Fourteen-year-old Taína just learned that she is a descendant of a long line of strong Taíno women, but will knowing this help her bring peace and justice to her family and community? This question is at the heart of a new young adult novel written by Elizabeth Santiago, a faculty member in Boston College’s Woods College of Advancing Studies. Taína Perez, The Moonlit Vine’s protagonist, has a lot to juggle. There’s constant trouble at school and in her neighborhood, her older brother was kicked out of the house, and with her mom at work, she’s left alone to care for her little brother and aging grandmother. But life takes a turn when her abuela tells her she is a direct descendant of Anacaona, the beloved Taíno leader, warrior, and poet, who was murdered by the Spanish in 1503. Abuela also gives Taína an amulet and a zemi and says that it’s time for her to step into her power like the women who came before her. Kirkus Review calls The Moonlit Vine (Lee & Low Books, 2023) “Deeply moving, beautifully written, and inspiring.”