This Is the Only Kingdom

by Jaquira Díaz

Growing up in Puerto Rico, Maricarmen works hard, getting good grades, and cleaning houses after school. She dreams of becoming a singer. When she meets Rey, a young Black musician, she falls in love with his dynamism, his band, and his voice. But when her mother discovers her relationship with a Black man, she puts Maricarmen out on the street. During the rise of the drug crisis sweeping their tight-knit community, Maricarmen fights to make a home for herself, for Rey, for Rey’s young brother Tito, and eventually, for her daughter Nena. When Rey is murdered, it falls to Maricarmen to raise both Nena and Tito, holding down two jobs to take care of them.

Fifteen years later, when Tito doesn’t come home after a night out, Maricarmen and Nena find themselves in the middle of a murder investigation, as the community that had once rallied to support Rey turns against them. In a moment of desperation, and struggling to protect her teenage daughter, Maricarmen gives up, leaving Nena to find her own way.

From the author of the critically acclaimed Ordinary Girls, a searing and moving portrait of a family torn apart, determined to find their way back.

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Contemporary, Literary Fiction, LGBT, Adult Fiction, Mystery Thriller

321 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 21, 2025

About the author

Jaquira Díaz is the author of Ordinary Girls: A Memoir, winner of a Whiting Award, a Florida Book Awards Gold Medal, a Lambda Literary Awards finalist, an American Booksellers Association Indies Introduce Selection, a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers Selection, an Indie Next Pick, a Library Reads pick, and finalist for the B&N Discover Prize. She lives in New York and teaches at Columbia University.

Reviews

[Jaquira Díaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wrote this book. It’s good. You should definitely read it!

[Book Riot Community]

This is one of Book Riot’s Best Books of 2025:

With a focus on mother-daughter relationships, this is a deeply felt, layered generational drama and coming-of-age novel. Maricarmen’s life changes as a teen in Puerto Rico when her mom throws her out after overhearing her confess her love for a boy she was forbidden to date. Decades later, her daughter Nena finds herself in Miami trying to understand generational trauma. This was one of the very few 2025 releases that I was highly anticipating that actually delivered, and just like Díaz’s memoir, I felt this book inside my bones. Almarie Guerra does a fantastic job narrating the audiobook.

- Jamie Canaves

[R Adrien · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful read. A coming-of-age novel that confronts poverty, racism, despair, striving, drug addiction, family estrangement, LGTBQ isolation and acceptance, redemption, and love. Told from the perspective of shifting protagonists across multiple generations of the same family. A story that spans decades beginning in a Puerto Rican housing project and ending among a community of friends in Miami Beach. A deeply touching story.

[BookNightOwl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so engrossed in this story that I couldn’t put it down. I love the way this story is written and how you go from character to character and feels like you are getting a real in depth story. 5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Scott Baxter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is The Only Kingdom by Jaquira Diaz is a multigenerational family story that takes place in Puerto Rico and South Beach, Miami. It is a plot and character driven novel with quite a bit of tragedy — murder, anti-Black racism, violent homophobia. Diaz’s novel is fast paced and, at times, I felt like I could feel the sweat. The first line of the book sets the tone: “hours before they find him, everything burns.”

This passage gives some idea of the real tragedies found in Diaz’s novel:

The newspapers would mention, briefly, that the Humacao prosecutor opened an investigation. They’d say that after Rey was driven to the Ryder Memorial Hospital emergency room, the police cruiser had been stolen from the hospital parking lot, and when it was found three days later, it had been doused in gasoline, set on fire. No evidence was recovered. They’d say Rey would be remembered as a loyal friend, that he was an addict, that he left behind a daughter, a wife, a little brother. The Humacao Houdini. El Caserío’s Robin Hood. He was twenty-four years old.

I appreciated this explanation of the title:

How many times had she heard heaven described as a kingdom where Jesus sat on a throne? And how many times had she heard them describe the sins that would keep Tito—and Nena—from the kingdom of heaven? But hell wasn’t real, and heaven was no kingdom. This, she wanted to tell them all, this is the only kingdom. Everything else was a lie.

