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High Spirits
Camille Gomera-Tavarez
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Pura Belpré Honor Book
BEST OF THE YEAR
Chicago Review of Books · Kirkus · Los Angeles Public Library
Publishers Weekly Flying Start
High Spirits is a collection of eleven interconnected short stories from the Dominican diaspora, from debut author Camille Gomera-Tavarez. It is a book centered on one extended family – the Beléns – across multiple generations. It is set in the fictional small town of Hidalpa – and Santo Domingo and Paterson and San Juan and Washington Heights too. It is told in a style both utterly real and distinctly magical – and its stories explore machismo, mental health, family, and identity. But most of all, High Spirits represents the first book from Camille Gomera-Tavarez, who takes her place as one of the most extraordinary new voices to emerge in years.
For fans of Elizabeth Acevedo, Sandra Cisneros, Angie Cruz, and Yaa Gyasi
P R A I S E
★ “Authentic and immersive…A labor of love imbued with dedication to family.” —Kirkus (starred)
★ “Deeply personal and relatable. Steeped in nostalgia and harsh but fierce love, this is a memorable family saga in its own right.” —Booklist (starred)
★ “Full of vivid and poetic imagery… settings worthy of drinking in, and thematic material ripe for contemplation about identity, intergenerational memory, and patriarchy and toxic masculinity, Gomera-Tavarez’s soulfully crafted debut is a sensitive, intrinsically feminist work.” —Publishers Weekly (starred)
“A magical and unflinching look at the Dominican Diaspora.” —Dominican Writers Association
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Posts about this title from Bookish AfroLatina's Library
Bookish AfroLatina's Library\ \ Gabby\ \ • Feb 19 2025
\ \ A few folks have asked me for book recommendations by and about AfroLatine folks so here are some amazing authors I want to introduce y'all to:\ \ Romance Adriana Herrera (Dominican) \ \ She's one of my favorite authors of all time! Herrera writes both Contemporary and Historical Romances with nuanced, fun, and tender characters and plenty of heat. Some of her titles include:\ \
- American Christmas\ \
- The Toy Runners\ \
- American Sweethearts\ \
- A Caribbean Heiress in Paris\ \
- An Island Princess Starts a Scandal\ \
- A Tropical Rebel Gets the Duke\ \
- One Week to Claim it All\ \
- Heat and Run\ \
- On the Hustle\ \ \ \ \ Check out her website for more titles: https://adrianaherreraromance.com/\\ \ A.H. Cunningham (Panamanian) \ \ I'm just starting to get into her books but I already know I need them all! The chemistry! The heat! Her titles include:\ \
- Alight\ \
- Joaquin\ \
- Turn in the Air\ \
- Toying With Temptation\ \
- Out of Office\ \
- Ms. V’s Hot Girl Summer\ \
- Ablaze\ \
- Plié\ \
- Penetration Testing\ \ \ \ \ For more, visit: https://www.ahcunninghamauthor.com/\\ \ Mia Sosa(Puerto Rican & Brazilian) \ \ My first introduction to Mia Sosa was The Worst Best Man which was messy in the best ways. I love the scenarios she puts her MCs in! Her works include:\ \
- The Starter Ex\ \
- When Javi Dumped Mari\ \
- Amor Actually\ \
- Sun of a Beach\ \
- The Wedding Crasher\ \
- The Worst Best Man\ \
- Pretending He’s Mine\ \
- Acting on Impulse\ \
- Crashing Into Her\ \ \ \ \ To find more Mia Sosa books, visit: https://miasosa.com/about-me/\\ \ Young Adult Fantasy Julian Randall(Black American & Dominican) \ \ He has a lot of range! I've read 3 out of his 5 books and each one has opened me up to processing my own identity and experiences. His books include:\ \
- The Chainbreakers\ \
- The Dead Don’t Need Reminding: In Search of Fugitives, Mississippi, and Black Nerd Sh*t\ \
- Pilar Ramirez and the Escape from Zafa\ \
- Pilar Ramirez and the Curse of San Zenon\ \
- Refuse\ \ \ Interested in his work? Check out: https://juliandavidrandall.com/ \ \ Maya Motayne(Dominican & Guyanese) \ \ Her series is gripping and fascinating. It surpassed my expectations! The titles in her series are:\ \
- Nocturna\ \
- Oculta\ \
- Lucero\ \ \ Find her at: https://www.mayamotaynebooks.com/\\ \ \ \ Young Adult Maika & Maritza Moulite(Haitian) \ \ Dear Haiti inspired me to learn more about the Haitian Revolution! I haven't read their second book yet but I'm very excited for The Summer I Ate The Rich. Their books include:\ \
- Dear Haiti, Love Alaine\ \
- One of the Good Ones\ \
- The Summer I Ate The Rich\ \ \ Learn more about the authors here: https://www.maikaandmaritza.com/books \ \ Jessica Parra (Guatemalan & Cuban) \ \ This beautiful soul sent me her work last year. I read and loved Rubi Ramos's Recipe For Success, so I expect I will probably enjoy The Quince Project as well!\ \ For more info, visit: https://www.jessicaparra.com/home Literary Fiction & YA Camille Gomera-Tavarez(Dominican) \ \ High Spirits knocked me off my feet! The stories were so real but also used elements of Magical Realism. Her books include:\ \
- High Spirits\ \
- The Girl, The Ring, and The Baseball Bat\ \ \ See more of her work at: https://cgtdesign.net/ \ \ \ \ Elizabeth Acevedo(Dominican) \ \ Another of my favorite authors! Acevedo's books give me a sense of belonging and warmth every time I read them. Her books include:\ \
- The Poet X\ \
- With The Fire On High\ \
- Family Lore\ \
- Inheritance: A Visual Poem\ \
- Clap When You Land\ \ \ For more about the author, visit: https://www.acevedowrites.com/ \ \ Ibi Zoboi(Haitian) \ \ Zoboi writes in many genres but I've only read her YA so far. Her voice is powerful and her characters have strength through their vulnerabilities. Her books include:\ \
- My Life as an Ice Cream Sandwich\ \
- Punching the Air\ \
- Pride: A Pride and Prejudice Remix\ \
- Star Child: A Biographical Constellation of Octavia Estelle Butler\ \
- (S)kin\ \
- Nigeria Jones\ \ \ Learn more about this author at: https://www.ibizoboi.net/ \ \ Do y'all know of some awesome AfroLatine authors? Leave a comment!](https://bookish-afrolatina.binderybooks.com/item/QyVGNRFfp6rsqwkILzSf/)
54 books
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Posts about this book from across Bindery
Bookish AfroLatina's Library\ \ Gabby\ \ • Feb 19 2025
54 books
4