by Camille Gomera-Tavarez (Author)
Pura Belpré Honor Book
BEST OF THE YEAR
Chicago Review of Books - Kirkus - Los Angeles Public Library Publishers Weekly Flying Start High Spirits is a collection of eleven interconnected short stories from the Dominican diaspora, from debut author Camille Gomera-Tavarez. It is a book centered on one extended family - the Beléns - across multiple generations. It is set in the fictional small town of Hidalpa - and Santo Domingo and Paterson and San Juan and Washington Heights too. It is told in a style both utterly real and distinctly magical - and its stories explore machismo, mental health, family, and identity. But most of all, High Spirits represents the first book from Camille Gomera-Tavarez, who takes her place as one of the most extraordinary new voices to emerge in years. For fans of Elizabeth Acevedo, Sandra Cisneros, Angie Cruz, and Yaa Gyasi
P R A I S E ★ "Authentic and immersive...A labor of love imbued with dedication to family."
--Kirkus (starred) ★ "Deeply personal and relatable. Steeped in nostalgia and harsh but fierce love, this is a memorable family saga in its own right."
--Booklist (starred) ★ "Full of vivid and poetic imagery... settings worthy of drinking in, and thematic material ripe for contemplation about identity, intergenerational memory, and patriarchy and toxic masculinity, Gomera-Tavarez's soulfully crafted debut is a sensitive, intrinsically feminist work."
--Publishers Weekly (starred) "A magical and unflinching look at the Dominican Diaspora."
--Dominican Writers Association
Author Biography
Camille Gomera-Tavarez is an Afro-Dominican writer, designer, and creative from New Jersey. She has a BFA in Graphic Design & Creative Writing from the Maryland Institute College of Art and is currently based in Philadelphia, PA. Her debut short story collection, High Spirits, received critical acclaim and was named a Pura Belpré Honor Book.
Author Residence: Philadelphia, PA
Number of Pages: 224
Dimensions: 0.89 x 8.6 x 6.03 IN
Illustrated: Yes
Publication Date: April 12, 2022
Award: Pura Belpre Award (2023)