The prose was solid, but I really did not find any passages I wanted to memorize. In my opinion, This is The Only Kingdom is worth reading. It is not sublime.

Thanks to the publisher for providing a free copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

epub. 336 pgs. 18 October 2025. Publishing 21 October 2025.

[Patty Ramirez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been craving a story like this for a while and I finally found it! The story centers around Maricarmen and her daughter, Nena, as they navigate life in a Puerto Rican project.

Maricarmen falls in love with Rey, the neighborhood's resident musician and bad boy. After Rey is murdered, it is up to Maricarmen to make a life for herself, Nena and Rey's brother, Tito.

This book tore me to pieces, the stories felt at the same time familiar but so very new. This is not a fun read, but these characters have you rooting for them in every page.

Read this!

Thank you to Algonquin and author for providing a free copy of this book through NetGalley.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sweeping, epic saga of a multi generational puerto rican family as they face rebellion, trauma and growth. Once I started this, I could not put it down. This isn't my typical genre, but was recommended by a family member and I am so glad I picked it up.

[Pyroclastic Ash]

Pausing at 25%
Resuming in January

[Jenni Nahm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Algonquin for providing me with an early copy through the #GoodreadsGiveaway.

This Is The Only Kingdom is a very impactful coming-of-age book that shows how support systems, or the lack thereof, and one's physical appearance influenced the lives of Maricarmen and her daughter Nenu despite growing up in the same neighborhood and facing the same threats of drug addiction, police brutality, and economic hardship. It tackles racism, sexism, homophobia, and their consequences for the main characters, even if these attitudes didn't directly target them. Overall, I thought this was a great and insightful read and I loved being able to receive this book before it was published!

[Alicia Guzman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the Only Kingdom is a multigenerational story spanning decades that is set in Puerto Rico and Miami. We're introduced to Maricarmen, who dream of leaving El Caserio and carving out a space for herself. We also follow Nena , who is struggling with her emerging feelings towards her best friend while grieving the loss of her uncle.

I have previously read Jaquira Diaz's memoir. If you have read it & enjoyed it, This is the Only Kingdom will be right up your alley.

What made the story so unforgettable for me were the characters. As I was reading I felt like I was in El Caserio with our characters dancing and having a good time. There were parts that were challenging to read. The characters are really put through the ringer. I suggest looking up possible trigger warnings. Ill include some here: homophobia, & police violence.

Thank you to Netgalley and Algonquin books for an advanced reader's copy of This is the Only Kingdom by Jaquira Diaz.

[Allison Meakem · Rating 4 out of 5]

Toward the end of This Is the Only Kingdom, Jaquira Díaz’s debut novel, one of her protagonists finally puts the book’s title into context: “[H]ell wasn’t real, and heaven was no kingdom,” she thinks, “this is the only kingdom.” It is the 1990s in Puerto Rico, and a Black gay man has just been killed and denied a Catholic funeral.

The kingdom known to Díaz’s characters is the projects of Humacao, Puerto Rico. Her multigenerational novel is set in el Caserío Padre Rivera, a place “people left … in a police car or a body bag or a celebration, their story all over the local papers.” The community confronts racism, homophobia, poverty, and U.S. imperialism. In the process, they turn against each other.

The novel begins in 1975. Maricarmen and her sister, Loli, are among the few white children in el Caserío, a mostly Black community. Their mother, Blanca, kicks Maricarmen out when she starts dating a Black boy named Rey... [[READ THE REST IN FP: https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/10/03/...]]

[Lily McMorrow · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really didn’t connect with this book, which is a shame, considering it tackles such important topics in an interesting historical and cultural context.

I found most, if not all, characters to be extremely unlikeable with little to no redeeming qualities. The character growth that did occur felt rushed and simplistic. I understand that not all stories are about characters that we resonate with — some of the best are when we don’t! — however, I felt no payoff or overarching takeaway when I finished this book. I found myself often rooting for Nena, just to continue feeling removed from her.

