Episode 9 --- Chantel Acevedo
This episode of the ReadMore podcast was sponsored by the Miami Book Fair International.
Chantel Acevedo has a passion for books that comes across after just talking to her for a few minutes. When she starts discussing her favorites, her eyes light up with an enthusiasm that's infectious. If you want to see what that's like, ask her about Anne of Green Gables, her favorite book as a child.
Chantel has written four critically-acclaimed historical novels. Her novel, Love and Ghost Letters, won the Latino International Book Award, and her novel, A Falling Star, won the Doris Bakwin Award and the National Bronze Medal IPPY Award.
Her latest novel, The Distant Marvels, takes readers back in time to Cuba during the fight for independence from Spain. The novel begins in 1963 during the early years of the Castro regime. Her narrator, María Sirena, is 82. She's seen it all and is eager to tell her story. She gets her chance when she's forced to evacuate during a hurricane along with several other mostly elderly women. While they ride out the storm in an old governor's mansion, she shares her epic tale of war, survival and loss.
Click here to listen to the podcast.
Interview Highlights:
Chantel reveals...
- why some things simply must be written in Spanish rather than English
- how writing about Cuba, for her, is in some ways like writing about Mars
- which book she didn't enjoy reading, but can't stop thinking about
- why Lord of the Rings made her cry
- who her go-to poet is
- why she has a special appreciation for Flickr
We have a free, signed copy of Chantel's The Distant Marvels to give away to the first listener who sends us a tweet (@ReadMorePodcast) or writes a message on our Facebook page telling us Chantel's favorite novel to teach.
Contest Rules:
If you have won a ReadMore giveaway in the last 90 days, you're ineligible for this contest. Also, if you and I have ever been to Camp Mary Atkinson together, you're out of luck. ReadMore does not have a friends and family plan! But I can offer you my love and admiration. That has to be worth something, right?
You can support ReadMore when you order this book from Amazon.com using the link below: