1.
What inspired you to write Pura Vida?
In a beginning novel-writing
class, the instructor asked if I had a character somewhere in the back of my
mind. I did! It was Sister Bridget. She is based on two sisters that I know.
One that I went on a missionary trip to Mexico with and another sister that I
worked with in ministry to people with
disabilities. So the inspiration starts with Sister Bridget, and then
secondly, I wanted to write a book that was completely immersed in the Latino
culture, one in which the setting was a Latino community, the plot involved
Latinos, the dialog was a mixture of English and Spanish and the characters
were Latino.
2.
How did you manage to weave the individual story lines
of the characters into one?
The family is central to
the Latino community, and a family is already woven together, so it was easy
for the storylines to intersect.
3.
What significant role did Sister Bridget play in the
story?
Sister Bridget is the common character for each
story line. She is the “safe base” for everyone else.
4.
Could you please describe Miguel's journey and how
Sister Bridget was able to help?
Miguel is a smart,
compassionate young man who has to deal with cruel difficulties in life. His
father is absent, his brother has died, his sister is pregnant, and now he has
information about terrorists. He could have walked away, but he’s an
exceptional young man even though society might look down on him and dismiss
him as trouble-maker because of his former drinking and drug use. A lot of
people don’t even see him because he is a nobody. Sister Bridget is able to
help him because she sees him and values him; she listens to him and takes him
seriously.
5.
What are some of the main socio-economic issues that
you explore in this book and why did you explore them?
Immigration and Deportation - Perla and Emilio had a valid reason for immigrating to
the United States. The safety and job security that they sought did not exist
for them in their homeland, so they traveled to a place where they could make a
better life for their family. I explored this issue because in Texas, there are
many such families and their stories are interesting. Poverty - most
that live in poverty work hard to make ends meet day to day. They don’t give
up; they figure out what they can afford and not afford and they keep plugging
at it. I wanted to show that members of the Lopez family work hard and do well in school. I wanted to give the
impression that each upcoming generation of the family would have a better life than the previous one. The
reader got a glimpse of Perla and Emilio’s village in Mexico and their current
home in the United States. Miguel seems to be on a path to a college education,
so the future looks bright for him. And Luz too. I explored this issue because
I wanted to tell a positive story about an impoverished family. I wanted to
shine a light on them and show that people with little money have just as much
dignity and worth as the more well off.
6.
In the book, it's indicated that "Pura vida...means living one's life con gusto, with pleasure, appreciation,
and gratefulness, even through adversity." (78) Could you please elaborate
and explain the significance?
Pura Vida is a tricky
phrase to translate - sure it translates to “pure life” but it is more of an
attitude. It’s an easy going, carefree but not careless attitude. It’s appreciating what you do have, not
lamenting over what you don’t have. The significance of pura vida is
illustrated in everything that the Lopez family has lost, and yet, everything
that they have gained. It’s letting go of the sadness and bitterness and
embracing the love and forgiveness. It’s a decision to be happy.
7.
What do you hope readers will gain from your book?
I hope readers will see that people are all the same. We all
have the same hopes and dreams for our families.
8.
What do you like best and what do you like least about
being a writer?
I love being creative, making a story
come alive on paper that didn’t exist before. What I like least is the pressure
to market the book.
9.
Who are some of your favorite authors?
I love Isabel Allenda, Juno Diaz, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, David
Baldacci, Alexander McCall Smith, Dean Koontz, Janet Evanovich, Anne Rice, Mary
Higgins Clark and of course, Agatha Christie mysteries.
10.
If your book would be turned into a movie, who would
you imagine playing the part of the main character? (Actor can be ANYONE,
living or dead.)
It is difficult to think of a teenage
Latino actor just off the top of my head, so I used Google for this one. I
found that Omar Avila is a young Cuban actor on a Telemundo series called Los Teens. He’d make a great Miguel. Eva
Mendez for Perla. Antonio Bandera or George Clooney could play Detective
Maldonado and Sofia Vergara could play Sister Bridget! Just kidding, how about
Salma Hayek or Penelope Cruz?
11.
Are you working on anything right now?
I am working on a second Sister Bridget book.
12.
And, finally, what do you think is in store for the
future of Latino literature?
I hope that more stories
of every genre will include positive Latino characters. Romances with Latino
characters, mysteries with Latino characters, young adult novels about Latinos,
etc.
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