Title: The Last Cuentista
Author: Donna Barba Higuera
Publisher: Levine Querido
Genre: Teen Fiction
Year Published: 2021
Number of Pages:320
Binding: Hardback
ISBN: 9781646140893
Price: $17.99
Reviewed by Kevin Folkman for the Association for Mormon Letters
While The Last Cuentista, by Donna Higuera, is not a book written by a Mormon, intended for Mormon audiences, or specifically about Mormon themes, this 2021 Newberry Award winner has a lot going for it that commend it to Latter-day Saint families.
The story is framed as science fiction for preteens and adolescents, but that is the least important element of this delightful book. In its heart, it is about a thirteen-year-old girl named Petra, who discovers after awaking on a spaceship bound for a distant planet that she is the only one on board who remembers anything about Earth. That complication sets the stage for a story about family, honoring your ancestors, bravery, choosing to do what is right in the face of terrible opposition, and sharing your stories with others. A cuentista is a storyteller, and all Petra wants to do is share her stories from Earth in an environment where those narratives are forbidden.
The setting of the spaceship may be sterile and minimalist, but Petra’s memory is filled with the stories told her by her abuelita (grandmother) of the richness of the desert Southwest. When she cries, her eyes burn like she had rubbed them after deseeding a habanero pepper. She longs for the bright colors of the cactus and desert shrubs, her pet tortoise Rapido, the smell and taste of beloved foods, and the sight and sound of an approaching thunderstorm. 350 years of suspended animation have failed to eliminate her strong sense of self and loyalty to her family and culture.
Constantly aware of a dangerous cult that has taken over her starship, Petra chooses to share her cuentos or stories with her fellow passengers. Those family stories are transformative, putting her at risk of having her memory wiped or even worse, purged as not benefiting the collective welfare of the ship’s caretakers. Her reverence for her ancestors, family, and memory are all themes that should resonate with anyone who is part of a family with traditions and strong values.
The science-fiction aspects of the story are merely a framework for a much more important narrative. Petra recognizes that her values, while putting her at odds with the ship’s leaders, are worth defending, regardless of the cost. Totally appropriate in terms of language and subject matter for even preteens, The Last Cuentista kept this grandfather totally engaged, right up to the last page. There’s enough heroism, danger, and conflict to keep readers of all ages captivated with Donna Higuera’s brisk writing and bright exposition. Petra is a worthy heroine for our time, and her story is worthy of a place on everyone’s bookshelf.