Summer begins when the Callahans arrive on Mariposa Island, and Elena gets to escape her controlling mother by babysitting for their two children. The summer of 1986 promises to be extra special when she meets J.C., the new boy in town whose kisses make Elena feel woozy. 

Joaquin can’t imagine why anyone would want to come to Mariposa Island. He just graduated from high school and dreams about going to California to find his father and escape his mother’s manipulation. 

The Liars of Mariposa Island follows siblings Elena and Joaquin, with flashbacks about their mother’s experience as a teenage refugee fleeing the Cuban revolution. This multilayered novel explores the illusive nature of truth, the danger of keeping secrets, and the fierce, sometimes destructive, love that can exist in families.