Ordinary Girls: A Memoir

One of the Must-Read Books of 2019 According to O: The Oprah Magazine * Time * Bustle * Electric Literature * Publishers Weekly * The Millions * The Week * Good Housekeeping“There is more life packed on each page of Ordinary Girls than some lives hold in a lifetime.” —Julia Alvarez In this searing memoir, Jaquira Díaz writes fiercely and eloquently of her challenging girlhood and triumphant coming of age.

While growing up in housing projects in Puerto Rico and Miami Beach, Díaz found herself caught between extremes.

As her family split apart and her mother battled schizophrenia, she was supported by the love of her friends.

As she longed for a family and home, her life was upended by violence.

As she celebrated her Puerto Rican culture, she couldn’t find support for her burgeoning sexual identity.