Sareen is attending her first sit-up, a Jamaican tradition that celebrates the life of a loved one who has died. The whole village has come to share memories of Sareen’s Nana. Sareen wants to tell her stories of Nana’s last mango season and their search for the perfect mango, but she’s afraid the words won’t come or that she’ll begin to cry. It’s only when Sareen faces her fear that she realizes it’s not the sadness of Nana’s death that she’ll remember best but the joy of Nana’s life. Set amid the rich culture and lush scenery of Jamaica, this moving book offers the hope of rediscovering joy after a loss and pays tribute to the remarkable power of story: to touch, to connect, and to heal.

Kama and his sister Nani love to climb the giant mango tree at their grandpa's house. After Grandpa asks them to pick some mangos, he has too many and sends Kama and Nani to share some with the neighbors, who give them goodies in return for their generosity.

From the acclaimed author of A Breath of Fresh Air, this beautiful novel takes us to modern India during the height of the summer’s mango season. Heat, passion, and controversy explode as a woman is forced to decide between romance and tradition. Every young Indian leaving the homeland for the United States is given the following orders by their parents: Don’t eat any cow (It’s still sacred!), don’t go out too much, save (and save, and save) your money, and most important, do not marry a foreigner. Priya Rao left India when she was twenty to study in the U.S., and she’s never been back. Now, seven years later, she’s out of excuses. She has to return and give her family the news: She’s engaged to Nick Collins, a kind, loving American man. It’s going to break their hearts. Returning to India is an overwhelming experience for Priya. When she was growing up, summer was all about mangoes—ripe, sweet mangoes, bursting with juices that dripped down your chin, hands, and neck. But after years away, she sweats as if she’s never been through an Indian summer before. Everything looks dirtier than she remembered. And things that used to seem natural (a buffalo strolling down a newly laid asphalt road, for example) now feel totally chaotic. But Priya’s relatives remain the same. Her mother and father insist that it’s time they arranged her marriage to a “nice Indian boy.” Her extended family talks of nothing but marriage—particularly the marriage of her uncle Anand, which still has them reeling. Not only did Anand marry a woman from another Indian state, but he also married for love. Happiness and love are not the point of her grandparents’ or her parents’ union. In her family’s rule book, duty is at the top of the list. Just as Priya begins to feel she can’t possibly tell her family that she’s engaged to an American, a secret is revealed that leaves her stunned and off-balance. Now she is forced to choose between the love of her family and Nick, the love of her life. As sharp and intoxicating as sugarcane juice bought fresh from a market cart, The Mango Season is a delightful trip into the heart and soul of both contemporary India and a woman on the edge of a profound life change. From the Hardcover edition.

Under the Tuscan Sun meets the wide-open sea . . . An Embarrassment of Mangoes is a delicious chronicle of leaving the type-A lifestyle behind -- and discovering the seductive secrets of life in the Caribbean. Who hasn’t fantasized about chucking the job, saying goodbye to the rat race, and escaping to some exotic destination in search of sun, sand, and a different way of life? Canadians Ann Vanderhoof and her husband, Steve did just that. In the mid 1990s, they were driven, forty-something professionals who were desperate for a break from their deadline-dominated, career-defined lives. So they quit their jobs, rented out their house, moved onto a 42-foot sailboat called Receta (“recipe,” in Spanish), and set sail for the Caribbean on a two-year voyage of culinary and cultural discovery. In lavish detail that will have you packing your swimsuit and dashing for the airport, Vanderhoof describes the sun-drenched landscapes, enchanting characters and mouthwatering tastes that season their new lifestyle. Come along for the ride and be seduced by Caribbean rhythms as she and Steve sip rum with their island neighbors, hike lush rain forests, pull their supper out of the sea, and adapt to life on “island time.” Exchanging business clothes for bare feet, they drop anchor in 16 countries -- 47 individual islands -- where they explore secluded beaches and shop lively local markets. Along the way, Ann records the delectable dishes they encounter -- from cracked conch in the Bahamas to curried lobster in Grenada, from Dominican papaya salsa to classic West Indian rum punch -- and incorporates these enticing recipes into the text so that readers can participate in the adventure. Almost as good as making the journey itself, An Embarrassment of Mangoes is an intimate account that conjures all the irresistible beauty and bounty from the Bahamas to Trinidad -- and just may compel you to make a rash decision that will land you in paradise.

