The Color of My Words - by Lynn Joseph (Paperback)

About the Book

Poet Lynn Joseph's debut novel explores the pain and the poetry of discovering what it means to be part of a family, what it takes to find a place in the world, and how it feels to write it all down. This critically acclaimed novel about aspiring writer Ana Rosa has won several awards, including the Americas Award.

Book Synopsis

Américas Award Winner

"An achingly beautiful story."--Kirkus (starred review) "Eloquent."--Booklist (starred review) "Lovely and lyrical."--School Library Journal

This powerful and resonant Américas Award-winning novel tells the story of a young girl's struggle to find her place in the world and to become a writer in a country where words are feared.

Seamlessly interweaving both poetry and prose, Lynn Joseph's acclaimed debut is a lush and lyrical journey into a landscape and culture of the Dominican Republic.

The Color of My Words explores the pain and poetry of discovering what it means to be part of a family, what it takes to find your voice and the means for it to be heard, and how it feels to write it all down.

From the Back Cover

Twelve-year-old Ana Rosa is a blossoming writer growing up in the Dominican Republic, a country where words are feared. Yet there is so much inspiration all around her -- watching her brother search for a future, learning to dance and to love, and finding out what it means to be part of a community -- that Ana Rosa must write it all down. As she struggles to find her own voice and a way to make it heard, Ana Rosa realizes the power of her words to transform the world around her -- and to transcend the most unthinkable of tragedies.

Review Quotes

"An achingly beautiful story." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Eloquent." -- ALA Booklist (starred review)

"Finely wrought." -- Publisher's Weekly

"Poetically structured, vividly imagined." -- The Horn Book

"Lovely and lyrical." -- School Library Journal