Books of the Month

MIGRANT HEART

Author: Reyna Grande

Publisher: Primero Sueno Press

ISBN-13: 978-8996145300

SUMMARY:

An ambitious memoir in essays by beloved bestselling author Reyna Grande that illuminates the hidden cost of the American Dream and the complex journey of healing that follows survival.
What is the true power of stories? Can they heal the jagged edges of a traumatic childhood? Is the cost of telling the story worth the price of the cure?

Reyna Grande has spent her career capturing the raw reality of life across borders. In this intricate and deeply intimate memoir-in-essays, the author of the landmark memoirs The Distance Between Us and A Dream Called Home again turns her gaze inward to explore the scars left by migration and the ongoing work of stitching herself back together.

With her signature blend of sophistication and raw honesty, Grande interrogates how living between two nations, two languages, and two identities has shaped the woman, mother, and writer she has become. Moving from the legacy of violence in her hometown of Iguala, Mexico, to a bittersweet family vacation in Europe spent reconciling her own impoverished past with her children’s world of abundance, she uncovers startling truths about the nature of survival.

Whether being racially profiled in the Arizona borderlands or finding unexpected wisdom from the slugs in her garden, Grande unflinchingly asks: How do we bridge the gap between who we were and who we have become? How do we turn pain into power? When memory threatens to define us, how can we use story to heal while still honoring our boundaries?

Migrant Heart is a powerful testament to Grande’s role as a storyteller and cultural witness. It expands our understanding of life in the United States and the complex people who cross and live within its borders. It is an essential read for the seekers, the dreamers, and anyone who believes in the enduring, transformative power of finding one’s voice.

Photo Credit Laura Kinser

About the Author:

Reyna Grande’s life story is one of resilience and determination. Born in Mexico, she was just two years old when her father journeyed north to the US in search of a better life. Two years later, her mother followed, leaving Reyna and her siblings behind. This separation would become a defining experience in her life. At the age of nine, Reyna embarked on her own perilous journey to the US, joining her family as an undocumented immigrant. The enduring impact of her border crossing, along with the struggles of assimilation and language barriers, would fuel her writing and her dreams. Reyna became the first person in her family to graduate from college, earning a BA, and an MFA in creative writing. Her work delves into themes of family separation, language trauma, the cost of the American Dream, and the healing power of storytelling, resonating deeply with readers across the nation.

Reyna’s powerful memoirs, The Distance Between Us (Atria, 2012), The Distance Between Us Young Reader’s Edition (Aladdin, 2016), and A Dream Called Home (Atria, 2018), illuminate the realities of undocumented childhood immigration from Mexico to the United States. In 2025, A Dream Called Home was named one of the “Best Books of the 21st Century (so far)” by Kirkus Reviews. Her work also includes the novels Across a Hundred Mountains (Atria, 2006), Dancing with Butterflies (Washington Square Press, 2009), and the historical epic, A Ballad of Love and Glory (Atria, 2022), about the creation of the US-Mexico border. As co-editor of Somewhere We Are Human: Authentic Voices on Migration, Survival and New Beginnings (HarperVia, 2022), she amplifies the voices of undocumented Americans. Her forthcoming title is a memoir-in-essays, Migrant Heart: Essays About Things I Can’t Forget, published by Primero Sueño Press/Atria in English and Vintage Español in Spanish this May.

Recognized with an American Book Award, the El Premio Aztlán Literary Award, and the International Latino Book Award, Grande was also a National Book Critics Circle Awards finalist. Her contributions to Chicano/Latino literature have been honored with the Luis Leal Award, a Latino Spirit Award, a Writers for Writers Award from Poets & Writers, and the Hummingbird Award in Literary Arts. Her essays and articles have appeared in prominent publications like The New York Times, CNN, and The Washington Post, and she participated in Oprah’s Book Club television special in March 2020.

She attended Pasadena City College before she transferred to the University of California, Santa Cruz, where she obtained a BA in creative writing and film & video, and then earned her MFA in creative writing from Antioch University. A dedicated mentor and lifelong learner, Grande is a proud member of the Macondo Writers Workshop, founded by Sandra Cisneros, and has taught at prestigious conferences, including Bread Loaf, Under the Volcano, and VONA. Currently, she is a fiction and nonfiction faculty member at Antioch University-Los Angeles. She lives in Woodland, California, with her husband and two children.

https://reynagrande.com/

https://www.youtube.com/user/reynagrande

HEAR YE MORTALS

Author: Yamile Saied Méndez

Publisher: Levine Querido

ISBN-10: 1646146379 / ISBN-13: 978-1646146376

SUMMARY:

In 1976 Rosario, Argentina, brothers Daniel and Adrián Aguirre share a passion for music and a bond as best friends. However, under the authoritarian military government, artists and musicians are considered enemies of the state, even if they’re just teenagers playing at home. When one of their songs unexpectedly gains popularity on the radio, Daniel and Adrián, along with their band Río Babel―comprised of children of immigrants from Spain, Palestine, and Germany―face a daunting choice.

They must decide whether to pursue their dream of becoming musicians or to remain silent to protect their families. Ready to challenge the military regime, their resolve is tested when one of their own goes missing.

This novel delves into the power of music in the fight for a better tomorrow, making it a compelling read for those who appreciate stories of courage, family, and the enduring spirit of resistance against a totalitarian regime.

About the Author:

Yamile Saied Méndez is the author of many books for teens and young readers, including Furia, a Reese’s YA Book Club selection and the 2021 Inaugural Pura Belpré Young Adult Gold Medalist. She was born and raised in Rosario, Argentina and currently lives in Puerto Rico. An Inaugural Walter Dean Myers Grant recipient, she is also a graduate of the Vermont College of Fine Arts. She’s a founding member of Las Musas, a marketing collective of Latine authors. She invites you to visit her online at yamilemendez.com or on Instagram @yamilesmendez.