The Revolution of Evelyn Serrano

Written by Sonia Manzano in 2012, The Revolution of Evelyn Serrano is a middle grade coming-of-age story set in the heart of Spanish Harlem, New York, in 1969. The novel introduces Evelyn Serrano, a young Puerto Rican girl caught between her conservative family and the vibrant, radical spirit of the Young Lords Movement. As Evelyn becomes more involved with the movement, she starts to uncover her family’s complex history and the struggles of the Puerto Rican community in the United States.

Sonia Manzano is best known for her role as Maria on Sesame Street and has been influential in the lives of young adults and children for decades. Her childhood experience of visiting her grandmother in Spanish Harlem serves as the inspiration for the novel, which is based on real-life events from the 1960s.

This guide refers to the 2012 paperback version published by Scholastic Press.

Content Warning: Both the source text and this guide feature depictions of abuse and anti-Puerto Rican sentiments.

Plot Summary

Fourteen-year-old Evelyn Serrano lives in East Harlem with her mother and stepfather, who own and run a local bodega. Evelyn feels annoyed with her mother before she goes to her first day at work. She insists that her mother call her Evelyn because she believes that the name sounds less “Puerto Rican.