"Family memory and trauma are at the center of this poignant novel, which follows a daughter who returns to Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria in search of her vanished father, a brilliant attorney struggling with mental health and alcoholism." — New York Times Book Review
"After the Hurricane is a love letter to the diaspora of Puerto Rican Americans whose heritages straddle an ocean in geography and heart. Leah Franqui bravely tackles what it means to be a modern hija/daughter of an absent father (both biological and ancestral) searching for identity in the wake of Hurricane Maria. I cried. I laughed. I wanted to reach out and hold her characters' hands." — Sarah McCoy, New York Times bestselling author of Mustique Island
“Leah Franqui skillfully explores what’s lost and what’s left behind in the engrossing After the Hurricane.” — South Florida Sun-Sentinel
“Heartfelt . . . . A moving reflection on love and loss." — Publishers Weekly
“Moving . . . very much a coming-of-age narrative." — Booklist
“Compelling… a strong contemporary story about cross-cultural alliances, the bonds of family and what it means to ‘learn America.’” — USA Today on America for Beginners
“Extremely moving…gorgeous.” — New York Post on America for Beginners
“I loved this beautiful, deeply human tale. Exquisitely written with humor and tenderness, this novel is a perceptive exploration of prejudice, cultural differences, the American dream, and ultimately, the kindness and love that binds us all—a timely reminder of life’s profound possibilities when we open our hearts. This is one magnificent read!” — Amita Trasi, bestselling author of The Color of Our Sky, on America for Beginners
“Mother Land is as much a treatise on what it means to belong to oneself as it is a story of two women from opposing cultures.... [The] women discover they are not so different and learn from one another a secret to happiness that surprises them both.” — San Francisco Book Review
“Unexpected...funny and relatable...[A] tender tale of two women who are lost and alone, but who eventually become allies and each other’s biggest champions.” — BookPage (starred review)