Description
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Review Quotes: "With a cast of characters to fall in love with and a sweet, slow-burning romance, WHEN THE TIDES HELD THE MOON evokes the magic and mystery of a lost New York with cinematic lushness." --Alexandra Villasante, winner of the LAMBDA Literary Award for The Grief Keeper "WHEN THE TIDES HELD THE MOON is at once a quiet love story between Benny, an orphaned blacksmith from Puerto Rico and Rio, the stubborn but soft-hearted merman he unknowingly helped capture, as well as an epic historical fantasy with a cast of diverse and loveable misfits. On Benny's bumpy path to finding himself and his place in 1920's New York City he stumbles upon found family and true love--which grounds him in a way he never could have expected. With luscious illustrations by Vida Kelley that accompany this truly heartfelt and original story, readers will find themselves easily immersed in Benny and Rio's journey." --Jackie Khalilieh, author of Something More "With prose as lush and intricate as her illustrations, Venessa Vida Kelley's romantic debut is sure to enchant and captivate readers." --Mia García, author of Even if the Sky Falls "A luminous and romantic fantasy from a gifted storyteller and illustrator... prepare to be swept off your feet!" --Sher Lee, author of Legend of the White Snake "Venessa Vida Kelly's beautiful illustrations and prose pulls us like an ocean current into a queer love story rich in history and myth." --Marisel Vera, author of The Taste of Sugar "Be prepared to be transported and transformed as you dive into Venessa Vida Kelley's scintillating early 20th century historical fantasy that brims with glittering prose, swoon-worthy romance, and page-turning suspense. Venessa's powerful debut is a gripping examination of immigration and the treatment of the "other" in American society that rewards readers with fairy-tale love, found family, and unrelenting hope for a world worthy of her protagonist Benito and his beloved Rio." -- NoNieqa Ramos, author of They Thought They Buried Us "A triumph of tender and evocative storytelling that is as much a story about love and found family as it is a novel of place. Rich in enchantment, intrigue, and the kind of love that only happens once in many lifetimes, this novel draws you in like the waves of a salt-water estuary that carries the moon on its frothy current. It leaves you breathless with its stunning prose and the proposition that really seeing someone for all the things that they are is the most transformative kind of love." --Sera Taíno, author of A Delicious Dilemma "This book was one that I wanted to savor while reading. The writing was so vivid and just immediately pulls you into the story. I really enjoyed the complexity of Benigno and Rio, whose romance was such a carefully crafted tale of forbidden love and finding a home with someone where you least expect it. Found family was the centerpiece of this story and really highlighted the importance of doing the right thing for those you love despite the consequences. I also just LOVED Benigno's journey of self-discovery and how big of a role Rio had in that. THE SWIMMING LESSONS!!!!" - Meghan Molinari, Lark & Owl Booksellers (Georgetown, TX) Biographical Note: Venessa Vida Kelley is a Nuyorican illustrator, sequential artist, and USA Today bestselling author of When the Tides Held the Moon, a Goodreads Choice Awards Finalist and Readers Digest Top 10 Books of the Year. Their work focuses on magical realism, fantasy, and romance in a culturally diverse world, and has been featured in The New York Times, Discovery Girls Magazine, Buzzfeed, and in board games and activism campaigns for Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez, creator of the La Borinqueña comic series. They hold a BA and MA in English Literature with concentrations in film from the University of Delaware and George Washington University. They live in Washington, DC with their spouse and two sons, and can be found online at VenessaKelley.com. Publisher Marketing: The Shape of Water meets The Greatest Showman in this beautifully illustrated queer historical cozy fantasy, as a young Puerto Rican immigrant goes through a journey of love and self-discovery after capturing a merman for a Coney Island sideshow act in turn-of-the 20th century New York. "A lushly illustrated historical romance . . . This book is a charming fable -- an elemental dance of fire and water." ―THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW A Goodreads Choice Awards Finalist USA Today Bestseller BookRiot Best Books of the Year Amazon Best Romantasy of the Year Reader's Digest Top 10 of the Year Benigno "Benny" Caldera knows an orphaned Boricua blacksmith in 1910s New York City can't call himself an artist. But the ironwork tank he creates for famed Coney Island playground, Luna Park, astounds everyone, especially the eccentric side-show proprietor who commissioned it. Benny's work earns him an invitation to join the show's eclectic crew of performers--his first welcome in the city--and share in their astonishing secret: the tank Benny built is a cage for their newest exhibit, a living, breathing, in-the-flesh merman stolen from the banks of the East River under a gleaming full moon. The merman is more than a mythic marvel, though. Benny comes to know Río as a clever philosopher, an observant traveler, and a kindred spirit more beautiful and compassionate than any human he's ever met. Despite their different worlds, what begins as a friendship of necessity deepens to love, leading Benny's heart into uncharted waters where he can no longer ignore the agonizing truth of Río's captivity--and his own. A cage is no place for a merman to survive. Though releasing Río means betraying his new family, bankrupting their home, and losing his soulmate forever, Benny must look within for the courage to do what's right, and find a love strong enough to free them both. "When the Tides Held the Moon is a beautifully illustrated novel with artwork throughout by Venessa Vida Kelley, known for her stunning romance and fantasy art. This novel includes two different full-color endpapers for front and back, fully-designed chapter headers, and 27 pieces of detailed illustrations throughout, using beautiful two-color, aqua blue and black inks. Review Citations:
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When the Tides Held the Moon
$34.80