International Latino Book Awards, poetry in English award, second place Fable of the Pack-Saddle Child, an illustrated book-length poem for adults, lays bare the world of Micaela, ten, who lives in an unnamed Spanish-speaking city by the sea. Seeking emotional refuge after a traumatic assault, Micaela withdraws from the world of adults. Almost losing her burgeoning sense of self, she instead becomes enchanted by language, beginning with the tilde that sits atop the Spanish letter Ñ. Her new love of the written word helps her find redemption in surprising places.