“LatinoLand aims to show that Latinos are as essential to the fabric of America as everyone else is, and it does so by deconstructing the most pervasive stereotypes around them.”–Graciela Mochkofsky “The New Yorker”“Acclaimed writer Marie Arana provides a comprehensive history of Latino communities in the U.S. that was long overdue… . She achieves a feat of exploration, explanation, storytelling and preservation that is thorough, accessible and necessary.”–Karla J. Strand “Ms. magazine”“An impressively wide-ranging overview of the turbulent history of Latine people in America… . Ably blends historical research with insightful anecdotes… . Arana has a fascinating, complex, and deeply personal story to tell, and she narrates it with abundant verve and intelligence.”– “Kirkus Reviews (starred review)”“Arana [is] a keen observer of everything that the growth of Latino communities, and the outpouring of works by and about Latinos, has meant for the United States.… . [Her] beautifully written narrative, which washes over readers in a series of portraits, rather than as one continuous story, is a perfect representation of Latino diversity.”–Geraldo Cadava “The Washington Post”“As a Latina/Latinx/Hispanic/Dominican-America who has lived through six decades of identity iterations and labels on USA soil, I think I know myself and my story pretty well, but Marie Arana’s magisterial Latinoland has enlarged my understanding, not just of myself, but of so many of us included under the one identity umbrella of Latinos. Comprehensive, thoroughly researched, balanced, generous and penetrating, Latinoland is destined to become the text we all turn and return to in understanding not just this country but our hemisphere.”–Julia Alvarez, author of How the García Girls Lost Their Accents and Afterlife “In a just world Marie Arana would be everyone’s favorite writer and her monumental LatinoLand would be everyone’s book of the year. Arana has achieved the impossible - she has produced a searching, moving portrait of one of the most misunderstood and singularly important communities in our country. LatinoLand is indispensable, unforgettable. A work of prophecy, sympathy and courage.” –Junot Díaz, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao“Marie Arana has accomplished the herculean task of defining us as a community, meticulously separating the threads that unite as well as divide us. LatinoLand is a fascinating introduction for those who need to know us. And–surprise–an especially illuminating read for those of us who thought we knew ourselves.”–Sandra Cisneros, author of The House on Mango Street and Woman Hollering Creek and Other Stories“What brings [LATINOLAND] to life is the richness of voices and perspectives… Arana covers serious ground here in brisk, accessible prose.”–Miguel Salazar “The New York Times”

Marie Arana was born in Lima, Peru. She is the author of the memoir American Chica, a finalist for the National Book Award; two novels, Cellophane and Lima Nights; the prizewinning biography Bolivar; Silver, Sword, and Stone, a narrative history of Latin America; The Writing Life, a collection from her well-known column for The Washington Post; and LatinoLand. She is the inaugural Literary Director of the Library of Congress and lives in Washington, DC, and Lima, Peru.