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This Is the Only Kingdom

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What to expect

An epic novel of a mother and daughter wrestling with the aftermath of a murder, set against the backdrop of a tightknit, working-class barrio in Puerto Rico—from the Whiting Award-winning author Jaquira Díaz.

When Maricarmen meets Rey el Cantante, beloved small-time Robin Hood and local musician on the rise, she begins to envision a life beyond the tight-knit community of el Caserío, Puerto Rico—beyond cleaning houses, beyond waiting tables, beyond the constant tug of war between the street hustlers and los camarones. But breaking free proves more difficult than she imagined, and she soon finds herself struggling to make a home for herself, for Rey, his young brother Tito, and eventually, their daughter Nena. Until one fateful day changes everything.

Fifteen years later, Maricarmen and Nena find themselves in the middle of a murder investigation as the community that once rallied to support Rey turns against them. Now Nena, a teenager haunted by loss and betrayal and exploring her sexual identity, must learn to fight for herself and her family in a world not always welcoming. For lovers of the Neapolitan novels, This Is the Only Kingdom is an immersive and moving portrait of a family—and a community—torn apart by generational grief, and a powerful love letter to mothers, daughters, and the barrios that make them.

Longlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Award

Critics Review

“This is an extraordinary debut! Jaquira Díaz delivers a haunting meditation around the painful bonds of family and immerses readers in a world where the echoes of the past shape the future in devastating ways. A poignant, mesmerizing read that cements Díaz as a writer to be reckoned with.”—Angie Cruz, author of How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water
“With stirring prose and an unflinching gaze, Jaquira Díaz viscerally renders one family’s origin story against the backdrop of Miami and Puerto Rico of the recent past— familiar to some, forgotten to many. This is The Only Kingdom is a look into dark social truths that one woman must face as a young matriarch, fighting for her family’s survival. Yet Díaz offers up no tragedy here, but a light through her daughter, who conjures up not just a fierce will to survive, but to thrive— as her fullest and whole self— reminding us that this life must be worth living to its fullest and truest.”
 —Xochitl Gonzalez, author of Olga Dies Dreaming
Named a Most Recommended Book of the Year by Electric Literature
Praise for Ordinary Girls
“[Ordinary Girls] belongs on your must-read lists. Díaz is a masterful writer . . . Writing with refreshing honesty, she talks about despair, depression, love, and hope with such vibrancy that her vivid portrayal will stay with you long after the final page.”
—O: The Oprah Magazine

“A skilled writer, Díaz is meticulous in her craft, and on page after page her writing truly sings . . . This brutally honest coming-of-age story is a painful yet illuminating memoir, a testament to resilience.”
—New York Times Book Review
 
“Incredible . . .  Beautiful . . . Gorgeous and propulsive prose.”
—NBC / Today (Isaac Fitzgerald) 

“Outstanding. A powerful and lyrical coming-of-age story, Ordinary Girls is a candid illustration of shame, despair and violence as well as joy and triumph. Against a Puerto Rican backdrop, this debut is compassionate, brave and forgiving.”
 —Ms. Magazine
A Publishers Lunch Buzz Book
Author Jaquira Diaz
Narrator Almarie Guerra
Duration 11 hours and 27 minutes
Release Date
ISBN 9781668651353
Format Audiobook
Publisher Hachette Audio
Genre Family life fiction, Fiction: general and literary
Availability US

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