High Spirits by Gomera-Tavarez, Camille

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


Author: Camille Gomera-Tavarez
Publisher: Levine Querido
Published: 04/12/2022
Pages: 224
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.08lbs
Size: 8.60h x 6.03w x 0.89d
ISBN: 9781646141296
Age Range: 12-18

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 5.6
Point Value: 4
Interest Level: Upper Grade
Quiz #/Name: 521837 / High Spirits: Short Stories on Dominican Diaspora

Award: Pura Belpre Award - Honor Book

Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 02/01/2022
Publishers Weekly 02/21/2022
Booklist 02/15/2022 pg. 51
School Library Journal 04/01/2022 pg. 146
Shelf Awareness 11/18/2022

About the Author
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