Cuba 15 (Random House Reader's Circle)

Cuba 15 (Random House Reader's Circle)

For fans of Matt de la PeÃ±a and Sandra Cisneros comes a novel about family and identity, where Violet Paz prepares for her quinceaÃ±ero and learns about her Cuban heritage.

Â Â Violet Paz has just turned fifteen, a pivotal birthday in the eyes of her Cuban grandmother. Fifteen is the age when a girl enters womanhood, traditionally celebrating the occasion with a quinceaÃ±ero.
Â Â But while Violet is half Cuban, sheâ€™s also half Polish, and more importantly, she feels 100% American. Except for her zany familyâ€™s passion for playing dominoes, smoking cigars, and dancing to Latin music, Violet knows little about Cuban culture, nada about quinces, and only tidbits about the history of Cuba.
Â Â So when Violet begrudgingly accepts Abuelaâ€™s plans for a quinceaÃ±eroâ€“and as she begins to ask questions about her Cuban rootsâ€“cultures and feelings collide. The mere mention of Cuba and Fidel Castro elicits her grandparentsâ€™sadness and her fatherâ€™s anger. Only Violetâ€™s aunt Luz remains open-minded.
Â Â With so many divergent views, itâ€™s not easy to know what to believe. All Violet knows is that sheâ€™s got to form her own opinions, even if this jolts her family into unwanted confrontations. After all, a quince girl is supposed to embrace responsibilityâ€“and to Violet that includes understanding the Cuban heritage that binds her to a homeland sheâ€™s never seen.

â€œVioletâ€™s hilarious cool first-person narrative veers between farce and tenderness, denial and truth.â€â€”Booklist, Starred Review

"This funny and tender chronicle of Violet's 15th year...[has] heart and humor."-Kirkus Reviews

â€œCuba 15 will make readers laugh, whether or not their families are as loco as Violetâ€™s.â€â€”The Horn Book Magazine

"Osa's tale about a warmhearted, fun-loving family, a teenager's typical ambivalence about different cultures, the stress of dealing with high school demands and pressures, a budding romance, and how an imaginative, high-spirited young woman handles some thorny issues and does some growing up in the process, rings true and makes for an entertaining story."-VOYA

"The characters are so charming that while readers are in their company, the experience is interesting and engaging."-SLJ

A Pura BelprÃ© Honor Book

An ALA Notable Book

An ALA Best Book for Young Adults

A Booklist Top Ten Youth First Novels
Country USA
Brand Ember
Manufacturer Ember
Binding Paperback
ItemPartNumber FBA-|293277
Color Multicolor
ReleaseDate 2005-03-08
UnitCount 1
EANs 9780385732338

Country	USA
Brand	Ember
Manufacturer	Ember
Binding	Paperback
ItemPartNumber	FBA-\|293277
Color	Multicolor
ReleaseDate	2005-03-08
UnitCount	1
EANs	9780385732338

Cuba 15 (Random House Reader's Circle)

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