The Girls from Humboldt Park
— Headed your way in Summer 2025 from Liveright Publishing!
"Enthralling. . . . A masterful work of historical fiction that traces monumental economic and political currents. . . . [A] Latino Grapes of Wrath." – Ron Charles, The Washington Post
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"This capacious novel tells the story of a Puerto Rican family, against the backdrop of the Spanish-American War, in 1898." – The New Yorker
"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
"12 best Latino books of 2020: Books to read by Hispanic authors" – NBC News
Paperback on sale now
"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
"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
“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
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"2020 Best New Novel by a Chicagoan"
– Chicago Reader
"One of the great challenges of globe-spanning stories about the forces that raise and cripple nations is maintaining a fragile realm of free will in which ordinary characters can still act, even in their highly oppressed circumstances. That’s the rich feat of The Taste of Sugar.” – The Washington Post
