Love, Coffee, and Revolution

Leder debuts with a smart and snappy romp starring wannabe activist Dee Blum, who drops out of her senior year at UC Berkeley and heads to Costa Rica with Bay Area nonprofit Justice Alliance, where she’ll be planning eco-tours for the company’s wealthy donors. (The fact that her on-the-ground partner Matías Khalil is “uncomfortably cute” is just a bonus.) While scouting for excursion sites, Dee meets Adrián, and they immediately start dating. As their scouting takes them to various coffee estates, Dee comes to realize that even the “fair trade” sellers are bending ethical rules. She sets out to right this wrong, along the way learning more about both Adrián’s and Matías’s politics, leading her to a fraught romantic choice. This love triangle feels well balanced, and Leder keeps the pages turning as Dee makes narrow escapes from unauthorized sites and goes from idealism to practical action. The snarky humor that dots Dee’s internal monologue helps temper her naivete, making her a heroine who’s as easy to laugh with as cringe for. With an unusual setup, a gorgeous backdrop, an earnest political message, and a memorable cast, this is sure to make a splash. (June)