19 of the Best Audiobooks by Latinas

May marks the celebration of Latino Books Month, a time of year when we celebrate books by Latinx authors that have shifted the narrative and changed the landscape of Latinx literature. Even though the publishing industry has made strides in terms of representation, there is still a lot more work to do. The number of Latinx authors, especially Latinas, being published remains low so it’s more important than ever to support the work that our community is putting out. One way to do that is by borrowing and purchasing audiobooks by Latina authors, which you can listen to in the car, while running errands, and during other moments in your day if you don’t always have time to sit down and read. We put together a list of books in various genres including young adult, memoir, adult fiction, and more, so there should be a little something for everyone. Read on to learn more about 19 audiobooks by Latina authors to listen to this month and year-round.

Food-Related Stories written and narrated by Gaby Melian

Food-Related Stories is a memoir written and narrated by Argentine chef Gaby Melian that explores her journey with food as a professional chef. In essence, she argues that creating a relationship with food, however simple or complicated, is its own form of activism. She also documents her journey growing up in Argentina, to working in Jersey City as a street vendor, to working as Bon Appetit‘s test kitchen manager. Ultimately, she weaves a moving and powerful collection of stories in an effort to showcase a relationship with food that’s healthy, sustainable, and thoughtful.

Family Lore written and narrated by Elizabeth Acevedo

Family Lore is Elizabeth Acevedo’s debut adult novel that she wrote and also narrated, celebrated for her narrating skills on all of her books including Clap When You Land and The Poet X. This debut follows Flor Marte, the daughter of a Dominican American family who has the gift of predicting the day when someone will die. When she invites the family for a living wake to celebrate her life, no one, not even her sisters, knows what it means. Over the course of the three days before the wake, secrets are revealed, pasts remembered, and histories relived of all the lives of the Marte women spanning decades, generations, cities, and borders to create a powerful portrait of a family across two countries. The audiobook includes narration by Acevedo along with voice actress Sixta Morel and spoken word artist Danyeli Rodriguez del Orbe who are both also Dominican.

The Making of Yolanda la Bruja written and narrated by Lorraine Avila

The Making of Yolanda La Bruja by Lorraine Avila follows Yolanda Alvarez, a bruja-in-training who, under the guidance of her grandmother Mamá Teté and spiritual guides the Brujas Diosas, does readings, interprets energy, and trusts in her family’s tradition to lead her to successful initiation. But when Ben, a white boy and the son of a politician, starts attending her Bronx high school and harassing BIPOC students, she begins experiencing visions of violence, guns, and fear. Suddenly everything she cares about—her best friend Victory, her crush José, her classmates, her family—is threatened, and only with the help of her community and ancestors can she save them all, and herself. Avila also narrates the audiobook, showcasing Bronx and Afro-Latinx’s distinctive Spanish dialect along the way.

Neruda on the Park by Cleyvis Natera, narrated by Imani Russell

Neruda on the Park by Dominican American writer Cleyvis Natera follows the Guerrero family who has lived in the (fictional) Dominican neighborhood of Nothar Park for 20 years in New York City. When a neighboring building is set to be demolished to make way for luxury condos, it upends the lives of a family and an entire community feeling the effects of gentrification. There’s Eusebia, an elderly resident who attempts to stop construction with devious and dangerous schemes, and her daughter Luz who begins a forbidden and secret romance with a developer at the construction company to her mother’s horror. Not to mention Eusebia’s husband who is secretly designing their new home in the Dominican Republic despite knowing her reluctance to go back. This is a powerful exploration of intergenerational trauma, the effects of gentrification, and the complicated immigrant experience. To further add authenticity to the project, the book is narrated by Imani Russell, a queer, trans, and disabled Black and Boricua artist from Crown Heights in Brooklyn, New York.

Dominicana by Angie Cruz, narrated by Coral Peña

Dominicana by Angie Cruz follows 15-year-old Ana Cancion who moves to New York City from the Dominican Republic after getting engaged to Juan Ruiz, a family friend who is decades older and established in the city. Despite Juan being twice her age, her mother pressures Ana to marry him for money and security not just for herself but for her family in DR. It’s only when she arrives at a cold apartment in Washington Heights that she realizes how frightened and lonely she has become as a young wife away from everyone and everything she knows. She eventually gets pregnant and begins to come to terms with her impending motherhood and what that means for her/their future. Then she befriends Cesar, Juan’s younger brother, and Juan returns to the D.R. to help his family, and she finds herself free for the first time in years: taking English lessons, exploring the city, and inadvertently falling for her brother in law. This coming-of-age story shows Ana’s growth as she begins to make decisions for the life she now has as a young immigrant soon-to-be mom living in the U.S. The book is narrated by Coral Peña, a nonbinary Dominican American actor who has been seen in projects including the drama series, Blue Bloods.

