A review by thednfdarling
Libertad by Bessie Flores Zaldívar

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Libertad is such an important book to have in circulation. It tells the story of Libertad, an 18 year old girl, who is growing up under the regime of the right-wing government, artfully weaving the impact of living under those conditions into the threads of the story to teach the reader both passively and actively about the lived experience of being a young, queer, and politically active person in Honduras. We come to know and fall in love with those in Libertad’s family - her younger brother Alberto who is tender hearted and her older brother Maynor who you can tell Libertad loves and looks up to. Her mother, and abuelos, provide inter generational perspectives which help the reader learn more about varying perspectives on Honudras. Lastly, there are Libertad’s friends and community who help her to explore herself and come of age. One of the details I liked most about this book was that Spanish was easefully interspersed with English. I wish more books were written this way.