About Nuestras Voces Series
Witness Latino history through first-person diary tales. Created in collaboration with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Latino and Capstone, each story in the Nuestras Voces series features a young Latino character’s experience during key moments in American history. Set against rich and informative historical backdrops, Nuestras Voces presents exciting and accessible historical fiction that depicts a variety of time periods and experiences—including joys and challenges, trials and triumphs, and an inspiring spirit of resilience.
The first two books in the series take place in Puerto Rico during the Spanish American War and World War II in El Paso, Texas following the stories of Paloma and Valentina respectively. The books feature a reading guide and accompanying Smithsonian Learning Labs to connect Smithsonian objects to these stories.
Paloma’s Song for Puerto Rico: A Diary from 1898
It is 1898, and twelve-year-old Paloma lives in Puerto Rico with her family. They are coffee farmers, and Paloma loves the chickens and fruit trees that she helps to care for. She also loves music―the song of the coquí frogs who sing her to sleep, and the melodies from Papi’s tiple guitar. But Paloma’s world begins to change when war arrives on Puerto Rico’s shores. What will happen to their culture, the island? As Paloma and her family navigate changes they can’t control, they hold tightly to each other and hope for a better future.
Visit the Smithsonian Learning Lab for the companion educational resources for Nuestras Voces Series.