‘Ceniza en la Boca’ by Brenda Navarro
“Ceniza en la Boca,” published as “Eating Ashes” in English, is the 2022 novel written by Brenda Navarro that tells the story of a young woman and her brother who are left behind in Mexico for years after their mother’s immigration to Spain. Narrated by the purposefully unnamed young woman, she details her childhood in Mexico, her experiences when she moved to Spain, and her return journey to Mexico as an adult. The novel explores the loneliness and alienation that can come with immigration, and how that affected the woman and her brother’s lives.“You (get to) see what her and her family experience, and how they just respond to the situations they’re in,” Berkeley High School junior Eliana Gilbert said.
Uniquely, the novel jumps around in time, simultaneously exploring both the protagonist’s childhood and adult life. In this way, it is able to highlight how the woman’s experiences shaped her identity and perception of the world. It focuses on themes of isolation, identity, and familial relationships.
‘The Undocumented Americans’ by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio
“The Undocumented Americans” is a distinctive nonfiction book that combines journalistic techniques, with the author’s personal experience. The book explores the lives of undocumented people living across the United States. Author Karla Cornejo Villavicencio, being one of the first undocumented students to graduate from Harvard, weaves together reality and fiction to craft a book that demonstrates the many experiences undocumented people have. The book shows the impact of recent historical events on undocumented Americans, like the clean water crisis in Michigan, a lack of affordable healthcare in Miami, and the effects of Hurricane Sandy in New York.
“I just feel like it’s such a raw and captivating story,” BHS Chicanx Literature teacher Xochitl Dueñas said, “She highlights the hidden experiences and lives of those people, and her writing is just excellent on top of it.”
The book is a great read as a result of its new perspectives on well known events, and highlights the experiences of those who aren’t often provided a platform.
‘Mexican Gothic’ by Silvia Moreno Garcia
The gothic genre is best known for its horror elements, as well as creating a moody, atmospheric backdrop. The 2020 novel “Mexican Gothic” by Silvia Moreno Garcia fits comfortably into this genre, while also including important social commentary within a unique historical setting.
The novel follows independent Noemí, a wealthy socialite from Mexico City who receives an urgent letter from her cousin who has newly married into a wealthy and suspicious family. Noemí visits her, and as she slowly realizes the danger they face, must fight to free them from the threat of the house and the family within it.
“I appreciate the spooky sort of elements and this genre blending of horror mixed in with what would be just like a traditional experience,” Dueñas said.
Overall, “Mexican Gothic” is an excellent novel because of how it transcends traditional gothic elements to discuss modern themes in an interesting and fresh way.
‘By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept’ by Paulo Coehlo
“By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept” written by Paulo Coehlo is a 1994 novel that follows a young woman named Pilar on a journey of self discovery, as she explores themes of love and spirituality. Pilar, who feels unfulfilled by her life, reunites with her old childhood friend after a decade apart. However, her friend has now become a prominent religious figure. As the two journey together, her friend’s deep religious beliefs cause her to consider her own, as she continuously strives to become her most authentic self.
“His writing style is very poetic, and the topics he talks about make you think about your own experiences and your own relationship with those topics,” BHS junior Alani Soto-Vigil-Koon said.
Overall, the novel explores the complexities of religion in a way that causes the reader to reflect on both their own beliefs and those of others as well. The story serves as a parable to teach that true growth comes from difficult decisions, and that self doubt prevents us from living fully in the present.