A book fairy in New Mexico headed to the Pride celebrations in Los Alamos and left some books there! Here is Rebecca’s story.

The Book Fairies visit Los Alamos Pride

In the Jemez Mountains of Northern Mexico, the city of Los Alamos celebrates its second annual Pride week. The Book Fairies of New Mexico joined the event and hid books to celebrate our summer of #bookfairieswithpride.

The heart of this week-long celebration is the family-friendly Pride festival, which celebrates residents of the city and the surrounding area, whether they be trans, bisexual, lesbian, gay, non-binary, or an ally to the LGBTQ+ community.

Here are two of the books I left at the festival, with their descriptions below:

Tell the Wolves I’m Home, by Carol Rifka Brunt

1987. There’s only one person who has ever truly understood fourteen-year-old June Elbus, and that’s her uncle, the renowned painter Finn Weiss. Shy at school and distant from her older sister, June can only be herself in Finn’s company; he is her godfather, confidant, and best friend. So when he dies, far too young, of a mysterious illness her mother can barely speak about, June’s world is turned upside down. But Finn’s death brings a surprise acquaintance into June’s life—someone who will help her to heal, and to question what she thinks she knows about Finn, her family, and even her own heart.

At Finn’s funeral, June notices a strange man lingering just beyond the crowd. A few days later, she receives a package in the mail. Inside is a beautiful teapot she recognizes from Finn’s apartment, and a note from Toby, the stranger, asking for an opportunity to meet. As the two begin to spend time together, June realizes she’s not the only one who misses Finn, and if she can bring herself to trust this unexpected friend, he just might be the one she needs the most.

An emotionally charged coming-of-age novel, Tell the Wolves I’m Home is a tender story of love lost and found, an unforgettable portrait of the way compassion can make us whole again.

The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters

It is 1922, and London is tense. Ex-servicemen are disillusioned, the out-of-work and the hungry are demanding change. And in South London, in a genteel Camberwell villa, a large silent house now bereft of brothers, husband and even servants, life is about to be transformed, as impoverished widow Mrs Wray and her spinster daughter, Frances, are obliged to take in lodgers.

For with the arrival of Lilian and Leonard Barber, a modern young couple of the ‘clerk class’, the routines of the house will be shaken up in unexpected ways. And as passions mount and frustration gathers, no one can foresee just how far-reaching, and how devastating, the disturbances will be.

This is vintage Sarah Waters: beautifully described with excruciating tension, real tenderness, believable characters, and surprises. It is above all a wonderful, compelling story.

About Pride in Los Alamos

Attendees enjoyed music, karoke, face-painting, dancing, bubble-making, sports day-like activities, and booths catering to local clubs and support groups. Some brave souls even volunteered to step up on stage (with the help of emcee Quinn Fontaine) and share their coming out stories to help support and encourage others with their own identities.

Amongst the near constant storm of rainbow colors, smiling faces, and laughter, this book fairy cannot be anything but joyful at the Los Alamos Pride Festival.

Thank you to Rebecca for sharing this lovely story as part of Book Fairies With Pride! If you have a story to share about your time as a book fairy, please email bookfairyemail@gmail.com!

Would you like to join The Book Fairies?

Anyone can be a book fairy. Anyone. Most of the books we hide are secondhand, and these are a mixture of books we’ve read, ones we’ve found from charity shops, ones we have saved from landfill, and many other places! All you need is the interest in giving new life to books, and spreading the magic where you live – oh and some book fairy stickers!