Elba Iris Pérez’s lyrical, cross-cultural coming-of-age debut novel explores a young girl’s childhood between 1950s Puerto Rico and a small Massachusetts factory town.
The Things We Didn’t Know by Elba Iris Pérez is a coming-of-age novel that portrays the complex lives of siblings Andrea and Pablo as they navigate their upbringing between the contrasting worlds of Puerto Rico and Massachusetts. Set in the 1960s, the story begins with a conflict between their parents: their mother wishes to return to Puerto Rico, while their father wants to remain in Woronoco, Massachusetts. This disagreement shapes the children's lives as they grapple with cultural identity, familial bonds, and the challenges of growing up in a changing America.
The book, inspired by Pérez's own experiences, vividly captures the struggles and joys of childhood, the search for belonging, and the impact of familial expectations on personal identity. It offers an evocative portrayal of two distinct cultural landscapes and how they shape the protagonists' journey into adulthood
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Categories: Fiction Historical