Puerto Rico A National History

"A much-needed primer on the history of Puerto Rico, showcasing how its people have long cultivated a tradition of resilience and resistance. . . . [Meléndez-Badillo] offers readers a critical understanding of how the island came to exist as it does today and how its future may yet unfold. [He] succeeds in not just recounting historical events from a distance as other historians might but in using the stories of real people—both from history and from the present, including his own—to spark something deeper in the reader. I found it impossible to read this book and not be overwhelmed with emotion at times, not just feeling like I learned something new but that I also wanted to do something more."—Jazmine Gonzalez, Porchlight