Word Up welcomes Ayendy Bonifacio for his new coming-of-age tale, Bless Me, Papi, about a young Dominican American boy facing a grave loss and a feathered phantom.

“Humanity shines through in this work that is notable for its cast of memorable, well-wrought characters. The pages sing with fresh, lyrical prose; a must-read.” —Kirkus, starred review

ABOUT THE BOOK
Between the looming buildings of Brooklyn, a young Dominican American boy only ever called mijo by his family has just lost his father to brain cancer. In the wake of his grief, he begins to see his deceased father take the form of a pigeon and ghost, acting as protector and advisor in moments of duress and confusion. Determined to find out the truth behind his father’s appearances, he sets out on the streets of Brooklyn with his outspoken friend Naño, and in the hills of the Dominican Republic with his cousin Matias, in search of answers, only to discover more ghostly apparitions and inexplicable occurrences. In a world of lost things and in-betweens, the grief-stricken son must choose whether he can bear to let go of his father or accept the consequences of what we let haunt us.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ayendy Bonifacio (he/him/his) is a Dominican American writer, poet, and scholar whose work explores memory, migration, race, and the legacies of colonialism in the Americas. He is the author of Dique Dominican; To the River, We Are Migrants: Poems/Poemas; and Bless Me, Papi. His second collection of poems, Ríos Are for Chivos and Eternity will be released in August 2027. Bonifacio’s writing has appeared in The New York Times, Slate, The Los Angeles Review of Books, among other outlets. He is an associate professor of English at the University of Toledo in Ohio where he lives with his partner and daughter.

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