WHERE THE GUAVA TREE STANDS

Williams chronicles an immigrant family’s journey in this rhyming narrative for middle-grade readers.

The story is told from the perspective of Mina, whose family departs Basseterre, St. Kitts, for Orlando, Florida, “Green cards clenched in trembling hand.” Upon arrival in the U.S., Mina notes there are “No guava trees, no ocean breeze, / Just concrete stretching endlessly.” Mina’s father plants a guava tree at their new home, which stands as a metaphor for growth, rootedness, and resilience throughout the book. At school, Mina makes a friend named Chloe with whom she shares pieces of her home country, including Carnival dances, cricket, and a slushy drink called Frayco. In turn, Chloe introduces Mina to soccer, the library, and the state fair. The girls participate in a bake sale, a sports fundraiser, and a hiking trip. Mina’s parents make big strides in their respective careers. Though life is on the upswing, the family remains homesick. In a letter, Mina’s grandmother asks, “Does the food taste right, or does it feel wrong? / Do the trees sway there, do they hum a song?” Fears regarding their immigrant status and discrimination hover over the family, even after they become citizens. By the end of the book, Mina learns to include both St. Kitts and Florida in her definition of home: “Two worlds I carry, their love combined, / A bridge of hope, uniquely designed.” Williams’ lyrical poetry and chronological narrative make for a lovely, flowing middle-grade read. Abundant sensory details immerse readers in Mina’s surroundings, from her grandmother’s spice-scented scarf to the monkeys’ chatter outside to the snap of a suitcase closing. Mina’s emotional honesty in lines like “my heart’s still home, split in half” invites readers to consider how straddling two cultures feels. The rigid rhyming scheme sometimes results in unnatural expressions, such as, “We search for coconuts in a local store, / But they’re hard as rocks, their taste a chore.” The narrative’s lack of time stamps also makes it difficult to situate the events within a broader societal context.

A warm and tender immigration tale that occasionally stumbles over its rhyming scheme.