Latine / Latinx Nonfiction
In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 to October 15), enjoy these recent memoirs and nonfiction by Latine authors, selected by librarians at The Seattle Public Library. (August 2024)
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Illegally Yours
Television writer Agustin makes a splashy debut with this humorous account of coming-of-age, undocumented, in Southern California. Funny as he is, Agustin is a serious talent. (Publishers Weekly)
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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American Negra
A journalist chronicles her life journey as the child of a Black father and Puerto Rican mother. A heartening and instructive portrait of a young woman’s search for identity. (Kirkus)
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Accordion Eulogies
In this poignant blend of personal and cultural history, Alvarez traces the roots of the accordion in an attempt to understand his estranged grandfather. With its rigorous curiosity and emotional vulnerability, Alvarez's account makes a strong case that the journey is more important than the destination. (Publishers Weekly)
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Latinoland
An impressively wide-ranging overview of the turbulent history of Latine people in America. Arana has a fascinating, complex, and deeply personal story to tell, and she narrates it with abundant verve and intelligence. (Kirkus)
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Yaguareté White
Poetry. The lyrical debut from Baez explores Paraguayan American identity. Baez skillfully renders the complications of language and belonging. (Publishers Weekly)
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Beautiful Monster
Borrero's incandescent debut memoir recounts the experiences that led him to come out as a transgender man, with particular focus on his coming-of-age in Colombia in the 1980s and 90s, stint as an actor in the U.S., and tenure as a yoga teacher. Readers will be captivated by this always inspiring, sometimes shattering story of self-discovery. (Publishers Weekly)
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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First Gen
The White House deputy director of Hispanic media for the Obama administration shares her story. In this psychologically astute work, the author calls out her difficult childhood experiences in order to demonstrate how to overcome stigma and trauma. An inspiring story and an invaluable resource for first -generation immigrant children striving for success in America. (Kirkus)
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Tremendous
In a candid, no-holds-barred memoir, the Cuban-American actor, comedian and podcast host tells the story of his life, from a grueling childhood and misspent youth to finding his true calling in comedy, charting his improbable rise to the top. (Publisher description)
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Mother Island
A novelist turns to memoir to mine the spirit and substance of what a mother is. Her exceptional command of her craft builds narrative tension while granting force to the way her personal history mirrors geopolitical devastation and imbuing her voice with the power of one no longer unclaimed by, but ready to lay claim to. A searching and lyrical memoir packed with nuance and depth. (Kirkus)
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Harvest of Empire
A sweeping history of the Latinx experience in the United States. The first new edition in ten years of this important study of Latinos in U.S. history, Harvest of Empire spans five centuries--from the European colonization of the Americas to the 2020 election. (Publisher description)
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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