Lobizona by Romina Garber, narrated by Sol Madariaga

Lobizona by Romina Garber follows Manuela, or Manu, an Argentine immigrant living in the U.S. who has secrets upon secrets that endanger her life every day: she is undocumented, she’s running from her dead father’s crime family, and she has no idea who she is or how to live without fear. When her mother is arrested by ICE and her grandmother attacked, Manu tries to trace the origin of her past, only to find out yet another secret: she’s a werewolf. Throughout the story inspired by Argentine folklore and magic, Manu suffers a great deal trying to belong in any of her worlds when everything about her feels wrong and different. But she learns how to fight, how to be both vulnerable and strong, and most importantly, how to love who she really is in all of her complexity. Sol Madariaga, the book’s narrator, is an Argentine actress who is also known for narrating Lobizona‘s sequel Cazadora and Furia by Yamile Saied Méndez, in order to reflect the book’s Argentine Spanish.

Olga Dies Dreaming by Xochitl Gonzalez, narrated by Almarie Guerra, Inés del Castillo, and Armando Riesco

Olga Dies Dreaming by Xochitl Gonzalez centers on Olga, a Puerto Rican wedding planner and her brother Prieto, a Congressman representing Brooklyn, their home district. Though they’re both successful now, their youth was marred by their mother’s absence after she fled to Puerto Rico when they were young to fight for the island’s liberation from the U.S. Olga and Prieto each have a complicated relationship with Puerto Rico that’s pushed to the forefront in the wake of Hurricane Maria in 2017. They’re forced to reunite with their mother and question where their identities as Puerto Ricans and Americans on the mainland really end and begin. The audiobook is read by three Puerto Rican-born narrators Almarie Guerra, Inés del Castillo, and Armando Riesco, who showcase PR accents and code-switching dynamics to heighten the authenticity and storytelling experience of the book.

How to Make Good Things Happen: Know Your Brain, Enhance Your Life by Marian Rojas Estapé, M. D., narrated by Marisol Ramirez

How to Make Good Things Happen by Marian Rojas Estapé, M.D. is a personal development book centering science as a way to improve your life. Using her decades of experience in psychiatry, Estapé presents this essential guide to neuroscience-driven mindfulness, which is done by understanding your brain, managing your brain, being aware of your responses to stressors, and achieving greater self-control. She deep dives into various topics including how our brains react to stress, threats, hyperstimulation, and the vices of our digital age. Using up-to-date psychiatric research and proven techniques alongside psychology and philosophy, she teaches readers how to make the best of our lives. Readers will walk away with practical advice about how to cultivate a happy existence, including setting healthy goals and objectives, strengthening willpower, cultivating emotional intelligence, developing assertiveness, avoiding excessive self-criticism and self-demand, and mastering the proven art of optimism. The audiobook version is narrated by actress Marisol Ramirez (The Curse of La Llorona) and includes a downloadable PDF of diagrams and the bibliography from the book.

Who Do I Think I Am? written and narrated by Anjelah Johnson-Reyes

Who Do I Think I Am? by Mexican American stand-up comedian and actress Anjelah Johnson-Reyes is a memoir about her coming-of-age journey and rise to fame. She became known for her viral sketch “Nail Salon”, which has since accrued over 100 million views on Youtube, and her MadTV character Bon Qui Qui. She writes about navigating two cultures, disasters in dating, Christianity, becoming an Oakland Raiders cheerleader, and later traveling the world as a comedian. Discussing topics of race, identity, ambition, faith, and belonging, Johnson-Reyes presents a fun, ever-evolving example of what it looks like to dream big and embrace your authentic self. She narrates the audiobook so you can expect a taste of her stand-up comedy.

