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The Moonlit Vine
Fourteen-year-old Taína just learned that she is a descendant of a long line of strong Taíno women, but will knowing this help her bring peace and justice to her family and community?
Despite her name, Taína Perez doesn't know anything about her Taíno heritage, nor has she ever tried to learn. After all, how would ancient Puerto Rican history help with everything going on? There's constant trouble at school and in her neighborhood, her older brother was kicked out of the house, and with her mom at work, she's left alone to care for her little brother and aging grandmother. It's a lot for a 14-year-old to manage.
But life takes a wild turn when her abuela tells her she is a direct descendant of Anacaona, the beloved Taíno leader, warrior, and poet, who was murdered by the Spanish in 1503. Abuela also gives her an amulet and a zemi and says that it's time for her to step into her power like the women who came before her. But is that even possible? People like her hardly make it out of their circumstances, and the problems in her home and community are way bigger than Taína can manage. Or are they?
A modern tale with interstitial historical chapters, The Moonlit Vine brings readers a powerful story of the collective struggle, hope, and liberation of Puerto Rican and Taíno peoples.
Also available in Spanish!
Despite her name, Taína Perez doesn't know anything about her Taíno heritage, nor has she ever tried to learn. After all, how would ancient Puerto Rican history help with everything going on? There's constant trouble at school and in her neighborhood, her older brother was kicked out of the house, and with her mom at work, she's left alone to care for her little brother and aging grandmother. It's a lot for a 14-year-old to manage.
But life takes a wild turn when her abuela tells her she is a direct descendant of Anacaona, the beloved Taíno leader, warrior, and poet, who was murdered by the Spanish in 1503. Abuela also gives her an amulet and a zemi and says that it's time for her to step into her power like the women who came before her. But is that even possible? People like her hardly make it out of their circumstances, and the problems in her home and community are way bigger than Taína can manage. Or are they?
A modern tale with interstitial historical chapters, The Moonlit Vine brings readers a powerful story of the collective struggle, hope, and liberation of Puerto Rican and Taíno peoples.
Also available in Spanish!
368 pages, Hardcover
First published May 30, 2023
24 people are currently reading
2694 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Santiago
8 books26 followersElizabeth Santiago is a fiction writer, creative writing teacher and narrative coach. Her forthcoming debut novel, The Moonlit Vine/Claro de Luna, will be released in May of 2023 by Lee and Low, the largest multicultural children's book publisher in the United States. She obtained her PhD in Educational Studies from Lesley University, Master of Education from Harvard University, and Bachelor of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from Emerson College.
Her first loves remain creative writing and teaching, never losing her desire to create characters based on her beloved community, or support students in leveraging storytelling to be better overall writers. She lives in Boston with her husband Kevin, son Ezekiel, and very vocal cat Mr. Felix.
Her first loves remain creative writing and teaching, never losing her desire to create characters based on her beloved community, or support students in leveraging storytelling to be better overall writers. She lives in Boston with her husband Kevin, son Ezekiel, and very vocal cat Mr. Felix.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
November 30, 2025
I love reading youth literature because these books help build perspective-taking skills while learning about cultures that differ from mine. This is an interesting story about Taino, Puerto Rican, and inner-city US teens learn about their heritages. Excellent narration in the audiobook.
June 15, 2024
The story is beautifully woven across multiple timelines, with Ty in the present and her ancestors passing the amulet and zemi down in the past, as well as allowing a small glimpse of the struggles and celebrations of the times. I loved seeing the stories passed down from generation to generation, as well as how the great power that Ty calls isn't an army or destruction, but connection and empathy and understanding.
March 9, 2025
Loved this book and even bought a copy to put in my classroom. I may buy one for a friend. It’s YA and beautifully written while focusing simultaneously and current social issues (gentrification, discrimination, gangs, poverty, shitty teachers) and cultural tradition, history, and identity. I learned a lot about Puerto Rican history and culture.
August 21, 2024
Loved this a lot, especially the matriliineal oral tradition and source of power. It reminded me a bit of I am not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter and The Hate U Give mixed with the Haunting of Alejandra (but less horror, more light fantasy/mythology).
So good!
So good!
November 20, 2024
”We are the light that makes the night sky bright. We are the music that warms the heart and blesses the soul. We love proudly and we love fiercely. This is our power.”
Knowing that her people would likely be wiped out by Spanish colonizers, the cacique Anacaona created an amulet and zemi and infused them with her strength to be passed on through her female descendants, a way to pass on knowledge of their Taíno heritage and for their protection. While the Spaniards conquest, Anacaona’s daughter moves from Ayiti to Amoná, and her daughter to Borikén to increase their chances of survival.
