LONGLISTED FOR THE CENTER FOR FICTION FIRST NOVEL PRIZE
NAMED A MOST RECOMMENDED BOOK OF THE YEAR BY ELECTRIC LITERATURE
NAMED A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK OF THE YEAR BY DEBUTIFUL
A PUBLISHERS LUNCH BUZZ BOOK
NAMED ONE OF THE MOST ANTICIPATED BOOKS OF FALL 2025 BY TIME
NAMED ONE OF PEOPLE'S MUST-READ BOOKS OF FALL 2025
LISTED AS ONE OF THE NY TIMES ANTICIPATED NOVELS OF FALL 2025
NAMED ONE OF KIRKUS REVIEWS 60 MOST ANTICIPATED BOOKS OF THE FALL
A CHAUTAUQUA LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC CIRCLE UNBOUND SELECTION
From the Whiting Award-winning author Jaquira Díaz, an epic novel of a mother and daughter wrestling with the aftermath of a murder, set against the backdrop of a tightknit, working-class barrio in Puerto Rico.
When Maricarmen meets Rey el Cantante, beloved small-time Robin Hood and local musician on the rise, she begins to envision a life beyond the tight-knit community of el Caserío, Puerto Rico – beyond cleaning houses, beyond waiting tables, beyond the constant tug of war between the street hustlers and los camarones. But breaking free proves more difficult than she imagined, and she soon finds herself struggling to make a home for herself, for Rey, his young brother Tito, and eventually, their daughter Nena. Until one fateful day changes everything.
Fifteen years later, Maricarmen and Nena find themselves in the middle of a murder investigation as the community that once rallied to support Rey turns against them. Now Nena, a teenager haunted by loss and betrayal and exploring her sexual identity, must learn to fight for herself and her family in a world not always welcoming. For lovers of the Neapolitan novels, This Is the Only Kingdom is an immersive and moving portrait of a family – and a community – torn apart by generational grief, and a powerful love letter to mothers, daughters, and the barrios that make them.
From the Whiting Award-winning author Jaquira Díaz, an epic novel of a mother and daughter wrestling with the aftermath of a murder, set against the backdrop of a tightknit, working-class barrio in Puerto Rico.
When Maricarmen meets Rey el Cantante, beloved small-time Robin Hood and local musician on the rise, she begins to envision a life beyond the tight-knit community of el Caserío, Puerto Rico – beyond cleaning houses, beyond waiting tables, beyond the constant tug of war between the street hustlers and los camarones. But breaking free proves more difficult than she imagined, and she soon finds herself struggling to make a home for herself, for Rey, his young brother Tito, and eventually, their daughter Nena. Until one fateful day changes everything.
Fifteen years later, Maricarmen and Nena find themselves in the middle of a murder investigation as the community that once rallied to support Rey turns against them. Now Nena, a teenager haunted by loss and betrayal and exploring her sexual identity, must learn to fight for herself and her family in a world not always welcoming. For lovers of the Neapolitan novels, This Is the Only Kingdom is an immersive and moving portrait of a family – and a community – torn apart by generational grief, and a powerful love letter to mothers, daughters, and the barrios that make them.
Coming October 21, 2025. Pre-order here!
“This is an extraordinary debut! Jaquira Díaz delivers a haunting meditation around the painful bonds of family and immerses readers in a world where the echoes of the past shape the future in devastating ways. A poignant, mesmerizing read that cements Díaz as a writer to be reckoned with.”
―Angie Cruz, author of How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water
“With stirring prose and an unflinching gaze, Jaquira Díaz viscerally renders one family’s origin story against the backdrop of Miami and Puerto Rico of the recent past—familiar to some, forgotten to many. This is The Only Kingdom is a look into dark social truths that one woman must face as a young matriarch, fighting for her family’s survival. Yet Díaz offers up no tragedy here, but a light through her daughter, who conjures up not just a fierce will to survive, but to thrive—as her fullest and whole self—reminding us that this life must be worth living to its fullest and truest.”
―Xochitl Gonzalez, author of Olga Dies Dreaming
“A stark and blunt love cuts through this story’s grieving heart. To achieve an epic sway, Díaz drenches us in rigorous sparkling detail. I had hoped a book like this would come along and fill in a missing gap of our diasporican history, but I never dreamed it would arrive with such muscle and lucidity.”
―Quiara Alegría Hudes, Pulitzer Prize winner and author of My Broken Language
“This is the Only Kingdom is beautiful, stunning, striking―a story built to haunt you in all the very best ways. The family sits here as a slippery spiral, telegraphing the past, present, and future with a gorgeous willingness to break it all open. Love tender and aching like an unseen bruise. No one writes like Jaquira. She’s in a league of her own."
―Kristen Arnett, author of Stop Me If You've Heard This One
“Díaz writes beautifully about grief, identity, addiction, family, and the blurry line between myth, truth, and history. A sweeping and touching debut about love, generational trauma, and complex mother-daughter relationships.”
―Kirkus Reviews
"Gutting and gorgeous."
―People Magazine
"Diaz's first novel powerfully highlights the desperation of lives lived on the edge even as rays of hope sometimes peek through . . . YAs will appreciate the nuanced layers of this lively story set in a time and place where children grow up much too quickly.”
―Booklist
―Angie Cruz, author of How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water
“With stirring prose and an unflinching gaze, Jaquira Díaz viscerally renders one family’s origin story against the backdrop of Miami and Puerto Rico of the recent past—familiar to some, forgotten to many. This is The Only Kingdom is a look into dark social truths that one woman must face as a young matriarch, fighting for her family’s survival. Yet Díaz offers up no tragedy here, but a light through her daughter, who conjures up not just a fierce will to survive, but to thrive—as her fullest and whole self—reminding us that this life must be worth living to its fullest and truest.”
―Xochitl Gonzalez, author of Olga Dies Dreaming
“A stark and blunt love cuts through this story’s grieving heart. To achieve an epic sway, Díaz drenches us in rigorous sparkling detail. I had hoped a book like this would come along and fill in a missing gap of our diasporican history, but I never dreamed it would arrive with such muscle and lucidity.”
―Quiara Alegría Hudes, Pulitzer Prize winner and author of My Broken Language
“This is the Only Kingdom is beautiful, stunning, striking―a story built to haunt you in all the very best ways. The family sits here as a slippery spiral, telegraphing the past, present, and future with a gorgeous willingness to break it all open. Love tender and aching like an unseen bruise. No one writes like Jaquira. She’s in a league of her own."
―Kristen Arnett, author of Stop Me If You've Heard This One
“Díaz writes beautifully about grief, identity, addiction, family, and the blurry line between myth, truth, and history. A sweeping and touching debut about love, generational trauma, and complex mother-daughter relationships.”
―Kirkus Reviews
"Gutting and gorgeous."
―People Magazine
"Diaz's first novel powerfully highlights the desperation of lives lived on the edge even as rays of hope sometimes peek through . . . YAs will appreciate the nuanced layers of this lively story set in a time and place where children grow up much too quickly.”
―Booklist