Return Against the Flow by Susana Praver-Pé rez is a memoir-in-verse that travels back and forth between Puerto Rico and its diaspora, much like the island’ s pattern of circular migration over the years. Reflecting her personal journey across geographies and languages, Susana’ s poems move between English and Spanish, and capture the tempo of ambient sounds, such as drumbeats of bomba, or a black-plumed chango chirping at dawn. She unflinchingly explores the daily struggles Puerto Rico faces, while exuberantly celebrating the island’ s culture, its peoples, and the concept of “ return” . This is a voyage via words the reader will remember long after turning the last page.