First published 2023
A student faces a school assignment to create her family tree but can only trace back three generations. When Abuela gathers the entire family together, the student discovers that four centuries ago in 1619, her ancestors were stolen from their homeland and brought to America by European enslavers. Before that forced journey, her people had their own land, language, and home. The student learns how those who survived the middle passage and claimed to be born over water managed to endure. She discovers how they planted dreams and hope in hostile soil. She understands how they created new vocabulary for love, friendship, family, joy, growth, and home. Through this family gathering, the student connects with the long history of Black resistance in America and grapples with how slavery's legacy shapes her identity and the broader American story.
Genres: family, historical-fiction, social-issues, african-american-historical-fiction
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, generational-trauma
Setting: America
Period: 1619, 21st-Century
48 pages · Hardcover · Kokila
Content warnings: slavery