THE LATINA BOOK CLUB

The Latina Book Club is Celebrating Women’s History Month by showcasing female authors and poets all this month.    We thank these fearless women for joining the celebration and sharing their works with us.   Enjoy! Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa was born in Puerto Rico and raised in New York City. She is a product of the Puerto Rican communities on the island and in the South Bronx. She attended the New York City public school system and received her academic degrees from the State University of New York at Buffalo and Queens College-City University of New York. As a child she was sent to live with her grandparents in Puerto Rico where she was introduced to the culture of rural Puerto Rico, including the storytelling that came naturally to the women in her family, especially the older women. Much of her work is based on her experiences during this time. Dahlma taught creative writing and language and literature in the New York City public school system before ...

The Latina Book Club celebrates LATINX  HERITAGE MONTH every day. To honor authors during this celebratory month, we will highlight a new book every day. Join us and #ReadLatinoLit. Ingram Spark DAUGHTERS OF THE STONE By Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa Vibrant. Lyrical. Powerful.  DAUGHTERS OF THE STONE follows five generations of Puerto Rican women on their  physical and spiritual journey from the Old World to the New. SUMMARY:   It is the mid-1800s. Fela , taken from Africa, is working at her second sugar plantation in colonial Puerto Rico, where her mistress is only too happy to benefit from her impressive embroidery skills. But Fela has a secret. Before she and her husband were separated and sold into slavery, they performed a tribal ceremony in which they poured the essence of their unborn child into a very special stone. Fela keeps the stone with her, waiting for the chance to finish what she started. When the plantation owne...

    The Latina Book Club welcomes Maria Aponte, artist/author/teacher/founder of the Latina 50-Plus initiative, where Latina trailblazers are honored for their contributions to the community.   We applaud Maria and her vision. Latina 50-Plus Mission Statement:   Latina Fifty-Plus, pays tribute to Latinas over fifty years of age who were pioneers. They shaped their careers in a time when Latina women were venturing onto pathways where very few Latinas were seen or accepted.   This program acknowledges the trailblazers who were among the first in their profession.… By honoring these Latina Pioneers we are honoring our history as women of a certain generation who laid down the stepping stones of change for future generations of Latinas. These are the women who mentored and inspired younger women to pursue their own dreams and realize their own goals.   FROM FOUNDER MARIA APONTE There are moments in your life when you know that you are goin...

   Join Las Comadres and La Casa Azul Bookstore on September 18 at the Brooklyn Book Festival, Booth #125.  Here is the list of Latino authors scheduled to appear at the booth: 12:00pm - 2:00pm Alicia Anabel Santos Ana Galan Dahlma Llanos Figueroa Sergio Troncoso Toni Plummer Torrey Maldonado Yuyi Morales 2:00pm - 3:30pm Caridad Pineiro Carmen Mojica Fabian Charlie Vazquez Daisy Martinez Justin Torres Sofia Quintero 3:30pm-5:00pm Charles Rice-Gonzalez Esmeralda Santiago Gloria Rodriguez Peggy Robles Alvarado Festival Site Address:  Brooklyn Borough Hall, 209 Joralemon Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201 Public Transportation: 2, 3, 4, 5 to Borough Hall; R to Court Street A, C, F to Jay Street/Borough Hall For more information, visit http://www.lacasaazulbookstore.com/ or http://www.brooklynbookfestival.com/ .  

        “You can’t get anywhere unless you can engage the reader with a compelling character in a recognizable situation.” --- Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa Q:   Tell us about yourself. Where are you from? About your "day job"? I was born in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico, and raised in New York City, mostly the Bronx. But I go back to the island often as my roots are firmly planted there, although my daily reality is still in the Bronx. Luckily for me, I am a full time fiction writer now. But before I retired in 2004, I was a NYC English teacher and Young Adult librarian. Q:   Tell us about the book. How did you get the idea for DAUGHTERS OF THE STONE? Why a saga? Where did the stone come from? Did your story begin with a character or a theme? The novel is based on the oral storytelling traditions of rural Puerto Rican women. I wanted to pay homage to the women who have held our families together and show the larger picture of the journ...

http://www.eastharlemcafe.com/ Address:  1651 Lexington Avenue (corner of 104th Street), New York NY Tel: 212-996-2080 Proprietor / Moderator: Michelle Cruz Email: rsvp@eastharlemcafe.com This is a cute and intimate cafe right on the heart of Harlem.  The cafe has frequent events, including art shows (the mosaics are breathtaking!), guest lectures, author signings and a monthly bookclub.  Their Latino book club meets the third Wednesday of each month from 6:00-8:00pm.  The Book Club is about 20 members strong.  December's book is DAUGHTERS OF THE STONE by Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa.  All are welcome. REVIEW FROM AMAZON.COM:    "A lyrical, powerful debut novel about a family of Afro–Puerto Rican women, spanning five generations, detailing their physical and spiritual journey from the Old World to the New."