NEWS

Take a Virtual Jewish Cuban Journey With KBFYR Picture Book Author Ruth Behar

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Ruth Behar, author of TIA FORTUNA’S NEW HOME: A Jewish Cuban Journey (Knopf Books for Young Readers), will be in discussion about her new picture book with fellow Pura Belpré Award-winning author Marjorie Agosín during a virtual event hosted by Malaprops Bookstore and Café on Saturday, March 5 at 2:00 PM (ET).

To register for this event, click here.

In TIA FORTUNA’S NEW HOME, Estrella has to say goodbye to her Tía Fortuna before she moves away. When the two spend the day together, Tía Fortuna explains to Estrella the significance of her most cherished Jewish and Cuban possessions and they both learn to say goodbye to make room for Tía Fortuna’s new beginning.

A multicultural ode to family and what it means to create a home, this children’s book was illustrated by Devon Holzwarth, emphasizing themes of tradition, culture, and togetherness by exploring the Sephardic Jewish and Cuban heritage of Estrella and her Tía. Through her Tía Fortuna’s journey, Estrella will learn that as long as you have your family, home is truly where the heart is.

Ruth Behar was born in Havana, Cuba. She grew up in New York and has also lived in Spain and Mexico. She is also the Pura Belpré Award-winning author of LUCKY BROKEN GIRL and, in addition to writing for young people, her work includes poetry, memoir, and acclaimed travel books. Behar was the first Latina to win a MacArthur “Genius” Grant, and her other honors include a John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship and being named a “Great Immigrant” by the Carnegie Corporation. She currently lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan where she is an anthropology professor at the University of Michigan.

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Posted: March 4, 2022