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“Written in beautifully emotive verse, the story alternates between the pair’s perspectives as they fall passionately in love, despite the looming challenges of a long-distance romance complicated by international politics. . . . Readers will root for the young couple and, after a deeply buried secret is revealed, they’ll hope for a sequel to explore its possibilities. Captivating and heartfelt.”

—Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

“Spellbinding . . . Lyrical narration is rendered with a striking mix of romanticism and reality with Spanish text—accompanied by translations—smoothly incorporated throughout. It’s an immersive love song to the power of both ancestral history and first romance.”

—Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

Evamar

Written by Margarita Engle
Published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers

Just before she was transformed
into an invisible spirit
my grandmother whispered her last wishes
into my ear:

Sprinkle my ashes in a patch of girasoles,
wait patiently, harvest the seeds,
fly to la isla, find el jardín,
plant las semillas.
Then and only then-
read my diaries.

Evamar has arrived in Cuba with her abuela’s ashes and her mother’s warnings: Don’t talk politics, boil the tap water before you drink, y por favor absolutamente, don’t fall in love. But then she meets Río, a captivating drummer whose music and presence she can’t ignore.

Río bears his own scars, separated from his family in the United States. As their bond deepens, Evamar discovers an ancestral treasure that could change her future-and the lives of millions of Caribbeans.

También disponible en Español, Evamar (Spanish Edition).

Primary ISBN: 9781665988070
Publication Date: September 2026
Available As: Hardcover, eBook
Young Adult, Age 12 or older

Community Represented:

Themes: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Setting: United States (New Jersey), Cuba

Character's Place in the Immigration Journey: 2nd Generation

Book Creator(s) Connection to the Community Represented: Own Voices/Lived Experience

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