High Spirits

ISBN: 9781646142743

Publication date: 10 Oct 2023

Author: Gomera-Tavarez, Camille

Pura Belpré Honor Book BEST OF THE YEAR Chicago Review of Books · Kirkus Publishers Weekly Flying Start High Spirits is a collection of eleven interconnected short stories from the Dominican diaspora, from debut author Camille Gomera-Tavarez. It is a book centered on one extended family – the Beléns – across multiple generations. It is set in the fictional small town of Hidalpa – and Santo Domingo and Paterson and San Juan and Washington Heights too. It is told in a style both utterly real and distinctly magical – and its stories explore machismo, mental health, family, and identity. But most of all, High Spirits represents the first book from Camille Gomera-Tavarez, who takes her place as one of the most extraordinary new voices to emerge in years. For fans of Elizabeth Acevedo, Sandra Cisneros, Angie Cruz, and Yaa Gyasi P R A I S E ? “Authentic and immersive…A labor of love imbued with dedication to family.” —Kirkus (starred) ? “Deeply personal and relatable. Steeped in nostalgia and harsh but fierce love, this is a memorable family saga in its own right.” —Booklist (starred) ? “Full of vivid and poetic imagery… settings worthy of drinking in, and thematic material ripe for contemplation about identity, intergenerational memory, and patriarchy and toxic masculinity, Gomera-Tavarez’s soulfully crafted debut is a sensitive, intrinsically feminist work.” —Publishers Weekly (starred) “A magical and unflinching look at the Dominican Diaspora” —Dominican Writers Association