Judith Ortiz Cofer was born in Hormigueros, Puerto Rico, and grew up on the island and in Paterson, New Jersey, before her family moved to Georgia. Ortiz Cofer is the author of ten books, including The Line of the Sun, The Latin Deli, and Silent Dancing- A Partial Remembrance of a Puerto Rican Childhood, and her work has been published in numerous anthologies. Her book An Island Like You- Stories of the Barrio has received several distinctions, including the American Library Association REFORMA Pura Belpre Honor Award, and it was also named a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year.
Judith Ortiz Cofer opens for us a window of understanding into the riches of Puerto Rican culture. Her brave, gritty narrator, Consuelo . . . is the perfect tour guide through this compelling, deeply honest novel about the pain of family secrets.--Pam Houston, author of @lt;i@gt;Cowboys Are My Weakness@lt;/i@gt;@lt;br@gt;@lt;br@gt; A bittersweet tale of the price one pays to reinvent the story handed down by one's antepasados and familia. Consuelo is both herself and every mujer, and her story her own and that of her island, torn between self-discovery and safety. --Julia Alvarez, author of @lt;i@gt;How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents@lt;/i@gt;@lt;br@gt;@lt;br@gt; Funny and affecting, this rite of passage novel celebrates familia y cultura, and artful ways to escape them unscathed. Judith Ortiz Cofer is one of our most gifted authors. --@lt;i@gt;Latina@lt;/i@gt;