1--What is the title of your latest release?
THE WAVES TAKE YOU HOME
2--What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?
The Waves Take You Home is about Violeta Sanoguera, a 28-year-old woman who is called home to attend Abuela's funeral. Once she returns to Colombia, she realizes she has inherited the family restaurant, the place her Abuela told her to run from her whole life. This is a tale about the unbreakable bonds of three generations of women, the complicated relationships between mothers and daughters, and the circumstances that call us home.
3--How did you decide where your book was going to take place?
I always knew where my book was going to take place. The setting of the Caribbean and Colombia was integral to the story! It influences the characters, the decisions they make and how they view life.
4--Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life?
Absolutely! My protagonist, Violeta, is a very creative and sensitive individual. I think it would be fun to talk to her and see why she made the decisions she made in the book and talk about her family history.
5--What are three words that describe your protagonist?
Emotional, stubborn and creative.
6--What’s something you learned while writing this book?
Through writing The Waves Take You Home, I learned the importance of embracing vulnerability. This was a very emotional book for me to write, and the impostor syndrome was very present as I was making my way through the first draft. I learned to make peace with that voice and realized that I was scared of writing this story because I cared about it deeply and I wanted to write it in a way that was satisfactory to me. There’s value in that.
7--Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?
A mix of both! I definitely tend to read what I write, but I don’t do a big revision until I’m done. I do keep a running list of things I want to do for subsequent drafts as it keeps me focused and excited for revisions.
8--What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?
I live in NYC so there are so many amazing places to visit. I love Italian food the most, though. I love a hearty pasta dish with a glass of orange wine.
9--Describe your writing space/office!
As I mentioned, I live in NYC so my writing space is not ideal. I have a small desk next to a window. I don’t have a lot of room, so I end up writing on the couch more than I want to admit—which is lovely because there’s room for my dog to sit next to me on the couch!
10--Who is an author you admire?
One author I deeply admire is Isabel Allende for her ability to explore family dynamics and for celebrating the stories of resilient, strong Latina women in her novels.
11--Is there a book that changed your life?
The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende profoundly impacted me with the portrait of intergenerational trauma, Latin American history, and the magical realism that was so well rendered in the story.
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.
Getting "the call" was a highlight in my career. I was in Cartagena, Colombia with my family and being able to tell them in person meant the world. They were so happy for me!
13--What’s your favorite genre to read?
My favorite genre to read is magical realism. I love how the fantastical can appear in the ordinary world and explore how characters interact with the magical elements in their everyday life.
14--What’s your favorite movie?
That is so tough! I go to the movies a couple of times a month and I keep a running list of all the movies I love. A movie I loved last year was “Past Lives” for the exploration of love, and the decisions that pull us in different directions.
15--What is your favorite season?
The fall! I love all things spooky so it’s a season I genuinely adore. I love the falling leaves, pumpkin everything and watching horror movies all October.
16--How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
I love seeing friends and trying a new restaurant! A tradition I have every year is blowing candles on my birthday and making sure I ask for a wish.
17--What’s a recent tv show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?
I loved “The Margo Affair,” by Sanae Lemoine. A debut novel about a teenage girl in France who is the illegitimate daughter of an important politician—the author is a food writer so there’s plenty of amazing food descriptions in this novel! I also loved the movie “The Taste of Things,” perfect for fans of “Babette’s feast.”
18--What’s your favorite type of cuisine?
I feel like this is seasonal for me! I love cooking and trying new foods, so this is always changing for me. This season, I’ve been enjoying learning how to cook Japanese food and eating it at restaurants!
19--What do you do when you have free time?
Cook! I love cooking and baking for friends. This winter I’ve made a lot of tiramisu matches and have gotten really into tea. I also love going to the movies. New York has so many amazing cinemas!
20--What can readers expect from you next?
Readers can expect more stories with Colombian protagonists, and family drama! My second novel revolves around sisters, and what happens when the youngest sister RSVPs no to the wedding of the oldest, perfectionist sister. I’m also working on a magical realism manuscript with horror elements.
In this heartfelt story about how the places we run from hold the answers to our deepest challenges, the death of her grandmother brings a young woman home, where she must face the past in order to become the heir of not just the family restaurant, but her own destiny.
Violeta Sanoguera had always done what she was told. She left the man she loved in Colombia in pursuit of a better life for herself and because her mother and grandmother didn’t approve of him. Chasing dreams of education and art in New York City, and with a new love, twenty-eight-year-old Violeta establishes a new life for herself, on her terms. But when her grandmother suddenly dies, everything changes.
After years of being on her own in NYC, Violeta finds herself on a plane back to Colombia, accompanied at all times by the ghost of her grandmother who is sending her messages and signs, to find she is the heir of the failing family restaurant, the very one Abuela told her to run from in the first place. The journey leads her to rediscover her home, her grandmother, and even the flame of an old love.
Women's Fiction [Lake Union Publishing, On Sale: March 19, 2024, Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9781662513947 / ]
María Alejandra Barrios is a writer and educator from Barranquilla, Colombia. She has an MA in Creative Writing from The University of Manchester and currently lives in Brooklyn.
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