Afterlife by Julia Alvarez, narrated by Alma Cuervo

Known for her best-selling books In the Time of the Butterflies and How the García Girls Lost Their Accents, renowned Dominican author Julia Alvarez released her newest book Afterlife in 2021, which quickly became a success. The novel follows Antonia Vega, an immigrant writer who retires from her job as a college professor when her husband Sam suddenly dies. Her life continues to destabilize when her sister disappears and a pregnant, undocumented teenager shows up on her doorstep. Throughout the story, we see Antonia at one of the most important points of her life navigating love and loss. The audiobook is narrated by stage actress and singer Alma Cuervo, an actress known for her role as Consuelo in the Gloria Estefan musical On Your Feet!

How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water by Angie Cruz, narrated by Kimberly M. Wetherell and Rossmery Almonte

How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water by Angie Cruz follows Cara Romero, who, in her mid-50s, loses her job at a lamp factory as a result of the recession and is dealing with gentrification in her neighborhood. She starts seeing a job counselor and decides to share the story of her life while equating her life skills to her job skills. From affairs to relationships, debt to gentrification, loss to family secrets, the reader begins to see Cara face her past head-on transforming her future in the process. Featuring original sound design, the audiobook is narrated by Kimberly M. Wetherell and Dominican actress Rossmery Almonte, who plays a memorable Cara in her audiobook debut.

Oye by Melissa Mogollon, narrated by Elena Rey

Oye by Melissa Mogollon follows Luciana, a young high school senior who is used to being the baby of her Colombian American family and shuttled to the sidelines. But when their South Florida town is hit by a hurricane warning and her grandmother is given a troubling medical diagnosis, she finds herself becoming the caretaker, translator, secret keeper, and leader of the pack carrying all the responsibility while her older sister Mari is away at college. Structured as a series of one-sided phone calls to Mari, Luciana begins to narrate her frustrating, complicated life, from when Abue moves into her bedroom and starts throwing out unreasonable demands, to when all of her attempts to sneak out and meet girls are shut down. The audiobook is narrated by Elena Rey, a queer, biracial Latina performer and voice actor.

In the Shadow of the Mountain written and narrated by Silvia Vasquez-Lavado

In the Shadow of the Mountain by author and activist Silvia Vasquez-Lavado is a memoir following her journey towards climbing Mount Everest. Before the climb, she is publicly known as a Latina hero in the elite macho tech world of Silicon Valley. Privately, she’s in the throes of alcoholism, hiding her sexuality from her family, and repressing the abuse she’d suffered as a child. When she starts climbing, she starts waking up, thanks to the risk and spirit and sheer size of the mountains and death’s close proximity. She then decides that she is going to climb the summit of Mount Everest in Nepal with a group of young female survivors in a celebration of female resilience. At times hair-raising, nerve-racking, and always challenging, she discusses how she combated her anxiety and nerves with moments of peace, joy, healing, and strength to propel her forward. In the audiobook she narrates her own story making it for a powerful listen straight from the writer’s mouth.

The Lost Dreamer by Lizz Huerta, narrated by Elisa Melendez and Inés del Castillo

The Lost Dreamer is a young adult novel by author Lizz Huerta that is inspired by ancient Mesoamerica and follows Indir, a Dreamer descended from a long line of seers who is able to see beyond reality and Dream truth. When the beloved king dies, his son Alcan has no respect for the tradition and wants to bring the Dreamers to a permanent end, which he may just do if Indir discovers the two secrets she’s struggling to keep. As violence continues to wreak havoc on her world, she is forced to make an impossible choice: fight for her home or fight to survive. We also follow Saya, a seer without formal training whose mother exploits her gift by passing it off as her own as they travel from village to village, never staying in one place too long. When Saya loses the necklace she’s worn since birth, she discovers that seeing isn’t her only gift and her whole life has been a carefully-constructed lie. Filled with distrust, she is determined do what she’s never done before, go where she’s never been, and risk it all in the search of answers. The audiobook is narrated by Puerto Rican actor and singer Elisa Melendez and bilingual actress, writer, and director Inés del Castillo.

Don’t Ask Me Where I’m From by Jennifer De Leon, narrated by Inés del Castillo

Don’t Ask Me Where I’m From by Jennifer De Leon follows first-gen American Latinx Liliana Cruz, who keeps hitting walls: the wall her mom has put up ever since Liliana’s dad left again, the wall that delineates Liliana’s diverse inner-city Boston neighborhood from wealthy and white suburban high school Westburg, and the wall that Liliana creates within herself to survive at Westburg by “whitening up”. Even as she’s changing her name, the way she talks, and the way she sees her neighborhood, she discovers that her father can’t come home and that her whole family is in jeopardy. And when racial tensions at school reach a fever pitch, the walls that divide feel insurmountable. Ultimately, she must choose between using the wall as a platform to speak her truth or risk crumbling under its weight. It is narrated by bilingual actress, writer, and director Inés del Castillo.

