Copyright Date:
2024
Edition Date:
2024
Release Date:
08/27/24
Pages:
310 pages
ISBN:
1-665-91536-6
ISBN 13:
978-1-665-91536-6
Dewey:
Fic
LCCN:
2023043258
Dimensions:
22 cm.
Language:
English
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews
A teen florist in Los Angeles tries to preserve her community's Cuban American heritage amid gentrification and surprise revelations.Seventeen-year-old Clary Delgado is incredibly proud of being part of the historic Latino neighborhood of Echo Park. Raised by her beloved grandparents and single father (Clary's birth mother abandoned her as a newborn), she's grown up in a tight-knit community of Cuban American business owners; her family owns the local flower shop, where she works. The Avalos family owns the neighboring bike shop, where her handsome rival, Emilio, is the heir apparent. Ever since childhood, Clary and Emilio have been trying to "outsmart the other. Or out-annoy." The summer before senior year, three events rock Clary's steady foundations: A wise community patriarch dies, a trendy doughnut shop appears set to take over a recently closed storefront, destroying a historic mural, and someone shows up bearing startling revelations. Namey focuses on Clary's character growth, from loyal and steadfast (but also stubborn and judgmental) to more empathetic, open-minded, and open-hearted. Some minor repetitive elements interfere with the pacing and characterization, but the third act delivers a satisfying blend of romance, social activism, and deep roots. Clary's charming Boricua best friend, Lourdes, has scene-stealing main-character energy.This earnest coming-of-age story is a tribute to family, culture, and resilience. (author's note) (Fiction. 12-18)
From the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow, this novel follows two Cuban teens in LA’s Echo Park neighborhood who clash over their visions for the future, the secrets between their families…and the sparks flying between them.
Seventeen-year-old Clary is set to inherit her family’s florist shop, La Rosa Blanca—one of the last remnants of the Cuban business district that once thrived in Los Angeles’s Echo Park neighborhood. Clary knows Echo Park is where she’ll leave a legacy, and nothing is more important to her than keeping the area’s unique history alive.
Besides Clary’s florist shop, there’s only one other business left founded by Cuban immigrants fleeing Castro’s regime in the sixties and seventies. And Emilio, who’s supposed to take over Avalos Bicycle Works one day, is more flight risk than dependable successor. While others might find Emilio appealing, Clary can see him itching to leave now that he’s graduated, and she’ll never be charmed by a guy who doesn’t care if one more Echo Park business fades away.
But then Clary is caught off guard when an unexpected visitor delivers a shocking message from someone she thought she’d left behind. Meanwhile, Emilio realizes leaving home won’t be so easy—and Clary, who has always been next door, is who he confides in. As the summer days unfold, they find there’s something stronger than local history tying them together.