In the present day, Taína lives with her immigrant family in a resource-limited, violence-ridden neighbourhood in the US. Taína understands very little about her Taíno heritage when her grandmother passes on Anacaona’s amulet and zemi to her right when she needs it the most. In a moment of desperate need Taína must rely on the people who make up her community, and opening up the amulet, call on her ancestors to help her.
This is the second time I have encountered Anacaona in my reading and the first novel I’ve encountered that centers Taíno identity and culture. Through Anacaona’s descendants, we get glimpses of Borikén history and the lives of the people who live there. Santiago does a good job in addressing themes of poverty, gang violence and colonization. She discusses how the Taíno assimilated for their survival, and the compromises still being made by the citizens of occupied Puerto Rico.
At its heart, there is a story in this novel about what it means to be family and learning to live in community. But it is also a story about gifts given, tangible and intangible, from mother to daughter, ancestor to descendant across space and time. It is a sweet matrilineal story and gosh I’m a sucker for those.
Knowing that her people would likely be wiped out by Spanish colonizers, the cacique Anacaona created an amulet and zemi and infused them with her strength to be passed on through her female descendants, a way to pass on knowledge of their Taíno heritage and for their protection. While the Spaniards conquest, Anacaona’s daughter moves from Ayiti to Amoná, and her daughter to Borikén to increase their chances of survival.
In the present day, Taína lives with her immigrant family in a resource-limited, violence-ridden neighbourhood in the US. Taína understands very little about her Taíno heritage when her grandmother passes on Anacaona’s amulet and zemi to her right when she needs it the most. In a moment of desperate need Taína must rely on the people who make up her community, and opening up the amulet, call on her ancestors to help her.
This is the second time I have encountered Anacaona in my reading and the first novel I’ve encountered that centers Taíno identity and culture. Through Anacaona’s descendants, we get glimpses of Borikén history and the lives of the people who live there. Santiago does a good job in addressing themes of poverty, gang violence and colonization. She discusses how the Taíno assimilated for their survival, and the compromises still being made by the citizens of occupied Puerto Rico.
At its heart, there is a story in this novel about what it means to be family and learning to live in community. But it is also a story about gifts given, tangible and intangible, from mother to daughter, ancestor to descendant across space and time. It is a sweet matrilineal story and gosh I’m a sucker for those.
March 13, 2024
I am really excited about this book, especially for our older readers (Ty is 14, like our 8th graders). It is a beautiful story that connects the history of Puerto Rico to the present day. The historical chapters are brief but provide just the right amount of information about early Anacaona and her efforts to save her people from colonization. It also shows how the trauma experienced by previous generations can create inequalities that still exist today. I appreciate how the characters Ty, Alex, and Luis find themselves in trouble and how people make assumptions about their actions without understanding their motivations. The story underscores that everyone's actions matter and that it is crucial to take the time to understand why someone is doing something before making judgments. Abuela is awesome and allows for a bit of magical realism. Author’s note, ancestors, historical timeline, inspiring Boriqueños, references.
November 27, 2023
Reading this on the heels of Christopher Columbus and the Taíno People, it's hard to believe that there are not more books that incorporate either the Taíno/Arawak history or the contemporary realities of Puerto Ricans. And this does both, to great effect.
Taína looks after everyone. Her mother withdrew after her father was sent to prison, so Taína keeps an eye on her Abuela and younger brother Luis, defends her classmates from insensitive teachers, and always feels like she has to fight for someone. Her Abuela suffers from Alzheimer's disease, but bestows a family legacy upon Taína just before she dies. Family features strongly in this story, with many fractures in Taína's, but also many opportunities to come together. Alternating chapters that go back to the time of the original inhabitants of the Caribbean offer up history of the islands and Taína's family history.
Her story packs in a lot of issues. Elder care, healing broken families, gang violence, the criminal justice system, overuse of police in schools, and prejudice against multilingual students all have a place here. It's a lot, and some of the issues wrap up a little too neatly, but overall the story of Taína and her family is a powerful one.
Taína looks after everyone. Her mother withdrew after her father was sent to prison, so Taína keeps an eye on her Abuela and younger brother Luis, defends her classmates from insensitive teachers, and always feels like she has to fight for someone. Her Abuela suffers from Alzheimer's disease, but bestows a family legacy upon Taína just before she dies. Family features strongly in this story, with many fractures in Taína's, but also many opportunities to come together. Alternating chapters that go back to the time of the original inhabitants of the Caribbean offer up history of the islands and Taína's family history.
Her story packs in a lot of issues. Elder care, healing broken families, gang violence, the criminal justice system, overuse of police in schools, and prejudice against multilingual students all have a place here. It's a lot, and some of the issues wrap up a little too neatly, but overall the story of Taína and her family is a powerful one.
