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And that's not wrong — the Caribbean islands have some of the most picturesque beaches in the world.

But if you're heading to the region, author Tiphanie Yanique says, "Be a traveler, not a tourist."

Yanique's family has deep ties to the U.S. Virgin Islands, which is where she set her novel, "Land of Love and Drowning." Often, she says, the culture of the islands get overlooked.

"When we travel to Paris or London, we go to the museums, we want to see the full aspect of the culture those places have to offer," Yanique says. But in the Caribbean, "sometimes we miss that because we're shopping for our duty-free rum." 

One thing not to miss is the architecture, Yanique says. It's a mix of Danish and French styles from the islands' history as a colony. Also, travelers should pick up a book by a local author instead of just flipping through tourist brochures.

"The Caribbean has an incredibly rich literary history," Yanique said, citing the region's two Pulitzer Prize-winning authors and Marlon James, who hails from Jamaica and just won the Man Booker Prize. 

Yanique joined MPR News' Kerri Miller to discuss the Caribbean and the literature that speaks to life there. 

For her Roaming and Reading book picks, Kerri recommends Yanique's novel and Edwidge Danticat's "Claire of the Sea Light."

"Land of Love and Drowning" by Tiphanie Yanique

Yanique's novel follows three generations on the island of St. Thomas, who encounter everything from shipwrecks to magical gifts.

"Claire of the Sea Light" by Edwidge Danticat

Danticat's poetic masterpiece centers around a seven-year-old-girl who goes missing in a tight-knit seaside town in Haiti.

Talking Volumes: Edwidge Danticat on writing her first novel

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"The Caribbean has an incredibly rich literary history," said Tiphanie Yanique, the author of "Land of Love and Drowning."

Author Tiphanie Yanique says visitors to the region should look past the beach -- and pick up a book by a local author.

Roaming and reading in the U.S. Virgin Islands

'Land of Love and Drowning' by Tiphanie Yanique

Roaming and reading in the U.S. Virgin Islands

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