Awards

• Commended for Pura Belpre Award (Y/A Author) 2023

Overview

Pura Belpré Honor Book BEST OF THE YEAR Chicago Review of Books · Kirkus · Los Angeles Public Library 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

Full Product Details

9781646142743

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Author Information

Camille Gomera-Tavarez is an Afro-Dominican writer, designer, and creative from New Jersey. She has a BFA in Graphic Design & Creative Writing from the Maryland Institute College of Art and is currently based in Philadelphia, PA. Her debut short story collection,High Spirits, received critical acclaim and was named a Pura Belpré Honor Book. Author Residence: Philadelphia, PA

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