A Girl From a Store follows Lena, a free-spirited Guatemalan girl, finding herself as she balances living with her dysfunctional, at times ruthless, family and her ambition to become more. Lena recounts her struggles growing up in a repressed environment, and finding solace in friendship and first love. Is a happy ending possible for a girl growing up with so little, who dreams of so much? Written from the protagonist's perspective, Lena's emotional truth comes to life and captures human nature in its most innocent state. This coming of age story offers a rendition of real life events, and contemplates what would have been in the reality of growing up in 1960s-70s Guatemala.

A Girl From a Store is Lesem's first novel, and a piece personal to her heritage.

About the Author

Lesem Elizabeth Puerto was born and raised in Los Angeles, California to Central American immigrant parents, and spent much of her upbringing focused on her education and going to church on Sundays. Being the first in her family to graduate from college, she earned a B.A. in Film Studies from UC Santa Barbara and soon after achieved a Masters in Public Administration from Cal State, Los Angeles. Lesem has put into practice her professional talents by supporting and developing community engagement in the nonprofit sector. She credits her accomplishments thus far to the constant support from her mother and younger sister, and her strong faith in God. Lesem has always loved the art of storytelling through different mediums, whether through long-form writing or content creation. Among other interests, she enjoys a daily dose of coffee, exploring her culinary skills, and keeping up with pop-culture.