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Seattle Picks: Latinx and Latine Memoir

In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 to October 15), librarians at The Seattle Public Library selected this list of recent memoirs by Latinx and Latine authors. (updated September 2021)

The Seattle Public Library

32 items

  • The Soul of a Woman

    on Impatient Love, Long Life, and Good Witches

    Allende, Isabel
    Allende (The House of the Spirits) offers up an intimate memoir on the impact of feminism on her unique and fulfilling life. - Library Journal
    BookNew York : Ballantine Books, [2021] — 305.42 AL547S 2021
  • Music to My Years

    a Mixtape Memoir of Growing Up and Standing Up

    Alonzo, Cristela
    Comedian, writer, and producer Cristela Alonzo shares personal stories of growing up as a first-generation Mexican-American in Texas and following her dreams to pursue a career in comedy. - publisher's description
    BookNew York : Atria Books, 2019. — 792.7028 AL729A 2019
  • Alou

    My Baseball Journey

    Alou, Felipe, 1935-
    Hall of Fame pitcher Alou, who made history in 1958 as the first person to go from the Dominican Republic to playing with a major league team, delivers a fascinating memoir of his baseball career. - Publishers Weekly
    BookLincoln : University of Nebraska Press, [2018] — 796.35709 AL73A 2018
  • Spirit Run

    a 6,000-mile Marathon Through North America's Stolen Land

    Álvarez, Noé
    Born in Washington State to Mexican immigrant parents, Álvarez began packing apples alongside his mother at a young age, won a full scholarship to college, then dropped out to join a Native American/First Nations movement called the Peace…
    eBookNew York : Catapult, [2020] — EBOOK OVERDRIVE
  • Perfectly You

    Embracing the Power of Being Real

    Atencio, Mariana
    Journalist and NBC reporter Mariana Atencio's fresh, compelling voice resonates powerfully on current cultural topics, such as immigration and global poverty, encouraging individual readers to use their lives to make the world a better…
    BookNashville, Tennessee : W Publishing Group, an imprint of Thomas Nelson, [2019] — 070.92 At27A 2019
  • My Time to Speak

    Reclaiming Ancestry and Confronting Race

    Calderón, Ilia, 1972-
    Afro-Latina Univision news anchor Calderon takes on racism in this fascinating memoir. - Publishers Weekly
    BookNew York, NY : Atria Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, Inc., 2020. — B C1274C 2020
  • An Unlikely Journey

    Waking Up From My American Dream

    Castro, Julián
    The former San Antonio mayor and Secretary of Housing and Urban Development tells the story of how he rose from humble origins to live the American dream. - Kirkus
    eBookNew York : Little Brown & Company, 2018. — EBOOK OVERDRIVE
  • My Time Among the Whites

    Notes From An Unfinished Education

    Crucet, Jennine Capó
    In this conversational and often comic memoir-in-essays, Cuban American novelist Crucet (Make Your Home Among Strangers) examines entitlement and dislocation in a white world. - Publishers Weekly
    BookNew York, N. Y. : Picador, 2019. — 814.6 C887M 2019
  • The Shot Caller

    a Latino Gangbanger's Miraculous Escape From a Life of Violence to a New Life in Christ

    Diaz, Casey
    Former gang member Diaz unleashes a tale of domestic violence, street savagery, imprisonment, and ultimate redemption in his bold debut. - Publishers Weekly
    BookNashville, Tennessee : Emanate Books, an imprint of Thomas Nelson, [2019] — 248.25 D5433S 2019
  • An “ordinary girl” rebels against her unstable life in Puerto Rico and Miami Beach until military service helps her gain a life-altering self-confidence. - Kirkus
    BookChapel Hill, North Carolina : Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 2019. — 818.603 D5436D 2019
  • Coconuts & Collards

    Recipes and Stories From Puerto Rico to the Deep South

    Diaz, Von
    Diaz grew up shuttled between Puerto Rico and Atlanta, and her appreciation for both cultures and their rich culinary histories is showcased in this delightful collection of Puerto Rican comfort food recipes. - Publishers Weekly
    BookGainesville : University Press of Florida, [2018] — 641.59729 D5439C 2018
  • Cruising

    An Intimate History of a Radical Pastime

    Espinoza, Alex, 1971-
    In his first work of nonfiction, novelist Espinoza (The Five Acts of Diego Leon; Still Water Saints) integrates his own history into a survey of the various ways that gay men have found one another through informal means. - Library Journal
    BookLos Angeles, CA The Unnamed Press, [2019] — 306.7662 Es656C 2019
  • In her debut memoir, Fajardo (The Dish on Food and Farming in Colonial America, 2017, etc.) recounts her emotional journey, at age 21, to find the father she had not seen since she was a young child. - Kirkus
    BookMinneapolis : University of Minnesota Press, [2019] — 977.6579 F178F 2019
  • A poet and American Book Award–winning memoirist tells the story of his troubled family and the sustaining relationship he shared with his brother. - Kirkus
    BookMadison, Wisconsin : The University of Wisconsin Press, [2018] — 813.54 G5898G 2018
  • Hernández's debut memoir dives deep into moments before, during, and after crossing into a new country in the life of a young immigrant. - Library Journal
    BookNew York City : Feminist Press, 2019 — 813.6 H4302H 2019
  • An acclaimed Mexican-born poet’s account of the sometimes-overwhelming struggles he and his parents faced in their quest to become American citizens. - Kirkus
    BookNew York, NY : Harper, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, [2020] — 364.13709 H4302H 2020
  • Once I Was You

    a Memoir of Love and Hate in a Torn America

    Hinojosa, Maria, 1961-
    Veteran broadcast journalist Hinojosa discusses immigration in a defiant memoir that probes family lore, public policy, and mainstream media bias. - Publishers Weekly
    BookNew York : Atria Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, Inc., 2020. — 070.92 H594H 2020
  • Pulitzer Prize--winning playwright Hudes (Water by the Spoonful) delivers a love letter to her Puerto Rican heritage in her astonishing debut memoir. - Publishers Weekly
    BookNew York : One World, [2021] — B H8665H 2021
  • Definitely Hispanic

    Essays on Growing Up Latino and Celebrating What Unites Us

    James, LeJuan
    A collection of introspective memoiristic essays by social media influencer and viral phenomenon LeJuan James about growing up Hispanic in the US. - publisher's description
    BookNew York, NY : Atria Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, Inc., 2019. — 305.23508 J234J 2019
  • My Sister

    How One Sibling's Transition Changed Us Both

    Leyva, Selenis, 1972-
    An award-winning TV actress and her trans sister tell the story of how they learned to navigate the difficult, often troubled waters of gender transition. - Kirkus
    BookNew York : Bold Type Books, 2020. — B L598L 2020