Book of the Month
DAUGHTER OF FIRE
Author: Sofia Robleda
Publisher: Amazon Crossing
ISBN-10: 1662517971 / ISBN-13: 978-1662517976
SUMMARY:
For a young woman coming of age in sixteenth-century Guatemala, safeguarding her people’s legacy is a dangerous pursuit in a mystical, empowering, and richly imagined historical novel.
Catalina de Cerrato is being raised by her widowed father, Don Alonso, in 1551 Guatemala, scarcely thirty years since the Spanish invasion. A ruling member of the oppressive Spanish hierarchy, Don Alonso holds sway over the newly relegated lower class of Indigenous communities. Fiercely independent, Catalina struggles to honor her father and her late mother, a Maya noblewoman to whom Catalina made a vow that only she can keep: preserve the lost sacred text of the Popol Vuh, the treasured and now forbidden history of the K’iche’ people.
Urged on by her mother’s spirit voice, and possessing the gift of committing the invaluable stories to memory, Catalina embarks on a secret and transcendent quest to rewrite them. Through ancient pyramids, Spanish villas, and caves of masked devils, she finds an ally in the captivating Juan de Rojas, a lord whose rule was compromised by the invasion. But as their love and trust unfold, and Don Alonso’s tyranny escalates, Catalina must confront her conflicted blood heritage―and its secrets―once and for all if she’s to follow her dangerous quest to its historic end.
About the Author:
Sofia is a Mexican writer. She spent her childhood and adolescence in Mexico, Saudi Arabia and Singapore. She completed her undergraduate and doctorate degrees in psychology at the University of Queensland, in Australia.
She currently lives in the UK with her husband and son, and splits her time writing, raising her son, and working as a psychologist, supporting people with brain injuries and neurological conditions.
Website:
https://sofiarobleda.com/daughter-of-fire
https://www.instagram.com/sofiarobleda
Conversations Book
LAS BUGAMBILIAS: A BILINGUAL QUEER NOVEL
Author: Lalo León
Publisher: ÁLV Publishing
ASIN: B0DH1SZRVR \ ISBN-13: 978-8991382403
SUMMARY:
Lalo León brings his Millennialist perspective to his debut novel “Las Bugambilias – A bilingual queer novel”, touching on themes of faith, culture, identity, and sexuality.
Michael closes his eyes, and he can see it clear as day. The dream that has been plaguing him for the past 2 years, seductively haunting him even in his waking hours. He describes what it looks like every Saturday to Pastor Roberts during their special appointments, hoping that through practice he can kill the fantasy within him before it can bleed out into his real life. But the pressures of church, home and culture reignite the passions within him, and by the end of the summer he will find himself questioning if the world around him will end or will he have to venture into the reality he has tried to deny for so long.
About the Author:
At the age of 20, Lalo León was placed into conversion therapy through his local church and remained an ardent adherent to the practice for 10 years. It was not until a series of compounding crisis, that he stopped the therapy and began to deconstruct the falsehoods that he had been led to believe. “Las Bugambilias – A bilingual queer novel” is a cathartic culmination of his time in conversion therapy and retroactively explores not only the damaging effects of conversion therapy, but also the Americentric views of maleness that lie at the heart of the practice. Lalo is a proud Mexican-American, born and raised in Southern New Mexico. He holds an engineering degree from New Mexico State University, and master’s degree from Arizona State University. He currently resides in Phoenix Arizona.
Website:
https://www.arizonaauthors.org/members/lalo-le%C3%B3n
https://www.instagram.com/Thelaloleon/
https://thelaloleon.com/
Poetry Book
BLACK MESTIZA: POEMS
Author: Yael Valencia Aldana
Publisher: University Press of Kentucky
ISBN-10: 1985901242 ISBN-13: 978-1985901247
SUMMARY:
In Black Mestiza, Yael Valencia Aldana reckons with her identity as a Caribbean Afro-Latinx/e woman with Indigenous, Black, and white roots and pays homage to the legacy, resilience, and fortitude of her ancestors. These stunning poems paint a vivid picture of everyday life and Aldana’s experiences as a mixed-race woman, daughter, and mother. The Pushcart Prize–winning poem “Black Person Head Bob” addresses how Black people silently yet soulfully acknowledge and see each other. “Why Don’t You Write About Joy?” speaks to the suffering that women of color endure while their cries and spirit remain resolute: because you cannot hear me / doesn’t mean I am not singing. “Small Dark and Moving” skillfully represents the poet’s journey and the souls she carries with her, evoking images of evolving landscapes and beings as they transition through different forms. The poet beautifully interweaves narratives regarding the constant presence and influence of her Caribbean parents and a desire for more connection with her Colombian grandmother and ancestry, capturing the essence of origins, blood ties, and the idea that nothing is ever truly lost. This collection is not only a testament to Aldana’s deep-rooted connection to her heritage, but also a compelling celebration and expression of pride, recognition, and a profound sense of community.
About the Author:
Yael Valencia Aldana is a Black-Latine poet and writer. She is the author of the poetry collection Black Mestiza (University Press of Kentucky, 2025) and the chapbook Alien(s) from (Sweetie Press 2023). She is a Pushcart Prize winner, and her work has appeared in numerous national and international publications. She teaches creative writing in South Florida, where she lives near the ocean with her family and too many pets. You can find her online at YaelAldana.com and @yaelwrites.
Websites:
http://instagram.com/yaelwrites
http://twitter.com/yaelwrites71
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_xqRo26sQMQCWq7fpXETGQ
