Katalina Gamarra at Harvard Book Store

Harvard Book Store welcomes local author and former bookseller KATALINA GAMARRA for a discussion of her debut novel Ben and Beatriz.

A Return to In-Person Events

Harvard Book Store is excited to re-introduce in-person programming this season. To ensure the safety and comfort of everyone in attendance, the following Covid-19 safety protocols will be in place at all of our Harvard Book Store events until further notice:

• Face coverings are required of all staff and attendees when inside the store. Masks must snugly cover nose and mouth.

About Ben and Beatriz

Beatriz Herrera is a fierce woman who will take you down with her quick wit and keen intellect. And after the results of the 2016 election worked hard to erase her identity as a queer biracial woman, she’d be right to. Especially if you come for her sweet BFF cousin, Hero. Beatriz would do anything for her, a loyalty that lands Beatriz precisely where she doesn’t want to be: spending a week at the ridiculous Cape Cod mansion of stupid-hot playboy Ben Montgomery. The same Ben Montgomery she definitely shouldn’t have hooked up with that one time… The things we do for family.

White and wealthy, Ben talks the talk and walks the walk of privilege, but deep down, he’s wrestling with the politics and expectations of a conservative family he can’t relate to. Though Beatriz’s caustic tongue drives him wild in the very best way, he's the last person she'd want, because she has zero interest in compromising her identity. But as her and Ben’s assumptions begin to unravel and their hookups turn into something real, they start wondering if it’s still possible to hold space for one another and the inescapable love that unites them.

Praise for Ben and Beatriz

"Ben and Beatriz should be required reading. I want to scream at the entire world to pick up this book and read it! At times, I was shaking while reading because it made me feel so seen. Gamarra's novel is an incredible love story, yes, but beyond that it's also a deeply complex study on racism and privilege that goes so far beyond the surface. Its approach to mental health, consent, and sexual identity is brilliant and compassionate and so, so authentic. We should be studying this book. AAHHH!!!" —Jesse Q. Sutanto, author of Dial A for Aunties

"Katalina Gamarra weaves together the wit, banter and joy Shakespeare fans will expect from a modern retelling and the exploration of the complex topics of race, sexuality, class and more all with sensitivity and amazing skill. A fantastic debut!" —Samantha Young, New York Times bestselling author of Much Ado About You

“It was an absolute honour to read Ben and Beatriz, from the brilliant, unique new voice: Katalina Gamarra. This book tackles hefty themes with serious wit - truly a romance for our times. Engaging, thrilling and totally fresh. Bravo!” —Lizzy Dent, author of The Summer Job