


A poignant multicultural ode to family and what it means to create a home as one girl helps her Tía move away from her beloved Miami apartment.
When Estrella’s Tía Fortuna has to say goodbye to her longtime Miami apartment building, The Seaway, to move to an assisted living community, Estrella spends the day with her. Tía explains the significance of her most important possessions from both her Cuban and Jewish culture, as they learn to say goodbye together and explore a new beginning for Tía.
A lyrical book about tradition, culture, and togetherness, Tía Fortuna’s New Home explores Tía and Estrella’s Sephardic Jewish and Cuban heritage. Through Tía’s journey, Estrella will learn that as long as you have your family, home is truly where the heart is.
Languages, cultures and generations meet in this poignant story about a Sephardi family from Cuba… As Tía Fortuna welcomes a new chapter in her life, Estrella understands that home can be anywhere as long as it includes family, tradition and joy. Behar’s lyrical text is rich with Spanish phrases and Sephardi expressions that draw the reader into Estrella’s world. Holzwarth’s illustrations are beautifully immersive with warm tropical colors that give shape to the swirling memories.
– Sarah Yahr Tucker, “Just in Time for Hanukkah: Pictures Books for the Kinderlach”
A beautiful tribute to home, family, and traditions.
– Margarita Engle, Pura Belpré Award–winning and Newbery Honor–winning author
Overflowing with warmth, hope and poetry, Tía Fortuna’s New Home is a beautiful celebration of culture, intergenerational love, and the sanctity of home, both old and new.
– Matt de la Pena, Newbery winning author of Last Stop on Market Street
Good fortune to the readers of this wise tale.
– Sandra Cisneros, author of Hairs/Pelitos
A beautiful and heartful reminder that home is not merely where we live, but rather, everything that lives within us.
– Richard Blanco, 2013 Presidential Inaugural Poet, author of How to Love a Country
A radiant gem where the ancient past and future encounter one another with a welcoming hope.
-Marjorie Agosin, author of I Lived on Butterfly Hill
This heartfelt intergenerational story illuminates a lesser-known facet of Jewish American immigration. Ladino (i.e., Judeo-Spanish) words are seamlessly integrated into the dialogue between aunt and niece, and Behar weaves Sephardic symbols and traditions into the narrative… A nostalgic glimpse at a little-known but rich culture within the broader Jewish American community.
– ★ Kirkus, starred review
This is beautiful story about heritage and hope, a must for all libraries, and remarkable in every way.
– ★ School Library Journal, starred review
Behar’s warmhearted storytelling turns the past, present, and future into a confluence of connections as Estrella realizes her role in a legacy of faith, hope, and resilience.
–Publishers Weekly
Eloquent multilingual storytelling couples with peaceful artwork as Estrella learns that change can be OK and that keeping your traditions and culture alive is even more important. Tía Fortuna embarks on her new chapter with optimism and grace, reminding Estrella through her delicious Jewish Cuban cooking and her stories and mantras in Ladino that you can take the feeling of home with you no matter where you go.
–Booklist
A poignant multicultural ode to family and what it means to create a home as one girl helps her Tía move away from her beloved Miami apartment.
–7 Generation Games: Children’s Booklist for Hispanic Heritage Month
La magia de la tradición y la familia se unen cuando Estrella y su tía Fortuna descubren lo que significa crear un hogar en tiempos de cambio. De Ruth Behar, ganadora del Premio Pura Belpré, y Devon Holzwarth llega este libro lírico sobre la inmigración, la cultura y la unión familiar. Mientras Tía Fortuna y Estrella exploran su herencia cubana y judía sefardí, Estrella descubrirá que mientras conserve los recuerdos familiares, el hogar se lleva realmente en el corazón.