Ruth Behar, the Pura Belpré Award-winning author of Lucky Broken Girl, was born in Havana, Cuba, grew up in New York, and has also lived in Spain and Mexico. In addition to writing for young people, her work includes poetry, memoir, and the acclaimed travel books An Island Called Home and Traveling Heavy, which explore her return journeys to Cuba and her search for home. She was the first Latina to win a MacArthur "Genius" Grant, and other honors include a John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship, and being named a "Great Immigrant" by the Carnegie Corporation. She is an anthropology professor at the University of Michigan and lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

INSPIRED BY RUTH'S FAMILY: Includes an author's note explaining the parts of Ruth's family history that inspired the novel.

CELEBRATION OF CUBA'S DIVERSITY: Esther's first friends in the small town of Agramonte are Afro-Cuban and Chinese.

EYE-OPENING IMMIGRATION/REFUGEE STORY: Esther is shocked when Cuba suddenly starts limiting entry to Jews fleeing the Nazis-a policy that has uncomfortable parallels with the situation at our southern border today.

FASCINATING PIECE OF HISTORY: Readers are likely unfamiliar with the Jewish communities that developed in Cuba as a result of World War II.

POWERFUL AND POIGNANT: Esther's story is hopeful, but doesn't shy away from the realities of the war.

CELEBRATES COMMUNITY: The warm welcome Esther's new community gives her, and the support they offer despite their cultural differences, is heartwarming.

WELCOMING NEW EXPERIENCES VS. CLINGING TO TRADITIONS: The Jewish adults in Esther's life stress the importance of staying true to her heritage, but she's curious to know more about all the different cultural and religious traditions she's discovering among her new Cuban neighbors.