Spotlight: Song of the Boricua by Olivia Castillo
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Title: SONG OF THE BORICUA
Author: Olivia Castillo
Publisher: Independent
Pages: 335
Genre: Fiction
Author: Olivia Castillo
Publisher: Independent
Pages: 335
Genre: Fiction
BOOK BLURB:
Elena: Resilient and ambitious, but trapped by duty to her children.
Maria: Passionate and headstrong, but married to a man she does not love. Josephina: Optimistic and romantic, but in love with an alcoholic.
Isabella: Clairvoyant and spiritual, but denies her heritage and roots.
Like the land these women are held hostage, unfulfilled and unable to find their happiness. Each generation like the land is cursed. Can they defy the powerful bond of the curse and free themselves to find love everlasting?
New Author, Olivia Castillo, like the jibaros of the past weaves a tale of sorrow and joy. Castillos’ fiction is timely, offering a glimpse into the islands rich history and offering insight into the story that has plagued women for all of time, the search for true love and acceptance of self.
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Chapter 2
Elena Bayamón, Puerto Rico, May 1937 Borinquen is the daughter, The daughter of the sea and the sun. Of the sea and the sun, Of the sea and the sun— (Manuel Fernández Juncos, “La Borinqueña,” English translation)
The cool ocean breeze tickled Elena’s face as she cut the sugarcane with a small knife. She stood up, and, wiping the sweat from her brow, chewed on the stalk—savoring the sweet sugar from the tip.
She had just turned fourteen. Taller than the average Puerto Rican girl at five feet nine inches, she had long, black, wavy hair that fell to her waist and a slim figure. Her nose was classic: not too small or too large. Almond-shaped, cocoa eyes were framed by long, lush lashes.
She reveled in the cool breeze that lifted her long hair, tumbling it carelessly along her back. In the distance, the ocean was a streak of cerulean blue against a cloudless sky. She stood in a field of tall bamboo stalks. The two remaining African workers on the plantation were busy cutting the thick sugarcane with machetes.
Olivia Castillo is a New York
native. After going to the prestigious Fiorello H. Laguardia High School of
Music & Art and Performing Arts, she went on to study graphic design at
Otis Parson's College in Los Angeles. Along with being an entrepreneur, she is
the mother of three children, and grandmother of two. When not writing or
spending time with her family, she travels the world and paints. Song
of the Boricua is her first novel.
Website Address: www.oliviacastillo.org
Blog Address: https://www.oliviacastillo.org/blog
Twitter Address: https://twitter.com/oliviacauthor
Facebook Address: https://www.facebook.com/songoftheboricua/
