When does your hometown stop being a home?

? UNDER THE LAMPLIGHT-

Cultures clash as a young girl forms her identity in The Things We Didn’t Know by Elba Iris Perez. Andrea Rodriguez is only nine when her mother moves her and her brother Pablo from Massachusetts to a small mountain village in Puerto Rico. A few months later, their mother brings them back to Massachusetts, but their hometown has changed — and so have they.

Growing up is hard enough, but the nuances of combining different cultures and values makes it even harder. Andrea and her brother Pablo embark on this journey together and try to navigate their coming of age and diverse upbringing in 1950s America.

Perez’ writing tugs at the heartstrings. You’ll find yourself rooting for the characters throughout their varied struggles and sympathize with their actions even when detrimental. And although not a biography, their story feels authentic in a way that will have you hanging on to every word to see if the characters make it in the end.

You can find the book on Amazon.