One of Oprah’s Book Club “Best Memoirs of a Generation”

From the mango groves of Puerto Rico to the streets of Brooklyn—and all the way to Harvard.

In this unforgettable coming-of-age memoir, Esmeralda Santiago recounts her journey from a childhood marked by both poverty and beauty in rural Puerto Rico, to the bewildering realities of immigrant life in New York City. In a world filled with morcillas, coquíes, and folk rituals, young Esmeralda learns the rhythms of her island home—until her mother, Mami, uproots the family in search of a better life.

Suddenly, Esmeralda is thrust into a new culture, a new language, and the pressures of being the eldest of eleven children. Navigating between two worlds, she must redefine her identity, translating not just words but the complexity of survival, ambition, and belonging.

With lyrical prose and unflinching honesty, Santiago takes us from the barrios of Puerto Rico to the welfare offices of Brooklyn and, ultimately, to the halls of Harvard, where she graduates with honors.

Año: 2006 | Páginas: 288

Grand Central Publishing