In terms of the novel’s main themes, which included questions of race, villager mindset/philosophy, generational trauma, addiction, and class/community struggle, I found these topics on two ends of a spectrum. Some themes felt redundant and tiresome. Others felt briefly mentioned and overly simplistic. I would have loved a novel that could’ve shed more depth in the more underdeveloped themes. As other reviews have mentioned, the writing felt very juvenile and unsatisfactory.

I expected more with this novel as its premise held so much promise. As with a movie that isn’t edited correctly, this could’ve used a condensing of some sections and an expanding in others.

I really enjoyed learning more about Puerto Rican culture, something I know very little about and is maybe why I didn’t connect with as intended. I found the author’s depiction of setting and atmosphere a strong point; something that served as a character on its own.

If anything, this book is pointing me down a path to explore more Latinx stories, voices, and literature.

[Ricki Brodie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jaquira Diaz puts you in an impoverished town in Puerto Rico, where work opportunities are at a minimum, police are feared and untrustworthy, machoism prevails, a basketball court brings friends together and a sense of no escape prevails. In this multigenerational coming of age story. Sixteen year old Maricarmen with her best friend/younger sister follow a local band of friends to their gigs. White Mari falls in love with the black lead singer, Rey, and becomes pregnant. Thrown out of her house, she moves in with Rey, his baby brother, Tito, and his father who dies shortly after. At sixteen, Mari became a mother to her brother-in-law and mother to Nenu. Rey dies and single parent, Mari works two jobs to provide for and protect her family. At eighteen and fifteen, gay and best friends Tito and Nenu, have faced racism, bullying, gender shaming and loneliness. An incident happens that changes everyone’s lives.

This novel examines so many issues from poverty, loss, estrangement, drug addiction, what it means to be black, gay and gay black, police brutality, biological family, community family to love and acceptance. However, it is never preachy which enhances the novel. The stories of Mari and Nenu are fully developed. We are privy to their inner thoughts and struggles and are praying they will survive and thrive. I found it a compulsive read. I wish there were a glossary for some of the Spanish words; but that didn’t stop the pacing or enjoyment.

Thank you Algonquin and NetGalley for the advance copy.

[Shirley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Is the Only Kingdom by Jaquira Díaz is a deeply moving story about family, generational trauma, love, loss, the stories we pass down, and the long journey toward healing.

Díaz fills this novel with memorable characters—Maricarmen and Nena, Rey and Tito, and yes, even that biznitch Blanca—who feel so real you swear you’ve met them (Blanca reminded me of my bad abuela!).

Set in a poor Puerto Rican neighborhood, the book offers heartbreaking moments that linger long after you turn the last page. It reveals the dangers of drug addiction and how it can lead to criminality; the unfairness of inequality; the cruelty of colorism and discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community; how the church can turn its back on its people; and how grief can be so transformative that it takes even the strongest to the seventh layer of hell.

It’s a powerful exploration of how the people who say they love us can sometimes be the ones who fail, abandon, and hurt us the most—and yet, we still fight to love, survive, and find our way back to ourselves.

My only critique is that the ending felt a bit rushed. I wanted to see more of Nena winning, and I especially wanted her to stand up to Genesis—maybe even kick her ass... but perhaps that’s just the dramática in me.

[Lauren Stoolfire · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy from the publisher, Algonquin Books, in exchange for an honest review.

This Is the Only Kingdom by Jaquira Díaz is this author's debut work of fiction. I loved her memoir, Ordinary Girls, so I jumped at this chance and I'm glad I did. At its core, it is a story of mothers and daughters, family, and community. It also opens with a mystery which it later wending its way back to as we learn about the generations of the family at the core of the story. The story moves relatively quickly and I was surprised when I got done to realize that it's just barely over 300 pages. It feels like so much happens. The world of this story feels so rich that the setting is practically a character in its own right. Aside from the setting, the characters all standouts (even if they sometimes make some questionable decisions) as we journey through their lives. Finally, I just want to mention how much I appreciated this story how real and engrossed I was in this story. I know a little bit of Spanish, but in order to get the full effect and I ought to know more about Puerto Rico too. That said, I will definitely be reading more of this author in the future.

[kacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

“She wished more than anything that she could touch him, that she could see him again. All those promises the church had made about eternal life, about heaven. How many times had she heard heaven described as a kingdom where Jesus sat on a throne? And how many times had she heard them describe the sins that would keep Tito—and Nena—from the kingdom of heaven? But hell wasn’t real, and heaven was no kingdom. This, she wanted to tell them all, this is the only kingdom. Everything else was a lie.”

this will definitely be in my favorite books of the year! i went in kind of blind, not knowing much about the plot, but i was so so pleasantly surprised. though at times i found the writing a bit stilted, the characterization more than made up for it. díaz manages to make the reader genuinely care about each character, even if she is not writing from their point of view. each character molds another, creating many little nesting dolls of complex humanity. i particularly loved nena—her journey with grief, queerness, and forgiveness was so vividly realized i feel like i really know her. fans of character driven family sagas (ex. hello beautiful) would love this!

[Jamie Canaves · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Díaz’s memoir Ordinary Girls so her debut novel was an automatic read for me. Once again, even though we’ve lived completely different lives, I felt her book in my bones.

This is a generational drama, blended with a coming-of-age, that focuses on mothers and daughters. It starts in Puerto Rico with Maricarmen as a teenager doing her best to follow her mother’s rules (But when she is overheard confessing her love for a boy her mother strictly forbade she’s thrown out of the house–only to later discover her mother moved away with her younger sister) and ends in Miami, during the AIDS Epidemic, with her daughter Nena, now a teenager, trying to find her own way in the world and make sense of the family’s generational trauma.

Almarie Guerra does a fantastic narration on the audiobook and this should have been chosen by the big book clubs as a selection.

--from 📚On Reading in September 2025

[Valerie D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Is the Only Kingdom completely swept me away. Jaquira Díaz writes with such fire and tenderness that every page feels alive. The story of Maricarmen and her daughter Nena is heartbreaking and fierce, filled with love, mistakes, and the kind of resilience that stays with you long after you finish.

The setting in Puerto Rico feels vivid and real, like you can hear the music and feel the heat of the barrio. Díaz captures the push and pull of wanting more while being tied to the place and people who made you. Maricarmen’s sacrifices and Nena’s struggle to find herself broke my heart more than once.

The book deals with grief, betrayal, and identity with so much honesty. It’s not an easy read emotionally, but it’s beautifully told. The writing is lush and rhythmic, and the characters feel like family by the end.

If you loved Ferrante or Angie Cruz, you’ll fall in love with this one too. It’s one of those rare novels that feels like both a song and a wound.

[Jennifer ~ TarHeelReader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ordinary Girls is one of those memoirs you never forget. Now we have author, Jaquira Diaz’s beautiful first novel, already long listed for the Center for Fiction First Novel prize!

Set in Puerto Rico to begin, the story envelops from the first paragraph. This is a story of generational coming-of-age. It’s the stories of Mari and Nenu and covers multiple important topics, including poverty, addiction, bereavement, and isolation and withdrawal. There’s intergenerational trauma within this family, and it’s sensitively explored.

This Is the Only Kingdom is stunning in its rendering, and I wholeheartedly recommend it to all readers. All the stars. A resounding YES.

I received a gifted copy.

Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader

[Edie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actually 3.5 stars and the rating is on me, due to the slang Spanish terminology which I tried to look up but couldn't find. You get the meaning in its context so not detrimental to the book, just frustrating to me. This is a lovely coming of age story that details racism, sexism and poverty in Puerto Rico. It is subject matter which I obviously knew existed but had no real idea about as far as it relates to Puerto Rico. This is a multi generational story which puts into perspective why the characters live as they do, and their effort to make a better life for subsequent generations. Poverty and racism aren't something you can classify with broad brush strokes. They are things that happen to people and this book weaves an interesting story about it.

[Erin Holt | Dear Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book follows a fractured family in Puerto Rico in the aftermath of traumatic events that reshape each of their lives in different ways. Each of them are pushed to reckon with their choices - grief, loyalty, betrayal - that still echo. The writing is gorgeous - lyrical and atmospheric - the characters are flawed, complicated, and frustrating, which seems intentional. It’s excellent work in intimate character study, each person trying to find their place in a world determined to keep them isolated. At times I wished the pacing was better but it also was effective in sitting in the darkest parts and not rushing though.

