Sirena Selena — Mayra Santos-Febres

Sirena Selena is a lyrical and provocative tale of identity, desire, and the transformative power of music. From the author of Urban Oracles, Mayra Santos-Febres's Sirena Selena chronicles the journey of a fifteen-year-old hustler discovered by Martha Divine in the backstreets of San Juan. Drugged out of his mind and singing boleros that transfix the listener, the young man is transformed into Sirena Selena, a diva whose uncanny beauty and irresistible voice become their ticket to fame and fortune.

Auditioning for a luxury hotel in the Dominican Republic, Selena casts her spell over Hugo Graubel, a powerful and married investor. Determined to escape the poverty and abuse s/he suffered as a child, Selena engages Graubel in a long seduction in this mordant, intensely lyrical tragi-comedy. Part masque, part cabaret, Sirena Selena explores themes of class, race, gender, and the hunger and desire to be something more.

A mesmerizing blend of "The Blue Angel" and "Kiss of the Spider Woman," Sirena Selena is a captivating work of contemporary Caribbean literature that delves into the complexities of identity against a backdrop of colonialism. Santos-Febres's prose is as seductive as Selena's boleros, making this a must-read for fans of literary fiction with LGBTQ+ characters.