5 Top Latino Audiobooks to Escape During the Holidays

The holidays often come with days off to be with family and friends, and the chance to take time away from the doldrums of everyday life. And what better way to do it than with a great story?

These recent audiobooks from Latino authors are just what you need to, to quote Julia Donaldson’s famous poem, “leave your chair, your house, your road, your town and your world behind you.” Here are five wonderful reads, one for every taste. 

A Touch of Moonlight

If you love a heartwarming romance with fantasy overtones and a good dose of folklore, Yaffa S. Santos’ A Touch of Moonlight is the perfect to fly away from everyday routine. 

Narrated by Diana Pou, it tells the story of Larimar Cintrón, who works hard at her job as brand manager for Beacon Café, a New York-based corporate bakery chain, while taking care of her parents and abuela. She also works hard to hide a secret: she’s a ciguapa—a mythical creature of Dominican folklore. When her best friend introduces her to Ray, a bakery owner and fellow punk rock lover, Larimar thinks she may have finally found someone with whom she can be her true self. Or can she…? Available from HarperCollins. 

Valley of Shadows: A Novel 

For those who like to get lost in another time and place, this neo-Western blend of magical realism, mystery and horror with philosophical undertones is a great deal of fun.

Solitario Cisneros lost his family and his country in the late 1870s when the Rio Grande shifted course, stranding the Mexican town of Olvido on the Texas side of the border. He reluctantly retired his gun and badge for a life of peace, but when a gruesome string of murders and kidnappings ravages the town, he feels compelled to confront both life and, perhaps, ­death, yet again. Written by Rudy Ruiz and narrated by Gary Tiedemann. Available from Blackstone Publishing.

How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water: A Novel

If you like inspiring, David vs. Goliath stories, have we got one for you! In her mid-50s, Cara Romero loses her job in the Great Recession, so she is forced back into the job market for the first time in decades. Set up with a job counselor, Cara confronts her darkest secrets and regrets, including her tempestuous love affairs, her alternately biting and loving relationship with her sister Angela and, eventually, what really happened between her and her estranged son, Fernando. Ultimately this is the story of a woman who lost everything but the chance to finally tell her story. Written by Angie Cruz and narrated by Kimberly M. Wetherell and Rossmery Almonte. Available from Macmillan Audio.

The Girls in Queens: A Novel 

Told in alternating timelines, Christine Kandic Torres’ The Girls in Queens is a story of a first love that is found again years later… but can it be reignited? And at what cost?

In high school, wallflower Brisma falls deeply in love with Brian, the local baseball legend. Fast forward to years later, when Brisma and best friend Kelly, who haven’t spoken to Brian ever since a backyard party that went wrong, are reunited. Brisma finds herself once again drawn to her first love. But when Brian is accused of sexual assault, the two friends must make a choice.

Narrated by Gisela Chipe. HarperCollins Publishers. Available from Amazon.

Violeta

A fan of intergenerational sagas full of adventure and romance? This one’s for you. Born in the 1920s, Violeta Del Valle’s life spans one hundred years and bears witness to the greatest upheavals of the twentieth century: the Great War, the Spanish flu pandemic, and the Great Depression, when her family loses everything and is forced to retreat to a wild and beautiful but remote part of the country. There, she will come of age and find love. 

Told in the form of a letter to someone she loves, Isabel Allende’s heroine recounts times of heartbreak, passionate affairs, poverty and wealth, loss and joy. But despite her many trials, her passion, determination, and sense of humor carry her through a lifetime of upheaval. Narrated by Javiera Gazitua. Available from Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial.