I’ve mentioned before that all my grandparents come from Galicia, a province in Spain. Galicia is one of the Celtic nations, so it came as no surprise when a DNA test said one of my siblings was 18% Irish. I’ll quibble with the designation Irish instead of Celt, but regardless, as Gallegos there is that connection. In my area of Spain you’ll find bagpipes (gaitas) and on my maternal grandmother’s side we had a number of red-haired, green-eyed cousins. My mom had green eyes and so do I! This photo is of my maternal grandparent’s and my mom! You can read a little bit more about that part of my family history in The Family She Never Met (https://bit.ly/FamilySheNeverMet). Also, don’t forget you can read the next chapter of Deadly Chase for free at https://bit.ly/DeadlyChaseFreeRead and also the first three chapters of Winning Season, my baseball romance, free from Kindle Vella at https://amzn.to/3v5nVEl.
My wonderful grandmother Nieves
As part of Women’s History Month, I want to share another woman who made such a difference in my life: My grandmother Nieves. I’m actually named after in part since my real first name is Caridad de las Nieves. When I became a citizen, I couldn’t keep that long first name and had to shorten it to Caridad, but I adopted Nieves as my middle name since I didn’t have one.
Nieves was an amazing woman. Strong and determined much like the daughter she raised. But whereas I saw my mother as a rebel and go-getter, my grandmother seemed like a sturdy oak to me, sinking her roots deep in our new home to help give our family stability and a place where we felt safe. That difference between my mom and my grandmother inspired a fictional scene in The Family She Never Met where Carmen’s mother Nieves is challenging her daughter over her involvement in helping Castro overthrow the Batista dictatorship. In that scene, Nieves wonders whether Cuba will be trading living under Batista’s thumb for being under Castro’s boot. Prophetic in hindsight.
My grandmother was always there for me in so many ways, including for my tummy! She was an absolutely amazing cook and she loved to iron. My sister and I were probably the only kids in our school who had jeans that were ironed. My grandmother found it relaxing and actually complained that modern irons were way too light having grown up with heavy cast iron irons.
I miss you abuela! Yes, the baby in that picture is me!
Honoring My Mother for Women’s History Month
Since March is Women’s History Month I thought I’d share with you some of the women who have made an impact in my life. For starters, the woman who gave me life, my mother Carmen. My mom was an absolutely amazing woman who was also a friend and mentor. She taught me so much and made me the woman I am today even though she’s been gone from my life for far longer than she was in it. But her spirit and determination live on in me, my sister, and her granddaughters. I think she would be very proud of all that we’ve accomplished. Thank you, mom.
These three photos represent my mom in various stages of her life. To the left is a picture of her as a toddler posing in traditional Galician garb. I believe the photo was taken in Spain during a visit there. The photo to the bottom left is my mom as a teenager. The photo to the upper right is my mom on her wedding day. So beautiful! I miss her every day.
Happy Easter Memories
There is a scene in The Family She Never Met where Lara is very excited about an upcoming Easter Egg hunt and a visit to the movie theater to watch The Sound of Music. This scene was loosely based on my family’s own visits to New York City for the Easter Parade and one very special visit where we did go watch The Sound of Music at Radio City Music Hall.
I remember watching the movie which is still a favorite. In fact, if we ever get to go on our much-delayed Danube River Cruise, we plan to take a trip to Salzburg to do a Sound of Music tour!
When I watched the movie, I immediately identified with the Von Trapp family and how they had to escape Austria because it reminded me of how my family escaped Cuba. I did turn to my mom at the end of the movie to say to her that it was just like us, which is in the scene with Lara and her mother as they watch the movie.
Is the Sound of Music one of your favorites? If not, share your favorite movie with me!
This is a photo of me and my family on one of those Easter trips to the city. From left to right, that’s my grandmother, me, my beautiful mom, my sister, and my handsome father. I suspect my brother was the one taking the photo!
A Happy Soccer Moment
Of all the things I’ve done in my life, becoming a mom has got to be the best thing ever. I love spending time with my daughter and this is one of those times. She used to play soccer and this photo was taken at one of her games while we were waiting for it to start!
Who is Caridad in The Family She Never Met
People have asked if any of the characters in The Family She Never Met are like me. More than any other character or story I’ve written, I am Lara in The Family She Never Met.
The story about hiding beneath the bed is true. My grandmother would tell stories of how she’d have to hide us when Castro’s soldiers would come to harass us because they wanted our parents to come back to Cuba.
The story about Lara being afraid to go to school is also me. I vividly remember getting into a seafoam green Ford with my mother and grandmother and driving to a big brick building. All I could think about was that my mother was abandoning me again and taking my grandmother with her.
As for the typewriter in the story… Well, I never did get that typewriter that I asked for as a high school graduation gift. My mother wanted me to be a professional and my desire to be a writer was something that I don’t think she understood. I hope that if she were able to see all that I’ve accomplished – being a lawyer, writer, and mom – she’d be proud.
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A True Family Tale from The Family She Never Met
In The Family She Never Met there is a flashback scene where an old neighbor comes to visit Jessica’s grandmother Carmen and returns a ring that Carmen had thought was lost.
That is a true story about my grandmother’s engagement ring!
When it finally came time for us to leave Cuba, we had to do it in a rush. During that rush, my grandparents were giving away anything of value to friends because they didn’t want Castro to get it.
One of those things was a robe that was given to a neighbor who had been a very good friend to my grandmother.
After my grandparents left Cuba with us, my grandmother realized she had lost her engagement ring.
My grandfather felt so bad, that when we got to the U.S., my grandfather saved up money and tracked down the jeweler who had made the first ring to make my grandmother another one just like it.
Many, many years later, a knock came on our door in Levittown. It was our old neighbor who had found out where we were living. He had come to return my grandmother’s ring which his wife had found in the pocket of the robe my grandmother had given her when we were leaving.
This is a photo of the ring!
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BN Nook: http://bit.ly/BarnesandNobleFamily
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