes fiction now, she hopes her stories still have some truth in them. She lives with her family in Southern California.
Amaris Castillo is an award-winning journalist, writer, and the creator of Bodega Stories, a series featuring real stories from the corner store. Her writing has appeared in La Galería Magazine, Aster(ix) Journal, Spanglish Voces, PALABRITAS, Dominican Moms Be Like… (part of the Dominican Writers Association’s #DWACuenticos chapbook series), and most recently Quislaona: A Dominican Fantasy Anthology and Sana, Sana: Latinx Pain and Radical Visions for Healing and Justice. Her short story, “El Don,” was a prize finalist for the 2022 Elizabeth Nunez Caribbean-American Writers’ Prize by the Brooklyn Caribbean Literary Festival. She is a proud member of Latinx in Publishing’s Writers Mentorship Class of 2023 and lives in Florida with her family.
There are so many releases to choose from this month to add to our TBR. Here are some of our picks just in time to squeeze in before summer break ends. Enjoy!
Hivestruck by Vincent Toro | On Sale August 6
A poet whose work has focused on Puerto Rican and Latinx history and identity poses the question of what makes us human, and technology's part in that process, through a decolonial lens.
The Seventh Veil of Salome by Silvia Moreno-Garcia | On Sale August 6
1950s Hollywood: Every actress wants to play Salome, the star-making role in a big-budget movie about the legendary woman whose story has inspired artists since ancient times.
So when the film's mercurial director casts Vera Larios, an unknown Mexican ingenue, in the lead role, she quickly becomes the talk of the town. Vera also becomes an object of envy for Nancy Hartley, a bit player whose career has stalled and who will do anything to win the fame she believes she richly deserves.
There Is a Rio Grande in Heaven by Ruben Reyes Jr | On Sale August 6
An ordinary man wakes one morning to discover he's a famous reggaetón star. An aging abuela slowly morphs into a marionette puppet. A struggling academic discovers the horrifying cost of becoming a Self-Made Man.
In There Is a Rio Grande in Heaven, Ruben Reyes Jr. conjures strange dreamlike worlds to explore what we would do if we woke up one morning and our lives were unrecognizable.
Libertad by Bessie Flores Zaldívar | On Sale August 27
As the contentious 2017 presidential election looms and protests rage across every corner of the city, life in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, churns louder and faster. For her part, high school senior Libertad (Libi) Morazán takes heart in writing political poetry for her anonymous Instagram account and a budding romance with someone new. But things come to a head when Mami sees texts on her phone mentioning a kiss with a girl and Libi discovers her beloved older brother, Maynor, playing a major role in the protests.
When your older sister moves away for college, you can sometimes find yourself being the only voice of reason in your loud and dramatic family. For her debut novel, Melissa Mogollon turns the spotlight on all the first-generation younger siblings raised in Latinx households; specifically, the little sisters who typically sit in the corner and get ignored.
Narrated through a one-sided phone call between Luciana and her older sister Mari, Oye uncovers layers of family history through a beautifully crafted relationship between Luciana and her abuela. Mogollon expertly weaves in the realities of growing up in a Colombian household within the United States — complete with the cultural taboos, accurately depicted family dynamics, generational cycles, double identities, and much more — into this chaotically heartwarming coming-of-age story. The unique form of storytelling allows for a raw and unfiltered look into our protagonist, simultaneously offering a platform to the often-disregarded younger sibling and often-overlooked queer Latina. Readers see Luciana’s world through her hilarious, compelling, and expertly written voice as she struggles to meet girls, manage drama within her family, and work toward self-discovery in the face of an uncertain future.
The novel opens with Hurricane Irma heading straight for Miami. Everyone is concerned about the destruction it might bring, except Luciana’s eccentric abuela who refuses to evacuate. Dragged along on an impromptu road trip further inland with her mother, Luciana begins to bear the responsibility of comforting Mari and taming her mother’s pull to turn the evacuation into a cross-country vacation. However, something more fateful occurs during the storm. Her abuela receives a serious medical diagnosis, and Luciana is thrust into the role of translator, peacekeeper, caretaker, and archeologist of family secrets. As the world shifts underneath her, she attempts to hold on to the one person who understands her the most.
“Readers see Luciana’s world through her hilarious, compelling, and expertly written voice as she struggles to meet girls, manage drama within her family, and work toward self-discovery in the face of an uncertain future. ”
Oye blends a subtle critique of culture and familial love with impressive mastery. Mogollon seems to touch on almost every aspect of Latinx culture and diasporic experience you can think of. She portrays the ingrained sexism, homophobia, classism, and body shaming found within our culture, and depicts the stubborn, manipulative, and controlling tendencies of the older generations. There are broken familial ties between sisters, obsessions with appearances, judgemental abuelas, family drama, and gossiping mothers who tell everybody your business.
Luciana’s story is incredibly multifaceted. It’s about breaking generational cycles that have dug their claws deep into the lives of the women before her; stepping up as the younger sibling and taking on the responsibility that comes with being the remaining child; being the connection to the United States in an immigrant family; working through first-generation pressures, developing a voice, and uncovering past traumas. Mogollon carefully braids various strands of narrative into this riveting debut. The book asks, how do we break generational cycles of trauma and toxicity? How can we write our own stories and choose to embrace change?
Born in Colombia and raised in southern Florida, the Iowa Writers' Workshop alumna seemingly wrote this story with a deep reverence and love for the women who have raised her. At a meet-the-author event held by Amigas Latinas, Mogollon expressed that she never expected this project to turn into a published novel. Like most authors, she wrote believing no one would ever read her work but is now grateful that it could be in the hands of people who can relate to it. Despite some anxiety about the community’s reception to Oye, she acknowledged the importance of it being out in the world, especially in terms of placing queer Latinas front and center. Drawing inspiration from her own grandmother and authors like Elizabeth Acevedo, Jennine Capó Crucet, and Julián Delgado Lopera, among others, Mogollon reveals her exceptional talent for making readers laugh out loud on one page and shed tears on another.
As a little sister and first-generation daughter born into a Colombian family myself, I deeply resonated with Mogollon’s novel. It was moving to see my culture and experiences written down with such detail and accuracy — even niche aspects I thought only happened in my family. It’s almost as if Mogollon peeked into my personal life, pulling out all the lectures from my parents about having children too young, moments of my mother being an embarrassing boomer, the difficulties in communication between family members, and the constant occurrence of never being asked for input as a younger sibling. She has written into words the slightly complicated relationships between sisters, passive-aggressive mother-daughter conversations, and lovingly stubborn grandmas. The relatability of its characters, the frustrating, tear-jerking, and complex relationships, and the commitment to healing found in Oye will keep me coming back and recommending the novel to anyone who will listen.
Lorraine Olaya is a Colombian-American writer, editor, and poet born and raised in Queens, New York. She is a recent graduate from New York University with a B.A. in English and minors in Creative Writing and French. Often drawing inspiration from Latina writers such as Gloria Muñoz, Rio Cortez, Sandra Cisneros, and more, Lorraine’s work explores the experiences of the Latine diaspora, focusing on dual identity, culture, community, first-generation struggle, immigration, and familial love. Her poetry has been previously published in The Roadrunner Review, Laurel Moon Magazine, Drunken Boat Magazine, The Acentos Review, Esferas Undergraduate Journal, and elsewhere.
