Call Me Maria, By Julia Ortiz Cofer

This is a truly touching piece of work, and as the cover says, "a novel in letters, poems, and prose". Cofer shares the experiences of Maria, who has moved from "the island" (Puerto Rico) where she grew up with her mother and father. Her father grew up in a New York barrio, and over time became depressed on the island. Maria's parents make a hard choice for her father to move to New York and try to feel happy again, to find himself. (Her mother is a teacher and loves her job and the island life.) Maria decides to go with him, to see and learn new things, but also to be sure her father is okay. He gets a job as a super of a building in the city and we live the life of his daughter through letters to and from her mother, anecdotal records of the people who live in the building--each one of them touch her life in different ways, and poems she constructs out of myriad ideas and contemplations. Sometimes learning, sometimes lonely, sometimes comforted, sometimes independent, learning about Maria through her own words and senses is like living the life of this island girl becoming part of the city; she shares depth one might never know personally if not confronted with her experience, and somehow I feel her words are relatable for others who move to new places. There are many cultures represented in Maria's building, which is a special asset in the book for younger and older readers who are broadening their perspectives and learning about others' lived lives.
KL teacher/mom