Hispanic & Latinx American Literature

From September 15 to October 15, we honor the history, diversity, and talent of the Hispanic and Latinx American communities. You can use this collection to choose texts that explore the literary contributions of Latinx and Hispanic authors.

Publication year 1991

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Tags Immigration & Refugeeism, Latin American Literature, Arts & Culture, World History, Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, Classic Fiction

Rain of Gold recounts author Victor Villaseñor’s family history through the early 20th century, when his parents immigrated to America to escape the violence of the Mexican Revolution. The book was inspired by stories from his grandmother and father, which Villaseñor came to view with skepticism as an adult. He devoted 12 years to researching his family’s history, which included conducting hundreds of hours of interviews with his parents, Lupe and Juan Salvador, and embarking... Read Rain of Gold Summary

Publication year 2008

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Tags Education, Children`s Literature, Education, Arts & Culture, Biography

In 2008, Francisco Jiménez published Reaching Out, the third in his series of autobiographical memoirs for young adults. The first two books in the series chart Jiménez’s childhood and teenage years as the son of Mexican immigrants in southern California. Reaching Out starts in 1962 as Francisco (known as Frank) travels with his family to the campus of Santa Clara University to begin college. Attending university is a hard-won blessing for Frank, the fruit of... Read Reaching Out Summary

Publication year 1998

Genre Novel, Fiction

Tags Action & Adventure, Children`s Literature, Animals, World History, Historical Fiction

Riding Freedom, written by Pam Muñoz Ryan, was originally published in 1998 and won several awards, including the 2000 California Young Reader Medal. This fictionalized biography of the real Charlotte Parkhurst, better known as One-eyed Charley, tells the story of the first female to vote in the United States. She became a famous stagecoach driver and a property owner. How she accomplished these things before women were granted suffrage is detailed in this fast-paced narrative... Read Riding Freedom Summary

Publication year 1955

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Appearance & Reality, Self Discovery, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Latin American Literature

Rosaura a las diez (English: Rosa at Ten O’Clock) is a 1955 mystery novel by the Argentinian lawyer, journalist, and novelist Marco Denevi (1920-1998). It follows the enigmatic affair between Camilo Canegato, an unassuming painting restorer, and his beautiful lover Rosa, which culminates in Rosa’s murder following their wedding. The story is delivered through five witness testimonies to the local police inspector. The first witness is Mrs. Milagros, the owner of Canegato’s boarding house. The... Read Rosaura A Las Diez Summary

Publication year 2009

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Immigration, Race, Gender Identity, Family, Language

Tags Latin American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

Signs Preceding the End of the World is a 2009 novel by Mexican author Yuri Herrera. The novel examines personal and geopolitical issues concerning the United States-Mexico border, although it does not mention these nations by name, referring instead to North and South. Herrera is a writer, professor, and political scientist, currently teaching at the University of New Orleans. Herrera’s first novel, Kingdom Cons, won the Premio Binacional de Novela Joven Frontera de Palabras (Border... Read Signs Preceding the End of the World Summary

Publication year 1990

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Memory, Gender Identity

Tags Arts & Culture, World History

First published in 1990, the creative memoir Silent Dancing: A Partial Remembrance of a Puerto Rican Childhood explores the childhood and adolescence of author Judith Ortiz Cofer. This study guide uses the second edition published in 1991 by Arte Público Press.Born in Puerto Rico, Cofer grew up moving between a Puerto Rican village and Paterson, New Jersey, where her father was stationed with the US Navy. Through a series of essays and poems, Cofer examines... Read Silent Dancing: A Partial Remembrance Of A Puerto Rican Childhood Summary

Publication year 1993

Genre Novel, Fiction

Tags Education, Education, Gender & Feminism, Modern Classic Fiction, Magical Realism, Fantasy

So Far from God, by Ana Castillo, follows the lives of Sofi and her four daughters Esperanza, Caridad, Fe, and La Loca. They live in the small town of Tome, New Mexico, and endure hardship after hardship. The novel moves back and forth in time fluidly, often visiting the same periods more than once to provide more information. At eighteen, Sofi marries Domingo, a disreputable gambler. After the birth of La Loca, Sofi banishes Domingo from... Read So Far from God Summary

Publication year 2022

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Perseverance, Hope, Immigration, Family

Tags Immigration & Refugeeism, Race & Racism, Biography, Social Justice

Publication year 1992

Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction

Themes Nostalgia, The Past, Colonialism

Tags Magical Realism, Latin American Literature, Classic Fiction, Spanish Literature

Strange Pilgrims is a collection of 12 short stories written by acclaimed Colombian author Gabriel García Márquez. García Márquez, the winner of the 1972 Neustadt International Prize for Literature and the 1982 Nobel Prize in Literature, is the author of 11 novels and novellas, dozens of short stories, and various works of nonfiction and film. Strange Pilgrims was published in 1992, though most of its stories were initially written in the 1970s and 1980s. The... Read Strange Pilgrims Summary

Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Conflict, Perseverance, Fear, Forgiveness, Grief, Guilt, Memory, Regret, Shame & Pride, Gender Identity, Death, Fathers, Mothers, Self Discovery, Social Class, Equality, Power & Greed, Trust & Doubt

Tags Romance