Appearing at Church of the Redeemer | 12:10 pm – 1:00 pm
In conversation with Marie Benedict, moderated by Cherise Fisher.
About the author
Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa was born in Puerto Rico and raised in New York City. A product of the Puerto Rican communities on the island and in the South Bronx, Llanos-Figueroa taught creative writing, language, and literature in the New York City school system before becoming a young-adult librarian and writer. Her first novel, Daughters of the Stone, was shortlisted as a 2010 Finalist for the PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize. Her short stories have been published in anthologies and literary magazines such as Breaking Ground: Anthology of Puerto Rican Women Writers in New York 1980-2012, Growing Up Girl, Afro-Hispanic Review, and Latino Book Review. Llanos-Figueroa’s second novel, A Woman of Endurance, offers extensive insight into the world of the 19th century Puerto Rican slave trade.
MFOB featured book: A Woman of Endurance
A Woman of Endurance follows Pola, an enslaved African woman on a sugar cane plantation in 19th century Puerto Rico. Throughout her enslavement, Pola is beaten and repeatedly raped. After being forced into the inhumane world of slave breeding, her babies are taken from her at birth. Losing her faith, Pola becomes bitter and defensive. However, after a particularly vicious beating and attempted escape, she awakens on a new plantation, Las Mercedes. From there, the narrative follows her into a multifaceted, diverse, nuanced, and often supportive world of the enslaved. Here, Pola learns to recognize and embrace the many faces of love, including the self-love she must experience before she can offer herself to another.
