The Art of White Roses

Viviana Prado-Núñez won the Burt Award for Caribbean Young Adult Literature (2017) for this breathtaking first novel set in Cuba.

It is 1957, in a quiet Havana suburb. Adela Santiago is thirteen and lives in a small blue house with her family. But something is amiss. Students on her street are disappearing, her parents’ marriage seems to be disintegrating and a cousin is caught up in a bombing at a luxury hotel. Welcome to the revolution. Welcome to Cuba.

A gorgeously written story, full of nuance, sadness, and the joy of growing up. A terrific debut from an exciting new voice in young people’s literature.

– Daniel José Older, author of the award-winning YA series “The Shadowshaper Cypher”.

For a young woman’s debut novel, Viviana Prado-Núñez writes with assurance, eloquence and beauty.

– Jamila Gavin, author of “Coram Boy”, winner of the Whitbread Prize for Children’s Book of the Year

Love this debut novel from a talented new writer – superbly crafted, engaging and warm hearted coming of age tale set in Cuba 1958. Thank you Papillote Press for sending this on. It’s fantastic.

– Bali Rai, YA author of YA novels, including The Crew and Rani & Sukh

The Art of White Roses is a poet, poignant depiction of Caribbean life by an emerging voice I know we will continue to read.

– David Tomas Martinez, poet and teacher