Libertad

★4 STARRED REVIEWS ★Pura Belpré Author Honor BookKirkus Best Books of the YearBooklist Editor’s ChoicePW Best Books of 2024Chicago Public Library Best of the Best2025 YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults PickALAN 2025 Amelia Elizabeth Walden Book Award FinalistILA 2025 Young Adult Book Award Winner★ “An emotionally charged must-read.” –Kirkus, starred review★ “Through the eyes of a strong, sympathetic protagonist, Zaldívar crafts a hefty novel.” –Publishers Weekly, starred review★ “Flores Zaldívar’s deeply personal storytelling centers Libertad’s humanity, as well as that of her family members. Readers experience Libertad’s own journey through her first-person narration and creative expression, and in her relationships with her blood relatives and chosen family.” –The Horn Book, starred review★ “Zaldívar effortlessly combines the tiny details of daily life with the grand-scale realities of Honduran history and politics, giving a frame of reference and resonance to both… In a fraught U.S. election year, this queer, coming-of-age story should be required reading for all.” –Booklist Online, starred review“An evocative, nuanced, and powerful coming-of-age story that skillfully explores the many ways in which the personal is political.”—Randy Ribay, author of National Book Award finalist Patron Saints of Nothing“From page one to the very end, I never stopped clutching my chest. Libertad will knock you off your feet.”—Olivia A. Cole, acclaimed author of Dear Medusa

Bessie Flores Zaldivar (all pronouns) is a queer writer and educator from Tegucigalpa, Honduras. They teach fiction at Quinnipiac University and are a Lambda Literary LGBTQ Writer in Schools. Bessie received her MFA in Fiction from Virginia Tech. Libertad is Bessie’s debut novel.

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