hispanic heritage month book recommendations
National Hispanic Heritage Month is devoted to celebrating the histories, cultures, and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors come from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. Unlike most ethnic hertiage months, it straddles the middle of September to the middle of October.
I did cheat a little and included authors who aren’t American, as some of these books are just too good to not recommend. I also threw in a few titles that I’ve been itching to read for years (maybe this will be the push for me to actually do it). As with all my monthly heritage/history recommendations, these novels by no means cover the Hispanic experience.
I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sánchez — While I haven’t been reading YA novels in recent years, I have found memories of reading this coming-of-age story about a teenager named Julia coming to terms with losing her sister and finding herself while growing up in a Mexican-American home. Julia is certainly not a perfect protagonist, but her flaws and the challenges as growing up with a foot in two worlds felt supremely real to me.
Afterlife by Julia Alvarez — Antonia Vega has a lot on her plate: shortly after her retirement from the college where she taught English, her husband suddenly passed away; her big-hearted, but unstable sister has disspeared; and one evening she returns home to find a pregnant, undocumented teenager on her doorstep. This novel is short, but it packs a punch as it tackles pre-pandemic current events. It also takes place in rural Vermont, adding some diversity to one of my favorite places in the country.
Trust by Hernan Diaz — Where to begin with this Pulitzer Prize winning book? It’s four stories in one (novel-within-a-novel, sketches of an autobiography, a memoir, and a journal) each peeling back a layer to the “truth” of the story about a 1920s couple, a legendary Wall Street tycoon and his wife who is the daughter of eccentric aristocrats. I listened to this on audio without knowing much about the set-up, so I spent a good portion of the first half being very confused. However, once I understood what Diaz was attempting to do I was blown away by the scope of the project. I am certainly going to keep an eye on him in the future.
In the Country We Love: My Family Divided by Diane Guerrero — When Diane Guerrero was 14 years old she came home from school to find her parents and older brother had been detained and deported in the time she had been away. Born in the U.S., she was able to remain in the country and continue her education, while having to depend on the kindness of friends’ families after she fell through the cracks of the foster care system. This memoir came out in 2017 and, unfortunately, is still as timely as ever. I had never seen Diane’s work as an actress on “Orange is the New Black” or “Jane the Virgin,” but I’m glad her success on those shows allowed her to tell her story.
The Great Divide by Cristina Henríquez — Until I picked this up earlier this year I had never read a book that took place in Panama. This is a historical fiction story about the creation of the Panama Canal as framed by the intersecting stories of a native Panamanian who objects to the Canal being built, his son who is taking part to build it, a young girl from Barbados who comes to Panama to make money for her family, and a community who is about to be displaced by the Canal.
In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado — This account of a relationship that turns abusive is divided into chapters that each feature a trope, a perspective with which Macadeo examines events from different angles. This was by far the most unique memoir I’ve ever experienced and have thought about it in the many years since I read it. I am normally not overly sensitive when it comes to books, but some of this was harrowing for me, so I would recommend looking up trigger warnings if you think it might be difficult for you.
Mexican Gothic by Sylvia Moreno-Garcia — After receiving a letter from her newly-wed cousin begging for someone to save her, Noemí heads to High Place, a distant house in the Mexican countryside, unsure what she’ll find. There she meets her cousin’s new husband, a handsome Englishman who is both menacing and alluring; his father, who seems to be fascinated by Noemí; and family’s youngest son, who seems to want to help, but might be hiding dark knowledge of his family’s past. This is very reminiscent of the movie “Crimson Peak,” especially with the manor house, which begins to invade Noemí’s dreams with visions of blood and doom. I love reading traditional tropes, in this case a gothic novel, with a diverse spin like this one.
Three titles that are on my TBR…
The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende — I’ve had this sitting on my physical tbr since I picked it up on vacation in 2021 and I’m hoping to get to it before the end of the year. The novel is said to bring to life the triumphs and tragedies of three generations of a family, spanning decades and lives. There is nothing I love more than a multi-generational family saga, so I’m sure this will be a hit for me.
Love in the Time of Cholera / One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garíca Márquez — I’m a bit embarrassed to say that I’ve read neither of Garíca Márquez’s most famous works (the former about pair of star-crossed lovers, the latter about the birth and death of a mythical town through the history of a family). Magical realism isn’t always my favorite literary device, but I feel like as a book lover I have to give these two a shot. Maybe sometime in 2025…
Do you have any favorite books by Hispanic or Latine authors? I’d love to chat about it in the comments.