With Love, Echo Park

(Paperback, Reprint)

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Description

From the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of A Cuban Girls Guide to Tea and Tomorrow, this touching and emotionally satisfying (Publishers Weekly, starred review) novel follows two Cuban teens in LAs Echo Park neighborhood who clash over their visions for the future, the secrets between their familiesand the sparks flying between them.

Seventeen-year-old Clary is set to inherit her familys florist shop, La Rosa Blancaone of the last remnants of the Cuban business district that once thrived in Los Angeless Echo Park neighborhood. Clary knows Echo Park is where shell leave a legacy, and nothing is more important to her than keeping the areas unique history alive.

Besides Clarys florist shop, theres only one other business left founded by Cuban immigrants fleeing Castros regime in the sixties and seventies. And Emilio, whos supposed to take over Avalos Bicycle Works one day, is more flight risk than dependable successor. While others might find Emilio appealing, Clary can see him itching to leave now that hes graduated, and shell never be charmed by a guy who doesnt care if one more Echo Park business fades away.

But then Clary is caught off guard when an unexpected visitor delivers a shocking message from someone she thought shed left behind. Meanwhile, Emilio realizes leaving home wont be so easyand Clary, who has always been next door, is who he confides in. As the summer days unfold, they find theres something stronger than local history tying them together.

Reviews

Expertly rendered characters and pitch-perfect interactionscoalesce into atouching and emotionally satisfying novelby Namey (A British Girls Guide to Hurricanes and Heartbreak) in which a small Cuban community forefronts love, unity, and support to navigate the consequences of secrets and the endless possibilities of the future. -- Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
Clary evolves from a high school girl clinging to her hometown and way of life to imagining a world beyond the citys borders. . . . Cuban culture and Spanish are sprinkled throughout, adding dimension and authenticity to the story. . . . A great addition to realistic fiction, this book has equal parts romance and family drama. -- School Library Journal
Namey crafts deep, complex characters with rich relationships, both to their families by blood and the greater sense of familia that residents of the close-knit neighborhood of Echo Park have. . . . Set against this tight weave of history, family, and belonging, Nameys multi-dimensional characters, pitch-perfect dialogue, and big, personal questions about identity and belonging make this an ode to family, community, culture, and friendship. -- The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
A satisfying blend of romance, social activism, and deep roots. . . .This earnest coming-of-age story is a tribute to family, culture, and resilience. -- Kirkus Reviews
Namey crafts deep, complex characters with rich relationships, both to their families by blood and the greater sense of familia that residents of the close-knit neighborhood of Echo Park have. . . . Set against this tight weave of history, family, and belonging, Nameys multi-dimensional characters, pitch-perfect dialogue, and big, personal questions about identity and belonging make this an ode to family, community, culture, and friendship. -- The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

Author Bio

Laura Taylor Namey is theNew York Timesand internationally bestselling author ofyoung adult fiction including Reeses Book Club pickA Cuban Girls Guide to Tea and Tomorrow,A British Girls Guide to Hurricanes and Heartbreak,When We Were Them,andWith Love, Echo Park. A proud Cuban American, she can be found hunting for vintage treasures and wishing she was in London or Paris. She lives in San Diego with her husband and two children. Visit her at LauraTaylorNamey.com.