Pedro Carmona-Alvarez - Selected Title Author

Chiquitita is one of NORLA’s Selected Titles for autumn 2023. Here, author Pedro Carmona-Alvarez speaks about what the book is about, who it is written for, what inspired him to write it and where and when he works best.

What is your book about?

Chiquitita is about a young refugee named Marisol. She grows up in her home country, partly with her mother and father, and partly with her grandmother in a house full of aunts and uncles. When the country falls apart, her parents are forced to flee with Marisol in tow. They make their way over the mountains to a neighboring country, where they seek asylum and wait at a refugee center. Then they arrive in a new country – referred to as here in the book. Throughout the story, we also encounter Marisol as a young woman on a city vacation with her first great love. Later, we meet her as a middle-aged woman, taking a walk with an old dog and reflecting on the person she’s been and the things she’s seen.

What inspired you to write this book?

I suppose this is a book I’ve always known I would write at some point, but I didn’t know how it should be written until I started writing about an eight-year-old girl looking at the suffering body of Jesus on the cross. The mutilated body and the child’s gaze offered me the opportunity to really delve into the story.

Who is this book for?

Anyone who enjoys reading good literature, I hope. The kind of reader who, in addition to being concerned with what is being told is also interested in how the story is told.

Where and/or when do you work best?

Oh, I like working everywhere! But in general: I work best when I’m full, warm, and have a little money in the bank.

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See full presentation of the book here

See all NORLA’s Selected Titles for autumn 2023 here