Seattle Author Kathleen Alcala comes to Eagle Harbor Book Co. to share the reprinting of her classic 1997 novel Flower in the Skull. She will be in conversation with popular Bainbridge Island author Jessica Dubey.
Kathleen's riveting novel begins in the Sonoran Desert in the late 19th century, where a village of Opata Indians is attacked by Mexican soldiers. Driven from family and homeland, Concha, a young woman from the village, makes her way alone to Tucson, where she finds a job cleaning houses and caring for children. When her own daughter, Rosa, is born, the legacy of Concha's dislocation continues, as Rosa is raised far from her native culture and struggles to find her place in a strange world. Through the stories of Concha and her daughter, and the related story of Shelly—a Latina living in modern-day Los Angeles who is increasingly fascinated by her ancestry—a family's extraordinary journey and loss is revealed. The Washington Post describes Kathleen's writing as "Swirling together themes of love, family, and spirituality, Alcalá echoes the style of Isabel Allende and Laura Esquivel. . . . She offers a poignant tale wrapped in magic."
Jessica Dubey is a longtime, beloved resident of Bainbridge Island whose day job involves communications for a megalithic local coffee company. She devotes the remainder of her time to writing -- often about stories near and dear to our island community. She gets her best story ideas while swimming in the icy waters of Puget Sound. She is a co-contributor to the popular anthology Short Stories of Bainbridge Island, volunteers at BARN as the Writers' Studio lead, and is currently working on a memoir.
Together Kathleen and Jessica promise an evening of conversation about families, ancestry and finding your place in this world, and how a writer distills it all into a compelling novel. RSVP now to ensure your place at this event!
Kathleen Alcala RSVP
