When the Moon Was Ours

Miel is the Latin protagonist of When the Moon Was Ours. Her name is the Spanish word for “honey,” allowing the two central characters to play on the word “honeymoon.” Miel’s most unusual feature is the roses that grow from her wrist, which in time, come to be accepted as one of the many otherworldly, inexplicable things that occur in their town. However, the rose combined with her association with Aracely, who cures the townspeople’s lovesickness, is enough for rumors to swirl that they are both witches.

The novel begins when Miel’s relationship with her best friend Sam grows from childhood friendship to something more adult and complex. Because Sam keeps his Gender Identity a secret from the townspeople, and because of her own past trauma, Miel feels an almost desperate sense of responsibility for her loved ones. For example, she hides the Bonner girls’ threats from Sam, determined to handle them alone. Miel feels deep guilt over the deaths of her mother and brother, Leandro, whom she believes both died because of her roses. Now, the Bonners’ desire for those same roses causes them to threaten to expose Sam. As a result, Miel tries so hard to handle everything herself that she almost dies at the Bonners’ hands.