Ultimately it’s a novel about being fragile yet stubborn, and holding out hope for something better from the ruins of what came before.

[Mai Nguyễn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED Jaquira Díaz’s memoir ORDINARY GIRLS and was delighted to get an early copy of her debut novel, THIS IS THE ONLY KINGDOM. This book really took my breath away. It’s intimate, moving and captivating. I don’t often read books set in Puerto Rico, and this novel opened my eyes to the lives of working-class people in the 1970s and 1980s there. Through the viewpoints of a mother (Maricarmen) and her daughter (Nena) who have to navigate many challenges that life throws at them while asserting their places in the world, readers get to know many important issues related to race, sexuality, and family legacy. This book is such a sweeping and memorable family epic.

[Rosalyn Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the monthly pick for a virtual book club I’m part of, and the format is one of my favorites: we discuss amongst ourselves first, then the author joins the conversation. Hearing Jaquira Díaz talk about her “why” and her intentions behind the story made me appreciate the book so much more.


On the page, it felt like there were a lot of themes and threads competing for space, which kept me from fully loving it. But the author’s insight, openness, and personality added depth to the reading experience enough that I walked away liking the book more than I expected to. Sometimes hearing the creator’s heart changes the way a story lands.

[Jonesy.Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting story about family, love, loss, and ultimately hatred. Are we destined to make the same mistakes as our parents? Persecuted for the colour of their skin, teenage pregnancies, and homosexuality. It seems no matter how hard this family tries to better themselves the world around them keeps judging them, not on who they are, but for how they appear. Equality, human and workers rights, and systemic racism are all touched upon.

Thank you NetGalley and Algonquin Books for a digital copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

[Dmkb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maricarmen loves Rey, an addict an thief. They have daughter Nema. Rey is killed and Mari is left to raise Tito, Rey’s brother and her baby Nema. Mari is abandoned by her own mother and sister who move from Puerto Rico to Miami. After Tito, a gay man, is killed in a hate crime, she leaves/abandons Nema in Miami with Mari’s mom and sister. Nema’s aunt is nice to her but grandma is horrid. Nema is also gay and breaks away from her family and makes her own way and works in a pharmacy in Miami in the 1990s amidst the AIDS crisis.

[Juanita Flores-Mejia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I felt like there were a lot of loose ends in this book and not enough answers or clarity. The overall plot was interesting, but the characters could’ve been fleshed out more, we never learn anyone’s motivation for why they do what they do…like why did MariCarmen become an addict at the end, why does Blanca kick MariCarmen out and then leave the island anyway? why does Rey continue a life of crime and drugs when he was going to stop, what was going on with Genesis and her brother that made them so violent towards Tito and Nena? It was frustrating.

[Bill Silva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rounding up from 3.5 stars. There are too many characters, storylines, themes, and issues for the author to do justice to all of them…but she makes a very moving and compelling attempt in this affecting and passionate novel. A true sense of place and of its people is masterfully conveyed in the writing, and there is real empathy here. I wanted more…more connections, more exploration, and more resolution—but there’s still plenty here to be captivated by and to ponder. I recommend!

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very raw, brutal, gritty, frank. A fractured family living--or trying to live--in their"community" of Caserìo in Puerto Rico. A family almost assured to destruct, given the violence, drugs, prejudices, lost opportunity, and wasted talent. Sounds pretty depressing, and it is. Yet, despite all that, it does have heart. I almost quit reading it, but I'm glad I stuck with it. A well-written novel that makes the reader ask, "Is This the Only Kingdom"?

[Lan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love intergenerational historical/contemporary fiction and This is the Only Kingdom is a phenomenal story! Jaquira Díaz does a great job driving the story with characters and their settings in a way that only makes me want more, without feeling anything was lacking.

[Iris (Yi Youn) Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

an ambitious, intergenerational novel inspired by a true story from Diaz's family. the book is about the brutality of living in a colonial project, yes, but also the joy and politics of salsa and dancing and what it takes to break cycles of violence.