Quiara Alegria Hudes's memoir is an exploration of home, family, memory, and belonging, narrated by the Hispanic American dramatist who fought to become an artist so she could capture the world she loved.

A multilingual block in West Philly -- Spanish becomes a secret; language of the dead -- English is for atheism; language of woodworking -- A name that is a mask -- An English cousin comes to visit -- Language of the forest -- Latina health vocab from the late '80s -- Spanglish cousins on the New Jersey turnpike -- Body language -- Sophomore year English -- Things go unsaid long enough... -- Possession's voice -- Sedo buys me an upright; language of Bach -- Taíno petroglyphs -- Lukumí thrones -- Silence=death -- Unwritten recipes -- Yoruba vocabulary -- A racial slur -- A book is its presence and absence -- Mom's accent -- Dad buys me a typewriter -- She said Norf Philly and one-two-free -- Atonality -- Fania everything and salsa out-of-prints -- The serenity prayer -- Sterling Library -- The Foraker Act (on Boriken's-and the diaspora's-language history) -- Gil-Scott Heron asks me a question -- Writing's a muscle, it gets stronger -- Broken language -- On obscenity -- Cold drink became a play -- Silence=death (déjà vu all over again) -- The book of our genius.