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Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Afro-Latinx writing spans novels, memoir, poetry, short stories, and books for younger readers. This curated list of 15 titles offers different ways into stories shaped by African ancestry and Latin American origin or descent, from a Dominican family facing gentrification in New York to a bilingual picture book rooted in Dominican food and family traditions. It is a selection, not a definitive canon.
What Afro-Latinx means—and how to use this list
The Library of Congress defines Afro-Latinx (also written Afro-Latino, Afro-Latina, or Afro-Latine) as referring to people of Latin American origin or descent who also have African ancestry. Identity terms are personal, so this article uses Afro-Latinx as an umbrella term while preserving the terminology used by authors and publishers. The Library of Congress calls its bibliography a selection, and no list can represent every Afro-Latinx literary tradition. The recommendations below are organized by the reading experience they offer, not ranked. Library of Congress: Afro-Latinx Bibliography
Novels about home, community, and power
1. Neruda on the Park — Cleyvis Natera
A Dominican family in New York faces gentrification and conflicting ideas about what it means to protect a neighborhood and call it home. Choose this for contemporary fiction grounded in urban change and family ties. Penguin Random House and HipLatina describe the novel’s central conflict. Penguin Random House · HipLatina
2. The Grand Paloma Resort — Cleyvis Natera
Set at a resort in the Dominican Republic, this novel follows workers who reach a breaking point. Its workplace setting makes labor and power central to the story; it offers a different vantage point from a family or neighborhood drama. Penguin Random House
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3. Halsey Street — Naima Coster
A daughter returns to Brooklyn and confronts family history, neighborhood change, and a difficult relationship with her mother. HipLatina identifies Coster as a Dominican American writer; the novel may suit readers drawn to intimate family stories set against a changing city. HipLatina
4. When Javi Dumped Mari — Mia Sosa
Two longtime friends must reckon with a changed relationship when one becomes engaged. This is the lighter, relationship-focused pick in the list, a contrast to the novels centered on gentrification, work, or family history. Penguin Random House describes the premise, and the Toledo Lucas County Public Library also includes the title in its recommendations. Penguin Random House · Toledo Lucas County Public Library
5. Brother, Sister, Mother, Explorer — Jamie Figueroa
HipLatina identifies Figueroa as Afro-Taíno. The novel follows siblings, grief, and uncanny events in their childhood home, making it a choice for readers who want family fiction with a surreal or unsettling edge. HipLatina
Rank #2
6. A Woman of Endurance — Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa
This historical novel addresses Puerto Rico’s Atlantic slave trade through the story of Pola. It brings a historical focus to a list that also includes contemporary city life, romance, and work. HipLatina
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Short fiction and stories across places
7. When Trying to Return Home — Jennifer Maritza McCauley
This short-story collection spans a century of Black American and Afro-Latine life, with settings including Puerto Rico, Pittsburgh, Louisiana, and Miami. Its multiple places and time periods make it a strong choice for readers who prefer linked but distinct stories over a single continuous plot. Penguin Random House highlights belonging and home among its themes. Penguin Random House
8. Malcriada & Other Stories — Lorraine Avila
HipLatina describes this debut collection as moving across the Caribbean, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and New York City. Pick it for short fiction that connects multiple locations rather than staying in one setting. HipLatina
Rank #3
- A Raisin in the Sun Mass Market Paperback
Memoir, essays, and poetry
9. Talk to Me — Rich Benjamin
In this memoir, Benjamin explores the coup that ended his grandfather’s Haitian presidency, family secrecy, and his efforts to know his mother. It offers a personal route into Haitian family history and questions of inheritance. Penguin Random House
10. Islands Apart: Becoming Dominican-American — Jasminne Mendez
This 2022 teen memoir follows Mendez growing up Afro-Latina in the Deep South, negotiating Spanish-speaking Dominican life at home and English-speaking American life outside it. Its focus on language, family, and identity makes it a useful choice for teen readers and anyone interested in growing up between cultural worlds. Arte Público Press
11. Night-Blooming Jasmin(n)e: Personal Essays and Poetry — Jasminne Méndez
This collection combines personal essays and poetry about medical encounters, Afro-Latina experience, and expectations for life. Its mixed form suits readers who want reflective nonfiction alongside poems rather than a conventional novel. Arte Público Press
Rank #4
12. Plantains and Our Becoming — Melania Luisa Marte
Marte’s debut poetry collection explores identity, culture, home, and belonging. Choose it for lyric writing and a compact form rather than a plot-driven story. Penguin Random House
13. ¡Manteca! An Anthology of Afro-Latin@ Poets — edited by Melissa Castillo-Garsow
Arte Público Press describes this anthology as bringing together work by more than 40 poets who self-identify as Afro-Latino. An anthology is the broadest entry point here: it lets readers encounter many poetic voices rather than one author’s collection. Arte Público Press
14. Running While Black — Alison Mariella Désir
Désir’s book examines whiteness in running and calls for reimagining the sport. It is the list’s pick for readers interested in sport, race, and cultural critique rather than fiction or poetry. Penguin Random House
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Books for children and young readers
15. Josefina’s Habichuelas / Las habichuelas de Josefina — Jasminne Mendez
This bilingual picture book draws on Dominican tradition through food, music, culture, and family stories. The paired English and Spanish title signals its bilingual format; it is a natural pick for reading together with younger children. Arte Público Press
How to choose your next read
- For a novel about neighborhood change: start with Neruda on the Park or Halsey Street.
- For short fiction across places: try When Trying to Return Home or Malcriada & Other Stories.
- For memoir or personal reflection: choose Islands Apart, Talk to Me, or Night-Blooming Jasmin(n)e.
- For poetry: pick Plantains and Our Becoming for one poet or ¡Manteca! for an anthology.
- For younger readers: consider the bilingual picture book Josefina’s Habichuelas.
Together, these books connect readers to experiences and settings that include the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Haiti, New York, the U.S. South, and the broader Caribbean. The best starting point depends on whether you want a novel, brief stories, personal testimony, poetry, or a book to share with a child.
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