Libertad

Written by Bessie Flores Zaldívar

 

Publisher: ‎Dial Books 

Language: ‎English

Hardcover: ‎432 pages

ISBN-10: ‎0593696123

ISBN-13: ‎978-0593696125

Reading age: ‎14 - 17 years

 

A queer YA coming-of-age set during the rigged Honduran presidential election

 

As the contentious 2017 presidential election looms and protests rage across every corner of the city, life in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, churns louder and faster. For her part, high school senior Libertad (Libi) Morazán takes heart in writing political poetry for her anonymous Instagram account and a budding romance with someone new. But things come to a head when Mami sees texts on her phone mentioning a kiss with a girl and Libi discovers her beloved older brother, Maynor, playing a major role in the protests. As Libertad faces the political and social corruption around her, stifling homophobia at home and school, and ramped up threats to her poetry online, she begins dreaming of a future in which she doesn’t have to hide who she is or worry about someone she loves losing their life just for speaking up. Then the ultimate tragedy strikes, and leaving her family and friends—plus the only home she’s ever known—might be her only option.

 

Review

 

“An emotionally charged must-read.” –Kirkus, starred review

 

“Through the eyes of a strong, sympathetic protagonist, Zaldívar crafts a hefty novel.” –Publishers Weekly, starred review

 

“Flores Zaldívar’s deeply personal storytelling centers Libertad’s humanity, as well as that of her family members. Readers experience Libertad’s own journey through her first-person narration and creative expression, and in her relationships with her blood relatives and chosen family.” –The Horn Book, starred review

 

“Zaldívar effortlessly combines the tiny details of daily life with the grand-scale realities of Honduran history and politics, giving a frame of reference and resonance to both… In a fraught U.S. election year, this queer, coming-of-age story should be required reading for all.” –Booklist Online, starred review

 

 

Bessie Flores Zaldivar (all pronouns) is a queer writer and educator from Tegucigalpa, Honduras. They teach fiction at Quinnipiac University and are a Lambda Literary LGBTQ Writer in Schools. Bessie received her MFA in Fiction from Virginia Tech. Libertad is Bessie's debut novel.