THE THINGS WE DON'T KNOW

From the inaugural winner of Simon & Schuster's Books Like Us contest: Elba Iris Pérez's lyrical, cross-cultural coming-of-age debut that explores a girl's childhood between 1950s Puerto Rico and a small Massachusetts factory town.

Andrea Rodríguez is nine years old when her mother whisks her and her brother, Pablo, away from Woronoco, a tiny New England factory town that is the only home they've ever known. With no plan and no money, she leaves them with family members in Puerto Rico and promises to return.

In the years that follow, Andrea and Pablo are brought back to Woronoco, only to discover a rapidly changing town and a culture they almost - but can never quite - fit into. As they navigate the social in-betweens, clashing family values, and sometimes harsh realities of growing up, they must embrace both the triumphs and heartache that mark their journey to adulthood.

A heartfelt, evocative portrait of another side of life in the 1950s, The Things We Didn't Know establishes Elba Iris Pérez as a sensational new literary voice.

Elba Iris Pérez is from Aguas Buenas, Puerto Rico, spent her early childhood in Woronoco, Massachusetts, taught theatre and history at the University of Puerto Rico in Arecibo, and now lives in Houston. She is also the author of El teatro como bandera, a history of street theater in Puerto Rico.