How the García Girls Lost Their Accents

Reach for this book when your teenager is struggling to balance their cultural heritage with their American identity, or when they feel a growing distance from your family traditions. Julia Alvarez explores the lives of four sisters as they navigate the complexities of being Dominican immigrants in the Bronx. The novel captures the push and pull of sisterhood, the weight of a father's strict expectations, and the lingering effects of political trauma. Because it deals with mature themes like mental health, sexual awakening, and the search for autonomy, it is best suited for older teens aged 14 and up. Parents will appreciate how it validates the difficult process of 'finding one's voice' in a new country while honoring the roots that shaped them.