Return Against the Flow

Return Against the Flow by Susana Praver-Pé rez is a memoir-in-verse that travels back and forth between Puerto Rico and its diaspora much like the island’ s pattern of circular migration over the years. Reflecting her personal journey across geographies and languages Susana’ s poems move between English and Spanish and capture the tempo of ambient sounds such as drumbeats of bomba or a black-plumed chango chirping at dawn. She unflinchingly explores the daily struggles Puerto Rico faces while exuberantly celebrating the island’ s culture its peoples and the concept of “ return” . This is a voyage via words the reader will remember long after turning the last page.