1–What is the title of your latest release?
2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?
In life, Olvido Olivares constantly clashed with her carefree daughter, Angustias, who left Olvido’s home in search of her own after becoming pregnant at the age of sixteen. Ten years later, Angustia’s daughter, Felicitas, finally meets her estranged grandmother and is terribly disappointed when Olvido is nothing like a grandmother should be. She is strict, cold, and…dead.
Now, Olvido is convinced the only way her spirit will cross over is if her body is taken back to Mexico, her true home, but motivating her family to fulfill this wish will not be easy. Felicitas, the only person who can see and hear Olvido, is ready to retaliate for a decade of resentment, and Angustias, grief-stricken and unaware of her daughter’s gift, is desperate to escape all reminders of Olvido once again. To save themselves and each other, the Olivares family will be forced to listen to one another, work to overcome generations’ worth of well-intentioned mistakes and learn the true definition of home.
3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place?
I write about what I know, and since I’m from the Rio Grande Valley, what I know is small, southern Texas towns. It is also crucial for the plot for the story to take place near the US-Mexico border. Olvido’s final wish (to return to Mexico) is what sets in motion her family’s reunion and emotional journey. The setting prompts conversations between the characters about the differences in their experiences as Mexican Americans and Mexican immigrants, living near and far from the border, and having a Latino community to rely on versus not, which then helps the characters understand themselves and each other better.
4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life?
Of course! They feel like my family, and I always want to be around my family even in the moments when I think I don’t.
5–What are three words that describe your protagonist?
Olvido: Strict, resilient, compassionate
Angustias: Carefree, loving, optimistic
Felicitas: Intelligent, curious, empathetic
6–What’s something you learned while writing this book?
I learned how healing writing is. This novel is my first literary work. Before it, all I had written were academic papers. I could never bring myself to write down the stories that popped into my mind, and I am not the journaling/ diary-keeping type, but I began writing this story at a time in which I was desperate for a creative outlet. Once I started, I couldn’t stop. Writing simultaneously stemmed from and inspired self-reflection. I no longer feel guilty for not journaling. Fiction can carry as much truth as non-fiction.
7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?
I always edit as I draft. I try to outline as much as possible, but the characters and story usually guide me. I can’t move on to the next page if I don’t know what is happening in the current page.
8–What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?
Coffee. Cold, hot, black, with milk. I love it. I need it.
9–Describe your writing space/office.
My office is my bedroom. I have a desk, but I rarely use it. I sit to write the same way I sit to read a good book: on my bed and with terrible posture.
10–Who is an author you admire?
Ana Castillo. Her work always focuses on feminism and intersectionality, and highlights issues of gender, class, and race. I admire how she can create beautiful written pieces that are so distinct in style but have a clear connecting message.
11–Is there a book that changed your life?
Rather than a book, it was a story: Eleven from Woman Hollering Creek and Other Stories by Sandra Cisneros. I think about that story on every birthday. It taught me about the lasting power of storytelling, about a writer’s ability to put the reader in a character’s shoes (or sweater) to the point where you feel tears in your eyes and a pang in your chest as if you yourself are an eleven-year-old being humiliated by your teachers in front of your class. Cisneros’s ability to inspire empathy is skill I will always aspire to strengthen.
12–Tell us about when you got “the call.” (when you found out your book was going to be published)/Or, for indie authors, when you decided to self-publish.
I think I was so happy that my brain blocked out the exact “the call” moment, but I remember meeting my editor, Melanie Iglesias, for the first time and discussing what she liked about the story and what changes she envisioned us making to improve it. Although I was nervous before the call, I felt very at ease during and after it. I knew that if Melanie liked my work, things would turn out alright for the novel regardless of what direction we headed in.
13–What’s your favorite genre to read?
Women’s fiction. Specifically, I love late coming-of-age stories and stories about families. I like to read about women’s relationships with their parents, grandparents, siblings, cousins, or friends and how the changing dynamics of those relationships teach them about themselves.
14–What’s your favorite movie?
Pride & Prejudice (2005)
15–What is your favorite season?
Spring. I feel so thankful when I get to turn my clock’s dial and have sunset not be at a ridiculous hour anymore.
16–How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
I like to just have a quiet day at home. My birthday is the day after my mom’s, so we try to spend both days together.
17–What’s a recent tv show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?
Dr. Diana Naranjo (clinical psychologist and writer) recently launched her podcast The Characterist, where she invites authors to bring their characters to therapy. They discuss the characters’ backstories, current issues, and possible future actions after the story’s ending. It’s a very cool and unique concept. I wish I could hear an episode for all my favorite characters.
18–What’s your favorite type of cuisine?
Mexican seafood.
19–What do you do when you have free time?
Read. Always.
20–What can readers expect from you next?
My second novel. There will be more family drama and more magical realism… and that is all I can say for now.
MY MOTHER CURSED MY NAME by Anamely Salgado Reyes
Three generations of fiercely strong and stubborn Mexican American women face grief head-on as they attempt to shed generational trauma and discover the true meaning of home in this lyrical novel that features magical realism in the tradition of The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina and The House of the Spirits.
For generations, the Olivares women have sought to control their daughters’ destinies, starting with their names. In life, Olvido constantly clashed with her carefree daughter. Then teenage Angustias discovered she was pregnant and left her mother’s home in search of her own. Ten years later, Felicitas finally meets her estranged grandmother and is terribly disappointed when Olvido is nothing like a grandmother should be. She is strict, cold, and…dead.
Now, Olvido is convinced the only way her spirit will cross over is if she resolves her unfinished business—to make sure Angustias is in a better place regarding family, job, husband, and God, but maybe not in that order—and Felicitas is the only person who can see or hear her. Heartbroken about her mother’s passing and desperate to put Olvido’s tiny Texas home in her rearview mirror as quickly as possible, Angustias doesn’t understand why suddenly everyone in town seems to be conspiring to set her up with every eligible bachelor in town, offer her jobs, and invite her and Felicitas to church every Sunday.
As Olvido attempts to puppeteer her granddaughter to “fix” Angustias’s life from beyond the grave, Angustias tries desperately to find a better place for Felicitas, and Felicitas struggles to keep her ability to see the dead a secret from Angustias, all three Olivares girls are forced to learn how to actually listen to one another, to work to overcome generations’ worth of well-intentioned mistakes and learn the true definition of home.
Fantasy Magical Realism [Atria Books, On Sale: July 30, 2024, Hardcover / e-Book, ISBN: 9781668038000 / eISBN: 9781668038024]
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About Anamely Salgado Reyes
Anamely Salgado Reyes grew up on both sides of the Mexico and Texas border. Currently based in the Rio Grande Valley, she writes about what she cherishes most: family, friendship and finding magic in everyday life.
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