At a Glance
- Kristen Millares Young will publish her debut memoir, Desire Lines, on October 6, 2026
- The memoir explores her Cuban-Spanish heritage and devotion to the mother goddess Cybele
- Young calls the book “the light I was hiding from myself”
- Why it matters: The award-winning novelist turns inward after two decades of telling other people’s stories
Kristen Millares Young is preparing to share her own story. The journalist and bestselling novelist will release her first memoir, Desire Lines, this fall, and News Of Los Angeles has the exclusive first look at the cover and themes that drive the book.
A 20-Year Journey From Reporter to Memoirist
Young built her career amplifying other voices. For two decades she reported, edited, and wrote fiction that centered communities often left out of mainstream narratives. That work earned her accolades, including two-time finalist honors for the International Latino Book Awards for her 2020 novel Subduction.
The shift to memoir came only when outside events pushed her to examine her own history. “Current circumstances forced me to get personal,” Young told News Of Los Angeles. “Had I known I would write a memoir, I might not have allowed myself to become a writer.”
Cuban Roots, Ancient Goddesses, and Hidden Histories
Desire Lines, described by publisher Red Hen Press as a “memoir-in-essays,” traces Young’s Cuban and Spanish lineage while weaving in her fascination with the ancient mother goddess Cybele. Overshadowed by the rise of the Virgin Mary, Cybele became a lens through which Young confronted “startles truths” and parallels “kept hidden for too long,” she said.
Her research took her into temples and archives where she pieced together a narrative that links personal identity to millennia-old spiritual traditions. The goddess figure anchors reflections on:
- Motherhood and inherited expectations
- Human rights and bodily autonomy
- The erasure of women’s stories across cultures
Centering the Body as Resistance
Young positions her own body at the heart of the book, treating it as “a site of resistance and making.” The essays grapple with lessons she absorbed as a girl: fear of her own story and the silences expected of women.
“As a girl, I was taught to fear my own story,” Young explained. “As a woman, I know better. Revelations await beneath the lies we are told about ourselves and the icons we worship.”
That personal reckoning became inseparable from the political. By refusing to abandon her truths, Young argues, individuals can unlock beauty and freedom-not just for themselves but for others navigating similar suppressions.
Publication Details and Availability
Red Hen Press will release Desire Lines on October 6, 2026, with pre-orders already open through major retailers. The announcement arrives as Young continues to promote literary dialogue: she co-founded the storytelling nonprofit, and her essays appear in outlets ranging from The Washington Post to Ploughshares.
Marcus L. Bennett reported the exclusive reveal for News Of Los Angeles, underscoring Young’s established reputation within literary circles prior to this memoir.
Key Takeaways
- The book marks a creative pivot after two decades of journalistic and fictional work focused on others
- Cybele serves as both historical subject and metaphor for obscured female power
- Young frames personal disclosure as collective liberation
- Pre-orders signal early reader interest ahead of the October release
With Desire Lines, Young steps from observer to narrator of her own life, promising readers the same candor she once reserved for her subjects.
