“In powerful and lyric prose, Recinos guides us through life as a first-generation American in the in-between space of South Central Los Angeles. At once straightforward and vulnerable, here we’re invited into something wholly personal with beauty and care.” —Kimberly Garza, author of Between You a River

“Eva Recinos offers a powerfully revealing and vibrant account of herself informed by the 16 miles of contentious and spirited swath of land known as South Central Los Angeles. Narrating the art histories of her community with passion and elegance, she moves her readers through her neighborhood through a structurally rich mosaic portrait of a place as mythologized as South Central Los Angeles. Navigating the ebbs and flows of change, grief, and dignity, Recinos emerges as an important voice for her generation, and rightfully exposes the penumbra of a city that thrives on the erasures of first gen, working class, and immigrant labor. These essays shine a defiant beam of light on the cultural workers and visionaries (such as Noah Purifoy, Judson Powell, Lauren Halsey) that make the city come alive. This is a must-have for lovers of Los Angeles literature.” —Raquel Gutiérrez, author of Brown Neon: Essays

“I loved reading Eva Recinos’ stunning debut, Underneath the Palm Trees. From the very first page, her writing pulls you into the intimate, electric world of girlhood, set against the vivid rhythms of South-Central Los Angeles. With tenderness and precision, Recinos captures the quiet becoming of a young woman coming into her own, navigating identity, ambition, and the courage it takes to call yourself a writer. This is a voice new readers will want to follow closely.” —Glory Edim, author of Gather Me: A Memoir in Praise of the Books that Saved Me