January 7, 2024
Taina (Ty) is frustrated that her ELA teacher demands respect yet seems to always call out the Latino/Latina students in her class. When Ty is sent to the principal for defending a classmate, it seems to be a final straw for her mother who recently sent Ty’s older brother to live with their father after he was suspended for fighting. Ty not only takes care of her younger brother while her mother works 2 jobs, she also takes care of her abuela who has Alzheimer’s. The night her grandmother dies, she gives Ty a wooden box with family treasures that has been handed down to the women in her family for centuries from the Taino leader Anacaona. With a touch of magical realism, this is a book about Puerto Rican families and the social injustices faced by poor, Latino/Latina people in this country. As Ty learns more about her Taino heritage, she makes the realization that the gentrification happening in her neighborhood is not unlike the colonization that happened to the Taino centuries ago. A powerful and poignant story of family and standing up for what’s right.
December 11, 2023
The Moonlit Vine is a very interesting read and accomplishes what it attempts, to show the empowerment of the young protagonist to change her circumstances and environment. In this story, the author has crafted a multi-faceted and believable young woman that you root for from start to finish. I particularly love that it is a female empowerment story that focuses on passing on that empowerment from generation to generation. During the course of my reading, I could not guess where it was going or how the story would wrap up but I was eager to see the conclusion. The story was also valuable in showing me the history of a culture and a people I was only vaguely familiar with. The author did a masterful job of weaving history into the story narrative so you could trace the line of 14-year-old Taína's lineage along with her growing power and confidence. The Moonlit Vine is an enjoyable read that I believe anyone will enjoy and I look forward to the next book from Elizabeth Santiago.
April 9, 2024
Taina (Ty) and her family are going through hard times: mom and dad have separated; older brother has gotten suspended for fighting at school; grandma (abuela) has Alzheimer's. But these are not the only challenges Ty is facing. However, her beloved abuela helps her by giving her a piece of her Taino heritage that has been passed through multiple centuries and generations.
While set mostly in the current day, we do get interstitial glimpses of the strong Taino women in Ty's past as well as a look at the deep cultural heritage that is rarely studied as a part of school curriculum. This is so important for those from Puerto Rico, Haiti, and the DR to be able to see themselves and for others to learn about.
Wrapped up the story a bit too neatly overall but loved the idea of the power of community and working together for change.
CW: police violence, gangs, teacher bias, racism
Grades 7 and up
While set mostly in the current day, we do get interstitial glimpses of the strong Taino women in Ty's past as well as a look at the deep cultural heritage that is rarely studied as a part of school curriculum. This is so important for those from Puerto Rico, Haiti, and the DR to be able to see themselves and for others to learn about.
Wrapped up the story a bit too neatly overall but loved the idea of the power of community and working together for change.
CW: police violence, gangs, teacher bias, racism
Grades 7 and up
May 25, 2023
A story of empowerment, self-realization, and discovery. Through Taína’s eyes we enter a world where equity and opportunities aren’t automatic or easily realized. Undeterred by the ways in which things have always gone in her world, the discovery of her Taíno heritage - for which she’s named - becomes a source of curiosity which then leads to the discovery of strength and persistence which she uses to move forward courageously and with grace.
Taína, along with the readers, go on a voyage of discovery about a native population from Puerto Rico and other Caribbean nations. Moonlit Vine left me with a desire to learn more about my own Caribbean roots while being completely relatable. The family dynamics are familiar and endearing. Situations depicted, some based on real life occurrences, give this tale an air of authenticity which is a good reminder that we should all do our part to make even a small corner of the world better.
Taína, along with the readers, go on a voyage of discovery about a native population from Puerto Rico and other Caribbean nations. Moonlit Vine left me with a desire to learn more about my own Caribbean roots while being completely relatable. The family dynamics are familiar and endearing. Situations depicted, some based on real life occurrences, give this tale an air of authenticity which is a good reminder that we should all do our part to make even a small corner of the world better.
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April 2, 2024I think one of my favorite things about this books is the sense of power in community it shows. I’m going to be an outreach/community engagement librarian soon and the sense of community expressed in this book is exactly like what I’d like to strive for.
The sense of injustice at her school and her brother’s school were also just so infuriating. That one teacher especially irked me in that that kind of cruelty and disrespect exists and they just think it’s all fine. And that she is just forced to sit through it in order to graduate.
I loved how Santiago weaved in magic to emphasize the power that one gets from one’s ancestors and roots. And I really liked getting to see Taína learn more about the history of her people.
The sense of injustice at her school and her brother’s school were also just so infuriating. That one teacher especially irked me in that that kind of cruelty and disrespect exists and they just think it’s all fine. And that she is just forced to sit through it in order to graduate.
I loved how Santiago weaved in magic to emphasize the power that one gets from one’s ancestors and roots. And I really liked getting to see Taína learn more about the history of her people.
