11/01/2021
Estrella’s elderly aunt must leave her longtime home, a pink Miami Beach casita—the place where, as a Sephardic Jewish refugee fleeing from Havana she brought “nothing but a suitcase of old photographs and the mezuzah that hung on her doorpost and a key to a home gone forever.” As Tía Fortuna prepares for a new life at what she calls “La Casa de los Viejitos,” she and Estrella say goodbye to the beach and eat a plate of homemade borekas that the woman tells her niece are filled with “potatoes and cheese and... esperanza.” Behar’s (Letters from Cuba) warmhearted storytelling turns the past, present, and future into a confluence of connections as Estrella realizes her role in a legacy of faith, hope, and resilience. The text’s lyrical mood is well supported by Holzwarth’s (Papa, Daddy, and Riley) mixed media illustrations. Tía Fortuna’s colorful dress, warm smile, and swirl of bright white hair exude energy and resolve, while the compositions’ curvilinear lines and embellishments of Sephardic Jewish and tropical motifs speak to a life well lived—with plenty of joy still ahead. Back matter includes an author’s note and Spanish-to-English glossary. Ages 4–8. (Jan.)
★ 01/28/2022
K-Gr 3—Estrella's favorite aunt, Tia Fortuna, left Cuba years ago and now lives in Miami. Estrella loves visiting Tia Fortuna and hearing stories about her life and their shared heritage as Sephardic Jews. Their peripatetic ancestors originated in Spain, went on to Turkey, and then settled in Cuba. When she left Cuba, after Castro came to power, Tia Fortuna took the key to her Cuban casita, as Sephardic legends encourage, and wore it around her neck as a sign of hope going forward. Now Tia Fortuna is leaving Seaway, her Miami home, to go to a house for the aged. She makes friends immediately as she shares the borekas she made for old and new friends and settles right in. Before Estrella leaves, Tia Fortuna gives her the key to Seaway, continuing the tradition of hope, and Estrella knows Tia Fortuna will be just fine. Spanish words are embedded throughout, and the fullness of the text supports their meaning. A fabulous glossary in the back matter will answer any questions that arise. This powerful intergenerational story is enhanced by stunning art created with gouache, watercolor, and colored pencil. The palette establishes a sense of place, reminiscent of the Caribbean and Florida and serves as an anchor to the text. VERDICT This is beautiful story about heritage and hope, a must for all libraries, and remarkable in every way. —Joan Kindig
★ 2021-12-03
A young Cuban American girl learns the real meaning of home in this poignant story drawing on the real-life history of Cuba’s Sephardic Jews.
Estrella loves to visit her aunt, Tía Fortuna, in her little pink house at the Seaway in Miami. Tía Fortuna once lived “on the other side of the sea, in Havana,” Cuba. When she “had to leave” her home (a closing author’s note pinpoints the Cuban Revolution as the cause), she took only a suitcase of old photographs, her mezuzah (prayer scroll) from her doorpost, and “a key to a home gone forever.” Now, years later, she must move once again, this time to an assisted living facility. While Estrella spends time with her aunt at the seaside and helps her pack, she listens to her life stories, learns about the cultural and religious significance of her most prized possessions, and ultimately learns that, like her ancestors, she can find hope wherever life takes her. This heartfelt intergenerational story illuminates a lesser-known facet of Jewish American immigration. Ladino (i.e., Judeo-Spanish) words are seamlessly integrated into the dialogue between aunt and niece, and Behar weaves Sephardic symbols and traditions into the narrative. For example, Tía Fortuna wears a lucky-eye bracelet (a Sephardic Jewish talisman) and serves borekas (a Sephardic Jewish pastry). Detailed paintings, rendered in gouache, watercolor, and color pencil with digital finishing, skillfully move the visual narrative between the past and the present. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A nostalgic glimpse at a little-known but rich culture within the broader Jewish American community. (glossary) (Picture book. 5-8)
NAMED A SYDNEY TAYLOR NOTABLE BOOK
★ "[A] beautiful story about heritage and hope… and remarkable in every way." —School Library Journal, starred review
★ "A nostalgic glimpse at a little-known but rich culture within the broader Jewish American community." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review
“A beautiful tribute to home, family, and traditions.” —Margarita Engle, Pura Belpré Award–winning and Newbery Honor–winning author
"Overflowing with warmth, hope and poetry, Tía Fortuna's New Home is a beautiful celebration of culture, intergenerational love, and the sanctity of home, both old and new." —Matt de la Pena, Newbery winning author of Last Stop on Market Street
“Good fortune to the readers of this wise tale.” —Sandra Cisneros, author of Hairs/Pelitos
“A beautiful and heartful reminder that home is not merely where we live, but rather, everything that lives within us.” —Richard Blanco, 2013 Presidential Inaugural Poet, author of How to Love a Country
"A radiant gem where the ancient past and future encounter one another with a welcoming hope." —Marjorie Agosin, author of I Lived on Butterfly Hill
