Your Heart, My Sky: Love in a Time of Hunger

Acclaimed author Margarita Engle tells a "deeply felt and engrossing" (Horn Book Magazine) story of love in a time of hunger inspired by her own family's struggles during a dark period in Cuba's history.

The people of Cuba are living in el período especial en tiempos de paz--the special period in times of peace. That's what the government insists that this era must be called, but the reality behind these words is starvation.

Liana is struggling to find enough to eat. Yet hunger has also made her brave: she finds the courage to skip a summer of so-called volunteer farm labor, even though she risks government retribution. Nearby, a quiet, handsome boy named Amado also refuses to comply, so he wanders alone, trying to discover rare sources of food.

A chance encounter with an enigmatic dog brings Liana and Amado together. United in hope and hunger, they soon discover that their feelings for each other run deep. Love can feed their souls and hearts--but is it enough to withstand el período especial?

Author: Margarita Engle
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Published: 03/23/2021
Pages: 224
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.70lbs
Size: 8.40h x 5.80w x 1.00d
ISBN: 9781534464964
Audience: Young Adult

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 7.3
Point Value: 3
Interest Level: Middle Grade Plus
Quiz #/Name: 510245 / Your Heart, My Sky: Love in a Time of Hunger


Review Citation(s):
Booklist 01/01/2021 pg. 71
Kirkus Reviews 01/15/2021
Horn Book Magazine 03/01/2021 pg. 86
Shelf Awareness 04/06/2021
Publishers Weekly 04/26/2021
Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 05/01/2021

About the Author
Margarita Engle is the Cuban American author of many books including the verse novels Rima's Rebellion; Your Heart, My Sky; With a Star in My Hand; The Surrender Tree, a Newbery Honor winner; and The Lightning Dreamer. Her verse memoirs include Soaring Earth and Enchanted Air, which received the Pura Belpré Award, a Walter Dean Myers Award Honor, and was a finalist for the YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction, among others. Her picture books include Drum Dream Girl; Dancing Hands; and The Flying Girl. Visit her at MargaritaEngle.com.