"Jen's nickname, Mango Mama, could not be more appropriate! She uses mangos in the most unexpected ways, both in savory and sweet recipes. With this book in hand, you will never look at a mango the same way again."--Ingrid Hoffmann, host of the Food Network's Simply Delicioso "Karetnick gives mango all the passion and poetry it's due. Delicious."--Ellen Kanner, Huffington Post "A mango bible. Great recipes, delightful prose--everything you need to know about this luscious fruit."--Linda Gassenheimer, author of Dinner in Minutes: Memorable Meals for Busy Cooks "With her poet's eye, journalist's passion for accuracy, and her home chef's skills, Karetnick shares a surprisingly wide-ranging book. I hold my drink up high to her, and, of course, it is a mango daiquiri!"--Norman Van Aken, James Beard Award-winning chef, founder of Norman's at The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes "Karetnick has written the book for those of us who love the mighty mango."--John Tanasychuk, South Florida Sun-Sentinel "As a transplanted Miamian living in mango tree-less NYC, I savored the delicious recipes and relished in the evocative stories as only Jen can tell."--Lourdes Castro, author of Latin Grilling: Recipes to Share, from Patagonian Asado to Yucatecan Barbecue and More "The definitive mango cookbook, bursting with decadent recipes that will keep you sated from dawn 'til dusk! Peppered with personal anecdotes and joined by the voices (and recipes!) of Miami's most celebrated chefs, Jen Karetnick's Mango is an absolute must for any lover of this sweet, beloved, tropical fruit."--Marie Elena Martinez, founding editor, The Latin Kitchen "Who knew mangos could be used so many ways! This fruit we love as is will now make its way into many of our meals at home!"--Bill Telepan, author of Inspired by Ingredients: Market Menus and Family Favorites from a Three-Star Chef Join Miami's Mango Mama, Jen Karetnick, for a culinary tour of all things mango. She invites you into her home, the Mango House, where many of these luscious recipes were created. She introduces you to the Mango Gang, a group of world-renowned chefs including Allen Susser and Norman Van Aken. These chefs make frequent use of the bounty from Jen's ninety-year-old trees in their Miami restaurants, and in Mango, they share some of their favorite recipes. Karetnick discusses the best methods for picking, preparing, and eating mangos and shares expert tips on how to dehydrate and freeze them so you can enjoy this delicious fruit year-round. The easy-to-follow, exquisite recipes run the gamut from smoothies to cocktails, from mango blintzes for breakfast to jerked grouper with mango-fig chutney for dinner, and from mangría (mango-flavored sangría) to mangospacho (mango-infused gazpacho). If you're looking for a tantalizing hint of mango in your dish or a tropical explosion of flavor, this book has just the right recipe for you.

First awarded in 1993, the Américas Award is given in recognition of books that authentically and engagingly portray Latino/as in Latin America, the Caribbean or the United States. By combining both and linking the Americas, the award reaches beyond geographic borders, as well as multicultural-international boundaries, focusing instead upon cultural heritages within the hemisphere. The Award is unique in that selects Latino/a youth literature for classroom use and in that it focuses on the entire Western Hemisphere. Scholars from the fields of literature, education, lbrary science, and theater engage with Latino/a Critical Race Theory (LatCrit) in this ecollection of essays about the Américas Award, the Award-winning and honored books, and the contexts in which the books are used. This collection offers essays on the history of the award, close readings of Award-winning and honored books situated in the classroom, and discussions of how best to use the books in the classroom, library and theater.

In the afternoon, while I'm on the porch, the rains begin. This first rain is only a sprinkle and the ground quickly drinks it up. My children, who are playing in the yard, look to the sky, wanting more. Their hair glistens . . . A breeze, cooled by the rain, passes across the house. I hold my hands to my face and smell on them the mango flowers I sliced. I must have a little sweetness in my life, I think, not damp hands and indifferent kisses.