Despite being over 30 years old, How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents continues to be incredibly popular. The ageless story of four sisters, told in an interesting reverse chronological order, has confidently moved into the realm of the classics. But the wonderful thing about literature is that new classics are constantly being written. Young readers looking for more bicultural books about the love, support, and strength that family bonds create might enjoy the following books:
- Aviva vs. the Dybbuk by Mari Lowe
There’s growing unrest in the Jewish community of Beacon. Tensions are rising between Aviva and the other girls at school, her best friend isn’t speaking to her, and the local synagogue has been vandalized. That’s before you even factor in a ghostly dybbuk that only she can see, causing trouble she ends up taking the blame for. But is Aviva in actual danger? Like Julia Alvarez, Mari Lowe passionately immerses readers in the protagonist’s culture — a culture with which the protagonist is experiencing tension. Both books are heavily woman-focused and use that lens to explore the ways women care for and support each other. - Before We Were Free by Julia Alvarez
While How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents was her debut bestseller, this slightly younger reader companion title doesn’t disappoint. Before We Were Free follows the story of the Garcia girls’ maternal relatives, twelve-year-old Anita de la Torre. Still residing in the Dominican Republic, Anita learns that her family is involved in the underground movement to end the bloody rule of the dictator. Written in a way that reminds readers of The Diary of Anne Frank, Before We Were Free does an incredible job of capturing the messy internal workings of a young adult. - In the Beautiful Country by Jane Kuo
Recently published and told through a stream of beautiful verse, Jane Kuo tells the story of Anna, a young Taiwanese girl brand new to America. After bragging about her move to her friends and family, Anna is shocked to find that her dreams and reality couldn’t be further apart. The America she experiences is full of bullying, a challenging new language, a cramped apartment, and long hours in her family’s new restaurant. Written so raw that it feels more like a memoir than fiction, this book is not to miss.
Teens and adults homesick for the feeling of home might try some of these titles:
- The Lucky Ones by Julianne Pachico
Following the interconnecting stories of a group of wealthy school girls, The Lucky Ones spans two decades and is told from multiple perspectives. Stephanie Lansky plans to spend a quiet evening alone when a man abruptly shows up at the door in an attempt to kidnap her. With no one at home and her parents not answering their phones, she’s essentially held hostage while she waits for rescue. Her teacher, Mr. B, is not so lucky; now a prisoner in a jungle camp, he teaches elaborate lessons on Hamlet to a classroom of sticks and mud, just trying to keep his sanity. Different times, locations, and characters make the reader feel like this is a collection of brilliant, stand-alone short stories rather than one novel. - American Street by Ibi Zoboi
Somewhere along American Street and Joy Road, Fabiola Toussaint was expecting to find a new life full of good things. What she was not expecting was her mother being detained by US immigration. Left with her loud American cousins in an unfamiliar place, Fabiola must navigate her new world with emotions running at an all-time high. She struggles to find a way to be reunited with her mother while getting caught up in her cousins’ world of drugs, violence, and secrets. Torn between family loyalty and a budding romance with a young man caught up in a shady business, Fabiola must decide where her loyalties lie. - Anya’s Ghost by Vera Brosgol
This graphic novel beautifully illustrates the main character’s struggle between her culture and assimilation and frames it all with a genuinely creepy and sometimes funny ghost story. When Anya finds herself at the bottom of an old well, there is probably a finite number of things she was expecting to see. Trash. Some stagnant water. Bugs. She wasn’t expecting a rotting skeleton with a ghost attached to it. Emily can’t go far from her body, but her bones are plenty portable. At first, having a ghost as a friend is incredible. Anya ditched her mom’s traditional meals, weekend church services, and accent long ago, but she still struggles to fit in. Emily helps her with schoolwork, friendships, and a budding dating life… but she learns that nothing is as straightforward as it seems.
Interested in the Buzzfeed quiz we made? Pop over here to see which Garcia girl you are! Ella took the quiz and ended up with Sandi. Did you end up with a different sister? Let us know using the hashtag #TheseBooksMadeMe.
This blog is created by Hannah and Ella in conjunction with the These Books Made Me podcast, a Prince George’s County Memorial Library System production. Check out the corresponding episode on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you normally listen to podcasts.