Reclaim the Stars edited by Zoraida Córdova, narrated by Córdova and Almarie Guerra

Reclaim the Stars is an anthology edited by Zoraida Córdova that spans time and realms, fantasy and reality, across the Latin American diaspora. Following princesses warring in space, haunting ghost stories in Argentina, mermaids off the coast of the Caribbean, and swamps that whisper secrets, this is a collection of 17 magical short stories that break borders to prove the universality of stories. Featured writers include Vita Ayala, David Bowles, J.C. Cervantes, Zoraida Córdova, Sara Faring, Romina Garber, Isabel Ibañez, Anna-Marie McLemore, Yamile Saied Méndez, Nina Moreno, Circe Moskowitz, Maya Motayne, Linda Raquel Nieves Pérez, Daniel José Older, Claribel A. Ortega, Mark Oshiro, and Lilliam Rivera. It is narrated by Córdova as well as actress Almarie Guerra, known for her work in Calle de la Resistencia.

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, narrated by Frankie Corzo

Noemí Taboada’s journey in Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s highly acclaimed novel Mexican Gothic is one that will stay with you even after the ending. After she receives a letter from her cousin claiming her husband is trying to kill her, she heads to her family’s house in the Mexican countryside to provide protection and seek answers—only to ask more questions than she had when she arrived. Faced with mysterious relatives, curanderas, mystical herbs, and a huge generational secret, the socialite is determined to save her cousin’s life and uncover the truth of what’s really happening to her—even if Noemí herself may not survive. The audiobook is narrated by actress Frankie Corzo, who also narrated Disney/Pixar’s novelization of Coco.

Talking While Female & Other Dangerous Acts curated by Teatro Luna, narrated by a Latina ensemble

Talking While Female & Other Dangerous Acts is a collection of short stories curated by Teatro Luna and written and performed by Latinas across the U.S. from America’s All Latinx and All Women of Color Theatre Ensemble. All the stories touch on themes of risk and resilience and are crafted for anyone who has ever felt invisible, powerless, or alone. From interviewing public figures like Fidel Castro, to experiencing a leaky brain, to losing a loved one to Alzheimer’s, this line-up of storytellers sharing their stories with vulnerability and fearlessness. Ultimately, this is a collection for, by, and about the marginalized experiencing poverty, gentrification, and state-sanctioned violence. It features words and performances by Liza Ann Acosta, Maria Alexandria Beech, Sarah Bogdanski, Gabriela Bonet, Franceli Chapman, Antonieta Carpio, Marissa Chibas, Gina Cornejo, Ginna Diaz, Mari DeOleo, Melissa DuPrey, Georgina Escobar, Cristina Frias, Virginia Grise, Christina Igaraividez, Isabel Jimenez, Maya Malan-Gonzalez, Alexandra Meda, Jasminne Mendez, Elisa Noemi, Elizabeth Nungaray, Karari Olvera, Jessica Perez, Lorna Silva, Gabriela Ortega. 

Big Chicas Don’t Cry by Annette Chavez Macias, narrated by Vanessa Vasquez, Alessandra Manon, Aida Reluzco, and Dani Muñoz

Big Chicas Don’t Cry by Mexican American author Annette Chavez Macias is the perfect blend of romance, family, and female empowerment. The novel follows four cousins and best friends―Mari, Erica, Selena, and Gracie―after their childhood swapping secrets and sharing family traditions is ended by Mari’s parents splitting up and moving away. Fifteen years later, the girls are each growing through personal struggles of loss, hardship, identity crisis, and fear of love. When one of their cherished relatives suddenly passes away, the cousins are reunited once more, causing each to wonder if their previous years of love will be enough, or if 15 years is enough to keep them separated even in the face of tragedy. Each cousin is performed by a different narrator in the audiobook including actresses Vanessa Vasquez (East Los High) and Alessandra Manon (Vida), as well as professional narrators Aida Reluzco (The Faraway World), and Dani Muñoz (Lucía Intuición).