Ander & Santi Were Here: A Novel
A STONEWALL YOUNG ADULT HONOR BOOK
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe meets The Sun is Also a Star in this YA contemporary love story from Jonny Garza Villa, Ander & Santi Were Here, about a nonbinary Mexican American teen falling for the shy new waiter at their family’s taqueria.
Finding home. Falling in love. Fighting to belong.
The Santos Vista neighborhood of San Antonio, Texas, is all Ander Martínez has ever known. The smell of pan dulce. The mixture of Spanish and English filling the streets. And, especially their job at their family's taquería. It's the place that has inspired Ander as a muralist, and, as they get ready to leave for art school, it's all of these things that give them hesitancy. That give them the thought, are they ready to leave it all behind?
To keep Ander from becoming complacent during their gap year, their family "fires" them so they can transition from restaurant life to focusing on their murals and prepare for college. That is, until they meet Santiago López Alvarado, the hot new waiter. Falling for each other becomes as natural as breathing. Through Santi's eyes, Ander starts to understand who they are and want to be as an artist, and Ander becomes Santi's first steps toward making Santos Vista and the United States feel like home.
Until ICE agents come for Santi, and Ander realizes how fragile that sense of home is. How love can only hold on so long when the whole world is against them. And when, eventually, the world starts to win.
# of Pages: 368
Book Binding: Hardcover
Year of Publication: 2023
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Language: en
ISBN: 9781250843999
Jonny Garza Villa is an award-winning author and educator based in San Antonio, Texas. He received his MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Texas at El Paso and has since published numerous works of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. His writing often explores themes of identity, family, and the complexities of the human experience. In addition to his writing career, Villa is also a dedicated educator, teaching creative writing and literature at a local high school. Ander & Santi Were Here is his debut novel, which has received critical acclaim for its poignant portrayal of two young boys navigating their friendship amidst the struggles of growing up in a changing world.