The Taste of Sugar
“Enthralling… A masterful work of historical fiction that traces monumental economic and political currents… [A] Latino Grapes of Wrath.”
— Ron Charles, The Washington Post
“This capacious novel tells the story of a Puerto Rican family, against the backdrop of the Spanish-American War, in 1898.”
— The New Yorker
Marisel Vera emerges as a major new voice in contemporary fiction with this “capacious” (The New Yorker) novel set in Puerto Rico on the eve of the Spanish-American War.
Up in the mountainous region of Utuado, Vicente Vega and Valentina Sanchez labor to keep their coffee farm from the creditors. When the great San Ciriaco hurricane of 1899 brings devastating upheaval, the young couple is lured along with thousands of other puertorriqueños to the sugar plantations of Hawaii, where they are confronted by the hollowness of America’s promises of prosperity.
Depicting the roots of Puerto Rican alienation and exodus, which resonates especially today, The Taste of Sugar is “a gorgeous feat of storytelling” (Tayari Jones).
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Praise for The Taste of Sugar
“This illuminating work of historical fiction sheds light on a forgotten chapter of the American story through characters who burrow into your bones and whisper in your ear.”
— O, The Oprah Magazine
“A majestic work with the grand sweep of history and the intimacy of a compelling dream. Marisel Vera has written a compassionate, unforgettable, richly detailed novel about colonialism in all its guises, offering us little-known stories from the past that are essential to understanding the present.”
— Cristina Garcia, author of Dreaming in Cuban
“A blend of Puerto Rican expressions and vibrant descriptions of the fields and the people's feelings, The Taste of Sugar is more than a story about love and uprooting, it is a testimony to how connected the histories of Puerto Rico and the United States are, and to the need to know the past so that memory can be part of change.”
— AL DIA
“Haunting, mesmerizing, and heart-scorching, you will turn pages while holding your breath. You don’t just read this genius alive novel, you live it.”
— Caroline Leavitt, author of Cruel Beautiful World
“The Vega and Sánchez families are made up of vivid, fully realized characters, and Vera has a knack for writing dialogue that is full of personality. Her descriptions of Puerto Rico’s natural beauty are impressive… [T]he reader will emerge with a deep sense of Puerto Rican history and suffering that has been lost to most Americans… Vera’s breakout novel is a sweeping, emotional tale that puts her characters, and her readers, through an emotional wringer.”
— KIRKUS
“2020 Best New Novel by a Chicagoan”
— Chicago Reader
“My 21 Best Latinx Books of 2020”
— Latino Rebels
“Subtle yet arresting, The Taste of Sugar, is a gorgeous feat of storytelling. Marisel Vera melds meticulous research with deep compassion and pure talent to fashion a novel that excavates the pain of the history while drawing hope from the buried stories of our nation. This is historical fiction as its best, using the moral dilemmas of the past to decipher our present conflicts in order to light our way toward a more just future.”
— Tayari Jones, author of An American Marriage
“The Summer’s 30 Hottest Reads”
— Ew.com
“This is THE list of the best books you can give this Christmas”
— VOGUE Mexico