Cuba 15

(Paperback)

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

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

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 quinceaero.
But while Violet is half Cuban, shes also half Polish, and more importantly, she feels 100% American. Except for her zany familys 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.
So when Violet begrudgingly accepts Abuelas plans for a quinceaeroand as she begins to ask questions about her Cuban rootscultures and feelings collide. The mere mention of Cuba and Fidel Castro elicits her grandparentssadness and her fathers anger. Only Violets aunt Luz remains open-minded.
With so many divergent views, its not easy to know what to believe. All Violet knows is that shes got to form her own opinions, even if this jolts her family into unwanted confrontations. After all, a quince girl is supposed to embrace responsibilityand to Violet that includes understanding the Cuban heritage that binds her to a homeland shes never seen.

Violets hilarious cool first-person narrative veers between farce and tenderness, denial and truth.Booklist, Starred Review

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

Cuba 15 will make readers laugh, whether or not their families are as loco as Violets.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 Belpr Honor Book

An ALA Notable Book

An ALA Best Book for Young Adults

A Booklist Top Ten Youth First Novels

Reviews

Violets hilarious cool first-person narrative veers between farce and tenderness, denial and truth . . .Booklist, Starred

Cuba 15 will make readers laugh, whether or not their families are as loco as Violets.The Horn Book Magazine

A Pura Belpr Honor Book

An ALA Notable Book

An ALA Best Book for Young Adults

A Booklist Top Ten Youth First Novels

Author Bio

NANCY OSA is a native of Chicago, Illinois, and a graduate of Reed College (BA English). She has been published in national periodicals and textbooks. Her book Cuba 15 earned the Delacorte Press Prize for a First Young Adult Novel, was a Pura Belpre Honor Book, and was recognized for excellence by the American Library Association and Booklist. She is a two-time Oregon Literary Fellowship recipient and alumna of Hedgebrook Foundation.