Liliana's Invincible Summer (Pulitzer Prize winner)

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Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Memoir or Autobiography (2024), this poignant narrative begins with Cristina Rivera Garza's quest for justice for her sister, Liliana, who was murdered twenty-nine years ago. In September 2019, Cristina travels from Texas to Mexico City to request an old, unresolved criminal file from the attorney general, acknowledging the slim chance of success. Motivated by global feminist movements and the pervasive issues of femicide and intimate partner violence, she embarks on this extraordinary journey. Through luminous, poetic prose, Rivera Garza recounts Liliana’s life, from her early romance with an abusive ex-boyfriend to the vibrant summer of 1990 when she embraced love and freedom. The memoir intertwines personal history with broader societal issues, as Cristina curates evidence—letters, police reports, and interviews—to paint a fuller picture of her sister beyond the tragedy. This genre-defying work confronts the trauma of loss while exploring how Liliana's story continues to shape Cristina’s identity and activism. Ultimately, it is a powerful reflection on resilience, memory, and the fight for justice in a world marred by gendered violence.