September 26, 2023
I give this book a solid 3.5 stars. I would have given it a higher rating but it stalled out for me about halfway through. The best parts were the in-between chapters going back in time to Puerto Rico and the Taino women. And any time Taina researched or learned more about her people's history was fascinating. But the story meandered into gang violence and family dynamics that felt unnecessary. If the focus had stayed on the colonization/gentrification plot points and on the racism within the schools and neighborhood, that would have felt tighter and flowed better for me. Clearly the other reviewers here loved it and I wish I had too.
March 6, 2023
As a Puerto Rican and Dominican that grew up wishing I knew more about my Taino ancestors this book is one I wish I had as a teenager. Also as a fan of Anacaona, this book hit in all the right places. I resonate so much with Taina as the caretaker in my family; my mom was a single mom that needed to work and so I did not have much of a childhood. I appreciated seeing her challenges and struggles as they were familiar. A story with historical significance, modern relevance, and the perfect amount of magic. I loved this book and cannot wait to see what Elizabeth is working on next.
June 19, 2024
4.75/5
This was an awesome read. Incredible shows of culture, use of magical realism, and characters that felt so real. The situations that Ty goes through are things we hear about happening all the time, and to see a happy ending come from it is both satisfying and a reminder of what we need to fight for in the real world.
The only reason it's not 5 stars is that at some points it felt like the story was dragging on mundane details, but that is a personal issue and could change with a reread. Highly recommend!
This was an awesome read. Incredible shows of culture, use of magical realism, and characters that felt so real. The situations that Ty goes through are things we hear about happening all the time, and to see a happy ending come from it is both satisfying and a reminder of what we need to fight for in the real world.
The only reason it's not 5 stars is that at some points it felt like the story was dragging on mundane details, but that is a personal issue and could change with a reread. Highly recommend!
May 1, 2025
I loved this book. This book brings you on a roller coaster throughout the book. At some points in the book, you will need some tissues because you are bawling your eyes out. But then there are others where you are cheering on the main character because something good happened. I recommend this book to kids and teens who like books that are about someone's life and have the book be in first person (seeing thepersons thoughts and feelings)
June 16, 2023
I enjoyed learning about Taino culture originating in Puerto Rico and nearby islands while also learning about Taina, a strong young woman. She is figuring out how to navigate the challenges of living in a downtrodden neighborhood, learning about Taino culture, navigating family dynamics, and figuring out who she is. I recommend it to both teens and adults.
October 19, 2023
The Moonlit Vine is a beautifully written and inspiring novel. Santiago does a masterful job of creating a rich and vibrant world. The characters are well-developed and relatable, and the plot is fast-paced and engaging.
The novel explores a number of themes, including identity, heritage, and the power of community.
The novel explores a number of themes, including identity, heritage, and the power of community.
November 17, 2023
I love this idea of a Zumi that is passed down through generations and kept secret until the time was right. Ty is a fierce advocate for social justice who would not be silenced and I want more students to feel as empowered to stand up against ridiculousness. We are all humans and should be treated as such.
March 17, 2024
I absolutely LOVED this book! Taína’s story, as well as historical chapters of women who came after Anacaona, kept me riveted. Read more about this amazing book on my blog: https://shouldireaditornot.wordpress....
February 28, 2025
a good book that could’ve been great if the first half of the book was condensed. the interspersed chapters with glimpses of taina’s ancestors were incredibly well done. overall a lot of potential in this book that made it an enjoyable read.
October 30, 2025
The themes discussed in this book are so important but it is very YA so a lot of the writing/storytelling is juvenile or pointed. I think it would be a great book for the right audience, but maybe not for someone like me in their 30s.
December 15, 2025
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Este libro me puso un poco nostálgica. Escuché el audiolibro y también lo leí físicamente. Disfruté mucho leer una historia que abarcaba mi herencia y cultura. Este es un libro que definitivamente haré que mi hija lea cuando sea un poco mayor.
Este libro me puso un poco nostálgica. Escuché el audiolibro y también lo leí físicamente. Disfruté mucho leer una historia que abarcaba mi herencia y cultura. Este es un libro que definitivamente haré que mi hija lea cuando sea un poco mayor.
July 16, 2023
It reminds me a bit of "The Hate U Give".
September 29, 2023
Thank you, SLJ, for the copy to review. This book is simply lovely.
I hope it makes it to every library shelf and all middle school curriculum.
Cheering for you, Elizabeth!
I hope it makes it to every library shelf and all middle school curriculum.
Cheering for you, Elizabeth!
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November 5, 2023Read for Cybils YA Speculative Fiction 2023 round 1. Did not nominate.
February 8, 2024
An amazing, uplifting book that centered Puerto Rican history and culture.
October 8, 2024
i wish there was something like this when I was a kid. 🇵🇷
August 17, 2025
Interesting premise, well-developed setting in a barrio in the midst of gentrification, mystical past....but halfway through it started to just drag and I couldn't finish.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews