If I Bring You Roses

"I believe in spirits," Felicidad says. "I believe in making love," he said. If I Bring Your Roses by Marisel Vera was another beautiful ode to Puerto Rico, its people, and the ways they survive U.S. oppression. This is a story about two young people, Anibal and Felicidad trying to make sense of love and find belonging in a country that offers them nothing but broken promises, racism, colonialism, generational poverty and disrespect. Vera's strength is in writing multifaceted characters that blur the lines and venture into morally grey areas. Anibal is a "ladies man" who can't commit and is representative of the machismo of the 1950's. Underneathe it all he's trying to be a good man who will make his parents back home proud while being dehumanized and emasculated on a daily basis for being Puerto Rican. Felicidad, whose name means happiness, comes from an impoverished background and was sent away by her family to give her opportunities, feels alone and void of love until Anibal. Both are trying to make sense of the expectations placed upon them by society: masculinity vs. feminity. Both come from poverty and inadequate education. Both have different ideas about love and family. Anibal fills the void with women and Felicidad with daydreaming and spirits. Both want to belong but everywhere they turn in Chicago are reminders of that they are "foreign". How do you create your own identity and build a life with someone you barely know at the same time? How do you dispel the stereotypes and break generational curses without a proper foundation? Vera is a magical storyteller because she makes you hang on every word. She paints the background one piece at a time and she gives you deep characters that steal your heart and live in your brain forever rent free. She transports you to Puerto Rico via the tastes and smells of the food and the rhythm of the music. She reminds you that despite the legacy of displacement, home for Puerto Ricans is where you make. It's where you find community and where you find the people worth fighting for. Home is where you find the Ana's of the world who push boundaries, fight for women & take their country with them everywhere they go.