The Moonlit Vine by Elizabeth Santiago

The Moonlit Vine

Elizabeth Santiago, McKenzie Mayle

Lee & Low Books · Hardcover · May 30, 2023

Fourteen-year-old Taína just learned that she is a descendant of a long line of strong Taíno women, but will knowing this help her bring peace and justice to her family and community?

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Who it’s for
For when you want cultural context in a straightforward, lingering read.
Genres
Indigenous Voices for Teens, Magical Realism for Teens, Hispanic & Latino YA
Published
Lee & Low Books, May 30, 2023

About this book

Fourteen-year-old Taína just learned that she is a descendant of a long line of strong Taíno women, but will knowing this help her bring peace and justice to her family and community? Despite her name, Taína Perez doesn't know anything about her Taíno heritage, nor has she ever tried to learn. After all, how would ancient Puerto Rican history help with everything going on?

Continue reading

There's constant trouble at school and in her neighborhood, her older brother was kicked out of the house, and with her mom at work, she's left alone to care for her little brother and aging grandmother. It's a lot for a 14-year-old to manage. But life takes a wild turn when her abuela tells her she is a direct descendant of Anacaona, the beloved Taíno leader, warrior, and poet, who was murdered by the Spanish in 1503. Abuela also gives her an amulet and a zemi and says that it's time for her to step into her power like the women who came before her. But is that even possible? People like her hardly make it out of their circumstances, and the problems in her home and community are way bigger than Taína can manage. Or are they? A modern tale with interstitial historical chapters, The Moonlit Vine brings readers a powerful story of the collective struggle, hope, and liberation of Puerto Rican and Taíno peoples. Also available in Spanish!

Why It Works

For when you want cultural context in a straightforward, lingering read.

Come here for

  • Cultural context, lightly framed
  • An accessible read with keepsake appeal

Expect

  • Readable, not dense
  • A giftable object to return to

Where it sits

Hispanic & Latino YA73%
Magical Realism for Teens46%
Indigenous Voices for Teens34%

Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.

Publisher categories

  • Colonial & Revolutionary YA
  • Hispanic & Latino YA
Authors
Elizabeth Santiago, McKenzie Mayle
Publisher
Lee & Low Books
Published
May 30, 2023
Format
Hardcover
Reading lane
Colonial & Revolutionary YA