By Cristina Pérez
Now that the summer is at its peak, the kids are still out of school, and the beaches are brimming with tourists and locals alike, there’s not a better time to plan that trip to Puerto Rico during the next few weeks. Let’s face it: if you’re a US citizen, you won’t need a passport to enjoy the blistering, Bali-like heat and humidity of our rainforests; the cobblestoned streets of our colonial city, Old San Juan; or, perhaps, the everyday life of rural towns, which simmer with age-old traditions and the murmur of the earth that has been tilled and sowed for centuries.
Now, where to start? What experience do you want to live in this Caribbean island? Well, I suggest that you conduct a research of all the things you can do in Puerto Rico. But, before you do that, I wholeheartedly recommend reading a book (or nine) that feature Puerto Rico as its main setting. Not only will this give you a better idea of the area you’ll be visiting, but also you won’t remain as oblivious to the complex society who calls Puerto Rico “estar en casa”.
Here’s a list of some our favorite works of literature set in Puerto Rico, which you can enjoy before, during or after your trip. By no means does this list reflect all the literature PR has to offer, but it’s a decent place to start. I hope you like it!
- La Llamarada by Enrique Laguerre
One of Puerto Rico’s most renowned authors (and its only Nobel Prize nominee) is, without a doubt, Enrique Laguerre (1906–2005). He wrote La Llamarada (or “The Flare-up”) in 1935, during the worst part of the Great Depression, which terribly affected Puerto Rico’s already impoverished, malnourished, and abused society. In this book, you’ll learn about this island’s sugar industry (which was generally run by absentee U.S. owners), class struggles and the way of life of rural-based Puerto Ricans during the first half of the 20th Century.
Nowadays, you can visit the Castillo Labadie, which Laguerre renamed as Palacete Los Moreau and used it as a setting for several parts in the novel. This chateau-esque mansion is located in Moca, and you can receive a tour of the house for free.
Click HERE to buy the book (in SPANISH)
2. Simone by Eduardo Lalo
Is it a love story? Perhaps a chase with a tinge of good noir literature? Maybe an ode to San Juan’s boroughs? Well, whatever it is, we loved it and apparently the critics did as well — Lalo received the coveted Rómulo Gallegos Prize in 2013 for this novel.
The story centers on the anonymous narrator, a middle-aged writer-turned-professor who starts receiving apparently random messages from an unknown source. No matter where he goes or what busy street he decides to cross in San Juan’s, he’ll find it there: a message just for him. As the novel ensues, so does love (both for the city and for the secret pursuer).
Simone is set around Río Piedras, Santurce and Old San Juan, and it’s a great book to get a feeling of the different boroughs in San Juan. Read it and visit Puerto Rico to experience it!
Click HERE to buy the book in English; and HERE for Spanish
3. Song of the Simple Truth by Julia de Burgos
Julia de Burgos’ poetry is a soulful, profound celebration of life/love with all its joys and pains. To read her words is to heal. She writes of a Puerto Rico that faces numerous changes, but whose culture still pervades even during the most adverse opposition. As a WoC trying to make it as a writer during the first half of the 20th Century, she did not have it easy— far from it! Nevertheless, she is hailed as one of our very best authors, and still remains the source of inspiration of thousands of Puerto Ricans in the island and in the diaspora.
You can visit the emblematic Río Grande de Loíza and read her poem, and honor both the poetess and her river.
Click HERE to buy the book.
4. Happy Days, Uncle Sergio by Magali García Ramis
This novel can be read lightly, but you’d be missing the point. Yes, it may be a coming-of-age story regarding a teenage Puerto Rican girl during the 1950s, but you will soon discover that it deals subtly about not so subtle topics (i.e. political persecution, sex, and the complex dynamics among the members of a middle-class, urban family).
The family moved from Mayagüez to Santurce, but most of the action takes place in the latter.
Click HERE to buy the book.
5. Mundo Cruel by Luis Negrón
No list would be complete without this wonderful celebration of the (lgbttqi+) life in Santurce. This compilation of short stories showcases — with a poignant and hilarious sense of humor — distinct aspects of the gay microcosm found in Santurce and Río Piedras. You’ll cry, you’ll roar of laughter, and you’ll be deeply moved (both emotionally and intellectually).
You can later visit most of the sites mentioned in this book — Negrón stayed as true as possible to our beloved Santurce.
Do yourself a favor and buy this book (ENGLISH).
Click HERE to buy the book in Spanish.
And since I finished this article with a deep sense of guilt for having left out some of my favorites, here are the honorary mentions. Don’t forget to leave a comment naming your favorite books set in PR!
Puerto Rico Inside and Out by Fernando Picó. To buy, CLICK HERE (English)
Tom-Toms of Kinky Hair and All Things Black by Luis Palés Matos. Click to buy in ENGLISH | SPANISH
Our Lady of the Night by Mayra Santos Febres. Click to buy in ENGLISH | SPANISH
El Local by Joel Cintrón Arbasetti. To buy, CLICK HERE (Spanish)
Metiendo Caña by Luis Trelles
The House on the Lagoon by Rosario Ferré. To buy, CLICK HERE (English)
Macho Camacho’s Beat by Luis Rafael Sánchez. Click to buy in ENGLISH | SPANISH
Vírgenes y Mártires by Ana Lydia Vega and Carmen Lugo Filippi. To buy, CLICK HERE (Spanish)
La Belleza Bruta by Francisco Font Acevedo. To buy, CLICK HERE (Spanish)
