Doña Quixote

This was a fun retelling of the classic tale Don Quixote with several changes, including a young girl named Lucia being the protagonist. Our main character longs to be a knight like her grandfather, even though her family and the town think her grandfather was imagining all the creatures and spirits he talked about fighting. When the mayor begins to launch a project that could put the town in danger, Lucia and her best friend, the ever supportive ballerino try to save the day. 

There was so much I loved about this book. First, the trend that is going on with modernizing classics is amazing! This book tackles many of the same topics as the original, along with others like immigration, gender stereotypes, and more. 

My favorite character was Lucia’s grandmother. She was a wonderful encouragement to Lucia, even if she didn’t fully understand what the specifics were. She preserved in her own goal and was there for her family too. I also liked how Lucia’s best friend, Sandro causally defied gender norms by loving ballet. While it was a point of contention for his family, he was always sure of his love of ballet and who he was. It made him an incredible knight sidekick to Lucia too! Also, loved the donkey sidekick!

(Thank you to the publisher for a ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.’)