Which novel by Junot Díaz won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2008?

The novel by Junot Díaz that won the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction is The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao.

Published in 2007, Díaz’s debut novel follows Oscar de León, a Dominican American science-fiction and fantasy enthusiast growing up in Paterson, New Jersey. The story moves between New Jersey and the Dominican Republic, tracing several generations of Oscar’s family.

The novel blends English, Spanish, slang, footnotes, history, and speculative-fiction references. A central historical backdrop is the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo, whose rule shaped the family’s experiences. The recurring idea of the fukú curse links personal suffering with the wider history of the Caribbean and the Americas.

A common mix-up is confusing the book with Díaz’s earlier story collection Drown, which established his reputation but did not win the Pulitzer. The novel also won the National Book Critics Circle Award in 2008.