Thirteen-year-old Maya Beatriz Montenegro Calderon has vivid recurring dreams where she hears the ocean calling her. Mamiâs side of the family is known as âLos Locos,â so maybe she actually is going crazy. But no time for that; the family business is where itâs at. Whenever Maya, her sister Salma, and her three cousins, Ini, Mini, and Mo, arenât at school, you can usually find three generations of Calderones at CafĂŠ Taza, serving up sandwiches de pernil, mofongo, and the best cafĂŠs con leche in all of Brooklyn.
One day, an unexpected visit from the estranged Titi Yaya from Puerto Rico changes everything. Because Yaya practices santerĂa, Abuela tells Maya and the other Calderon children to stay away from her. But if la viejita is indeed estranged from the family, why does Maya feel so connected to this woman she has never met before? And who is this orisha named Yemaya? On top of all this, Maya has a budding soccer career to consider, while fending off the local bully, and dealing with nascent feelings toward her teammate. But through it all, thereâs that alluring connection to a forbidden ancient practiceâfilled with a pantheon of Yoruba gods and goddessesâthat keeps tugging at her, offering her a new perspective in life, and tying her past to her present and future. Which path will Maya choose to fulfill her destiny?