Books by Afro-Latino Authors You Should Add to Your Reading List

It’s the 90’s and I have just finished reading my 10th book. As a reward I received a coupon for a free personal pan pizza from Pizza Hut. I looked forward to it. And not just because it meant I got a free pizza, but because I absolutely loved reading. My strict Latina mother wouldn’t allow me to look at any of the good shows everyone else was watching. And to be quite honest I was miserable and depressed. Whenever I needed an escape from my reality, I opened a book. In Little Rock, Arkansas, I was never able to acquire books written by Afro-Latino authors.

Having access to books by Afro-latinx voices would have been a game charger to someone like me. It puts such a smile on my face to be able to compile this list of Afro-latina authors. And hopefully you too can find something that resonates with you. This list includes a little bit of everything from books for young adults, to books about the love and struggle of natural hair, to romance novels, and the rich history of indigenous peoples. These Afro-latinx writers are using their words and voices to tell all stories. Because we, the children of the diaspora, deserve it.

Books you can read now by Afro-Latino writers

Wash Day Diaries by Jamila Rowser is a graphic novel about 4 best friends. It features a bi Afro-Latina character. The title of the book takes its name from the experience black women share in putting all their plans and responsibilities aside on wash day. Each short story uses their hair routine as a window into the daily lives of these young women in the black community. It shows how they care for each other. Jamila is a comic writer and publisher who lives in Miami and reps the Bronx. She focuses on creating comics by Black and brown women and queer folks.

Afro-Dominican author

High Spirits by Camille Gomera-Tavarez this young adult fiction novel features 11 short stories. It features one family across multiple generations from the United States to the Dominican Republic. It explores topics like machismo, mental health, family, and cultural identity.

Afro-Dominican author

Panama In Black by Kaysha Corinealdi. Corinealdi traces the multigenerational activism of Afro-Caribbean Panamanians as they forged diasporic communities in Panama and the United States throughout the twentieth century. It is based on over a decade of research and draws from the rich histories that shaped her life experiences in Colón, Panama and Brooklyn, New York.

Afro-Panamanian author

The Blvd by Jenise Miller is a “chapbook” about my youth. Like me Jenise is the daughter of Panamanian immigrants. This book is nostalgic, and it reminds me of simpler times growing up on Compton Blvd. Growing up “the blvd” is where the Black Panamanians resided. This book of poetry celebrates a neighborhood and its people, those of us who called this place home.

Afro-Panamanian author

Agridulce meaning bittersweet in English is a book of poetry and prose by Dhayana Alejandrina. This book is a personal look into Dhayana’s experiences. In an interview with Al Dia news Dhayana says she “wants people to feel everything, so they can learn more about themselves and about other people.” The book is divided into two sections: Lo Agrio and Lo Dulce. The poems in each of these sections represent the emotions and stories she has felt through their encounters throughout life.

Afro-Dominican author

Stories of Gabriel by Esther Alix. This book tells a number of intertwined stories about a close-knit community and takes place in the South Bronx. Haunting and intricate, Stories of Gabriel is not “a love story,” but a story of several interconnected loves lost or found, new or lasting.

Afro-Dominican author

A Woman of Endurance by Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa is a stunning historical fiction witnessed through the experiences of Pola, an enslaved African woman used as a breeder to bear more slaves. From the coast of Africa to the plantations of Puerto Rico, Pola goes through brutal traumatic experiences.

Wild Tongues Can’t Be Tamed edited by Saraciea J. Fennell. A collection of essays by bestselling and award-winning authors I admire in the literary world. These 15 original pieces delve into everything from ghost stories and superheroes. From memories in the kitchen and travels around the world, to addiction and grief. Essays about identity and anti-Blackness, to finding love and speaking your truth.

Islands Apart: Becoming Dominican American Jasminne Mendez. In this memoir for teens about growing up Afro Latina in the Deep South, Jasminne writes about feeling torn between her Dominican, Spanish-speaking culture at home and the American, English-speaking one around her.

Afro-Dominican author

Neruda On the Park is the debut novel by Cleyvis Natera. This story follows members of a Dominican family in New York City who take radically different paths when faced with encroaching gentrification.

New and forthcoming books by Afro-Latino authors

Sincerely Sicily is the debut novel by Tamika Burgess scheduled to be released on January 3, 2023. It’s a middle-grade novel that features an 11-year-old Black Panamanian named Sicily. Sicily learns to take pride in her heritage while confronting prejudice both in the classroom and at home. The lead character is loosely based on Tamika and her childhood experiences.

Afro-Panamanian author

The Making of Yolanda La Bruja by Lorraine Avila scheduled to be released April 2023. In this book, a 16-year-old girl is brought up in the traditional religion of her family. It’s a story born from the intersection of race, justice, education, and spirituality that will capture readers everywhere.

Plátanos Go With Everything by Lissette Norman is scheduled for release January 31, 2023 however it’s currently available for preorder. This picture book is for kids ages 4-8. It tells the story of Yesenia and her favorite food, platanos! This book is a vibrant and cheerful ode to platanos which happens to be a staple in our house as well. This is definitely going to be added to our home library because I love having children’s books that represent our culture.

The Sun and the Void the upcoming book by Gabriela Romero Lacruz is scheduled for release July 25, 2023. This Venezuelan epic fantasy has latinx folklore, An ancient God, magic, heroes inspired by the liberators of the South American war for independence, and LGBTQ+ representation.

Afro-Venezuelan author

Family Lore by Elizabeth Acevedo. It’s expected to be made available on August 1, 2023. Acevedo is also the New York Times-bestselling author of The Poet X, With the Fire on High, and Clap When You Land. Family Lore is her first novel for adults, the story of one Dominican-American family told through the voices of its women as they await a gathering that will forever change their lives.

When Trying to Return Home by Jennifer Maritza McCauley scheduled for Release February 7, 2023. A collection of stories that dig into the question of belonging. The book features black Americans and Afro-Latino characters whose voices occupy the center of American life.

It’s important that we tell our own stories and Afro-Latino authors talk about the incredibly rich experience of being Black in the world.

As a child of the diaspora, it is absolutely necessary for us to see ourselves between the pages of books. To that end, we should have access to them year-round. And not just during times like Black history month and Hispanic heritage month. However, this is by no means a comprehensive list of Afro-Latino authors. This is merely a taste of the many different genres we occupy. I know I am missing so many good books and amazing authors. I would love to hear about who your favorites are.

So please sound off below!

Lastly, I am also creating a list of Afro-Latino authors on my Amazon storefront so you can find these and other great books.

Kish

Posted By: Kisha Gulley · In: Afro-Latinx Culture, Featured