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?
Despite her name, Taína Perez doesn’t know anything about her Taíno heritage, nor has she ever tried to learn. After all, how would ancient Puerto Rican history help with everything going on? 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. It’s a lot for a 14-year-old to manage.
But life takes a wild 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 her 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. But is that even possible? People like her hardly make it out of their circumstances, and the problems in her home and community are way bigger than Taína can manage. Or are they?
A modern tale with interstitial historical chapters, The Moonlit Vine brings listeners a powerful story of the collective struggle, hope, and liberation of Puerto Rican and Taíno peoples.
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Elizabeth Santiago grew up in Boston, Massachusetts, with parents who migrated from San Sebastián, Puerto Rico, in the 1960s. The youngest of nine, she was entranced by the stories told to her by her mother, father, aunts, uncles, and community elders. Later, she sought to capture and honor those narratives and share them with the world. She earned a BFA degree in creative writing from Emerson College, a master’s in education from Harvard University, and a PhD in education studies from Lesley University. Find her @liznarratives.
Almarie Guerra is an actor known for her work on Sorry You’re Sad, Dude Bro Party Massacre III, and Night of the Living Deb. She is part of an LA/NY based improv group, the Story Pirates.