Sometimes, I am inspired by and feel connected to fictional characters that I cannot personally relate to. Even with our different circumstances, I can still admire them and apply their attitudes or actions to my own life. A perfect example of this is my affinity for the main character, Emoni Santiago, from the YA book titled, With the Fire on High, by Elizabeth Acevado.
This novel follows Emoni, a senior in high school who lives with her grandmother and around three-year-old daughter. Emoni’s life has been difficult with her complicated parental situation and the fact that she is a teenage mother. The way she escapes those stresses is through her love of cooking. While her dream is to become a professional chef and attend culinary school, she initially believes this idea to be out of reach. However, once Emoni invests herself in cooking and learns of a culinary-related school trip to Spain, her doubts start to disappear, and she allows her passion to take over.
While I am not a person of color, teenager, or mother like Emoni, I admire her determination, confidence, and the care she has for others, especially her daughter. Also, despite all the hardships Emoni has had to endure, she has a great, energetic attitude and never takes her pain out on other people. She is an overall good person who continues to grow over the course of the story.
As a whole, this book has important messages, short chapters to speed through, positive Afro-Latina and teen mom representation, and a main character you’ll want to root for. If you’re looking for a work that will motivate you to follow your heart, then I would recommend this novel.