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Edwidge Dandicat
Edwidge Dandicat was born in Haiti in 1969. When she was two years old, her father left Haiti for the United States. He hoped to earn enough money so that he could provide a better life for his family. Two years later, Edwidge's mother left for the United States to join her husband, and Edwidge was left in Haiti with her brother Andre in the care of an uncle and his wife.
Even though their circumstances were very poor, Edwidge and her brother had a wonderful childhood in Haiti and grew to love the villages in the mountains. They would spend many summers in these mountains with relatives, and she drew upon her memories of her time there in BEHIND THE MOUNTAINS.
It was not until eight years later that Edwidge was able to join her parents in New York. The transition that she had to make was a difficult one, and she often turned to writing to help her through the tough times. Her parents hoped that her writing was merely a hobby, because they wanted her to become a doctor; though she tried to please them, it was not meant to be. After receiving a B.A. in French Literature at Barnard College, she won a scholarship to Brown University where she earned a Master of Fine Arts degree.
Since then, Edwidge has written three books: a novel called BREATH, EYES, MEMORY, a collection of short stories entitled KRIK KRAK, (which was nominated for a National Book Award) and another novel, THE FARMING OF THE BONES, which was an American Book Award winner.
BEHIND THE MOUNTAINS is Edwidge Dandicat's first book for children.
John Son
John Son based the story in FINDING MY HAT on personal experience. He was born in Germany in 1969, which is where his Korean parents met. His father was working there as a coal miner and his mother was a nurse. John and his parents left Germany and moved to Chicago in 1971. The family had a few unsettled years, during which they tried to find work in several cities that would support them. It wasn't until they arrived in Houston that they were able to find prosperity and security.
Just like his character in FINDING MY HAT John lost his mother to stomach cancer, and he dedicated the book to her memory.
John has visited Korea and met his family there. He is now living in New York City, where he delights in its multi-ethnicity. This is his first novel.
Ana Veciana-Suarez
Ana Veciana-Suarez was born in Havana, Cuba, in 1956. She was only two years old when the revolution took place and Fidel Castro took power. Her family members, along with so many others, were hopeful that this change of government would signal a better way of life in Cuba. Unfortunately, this was not the case. Ana, along with her mother, sister and brother fled Cuba for Spain in 1961, but her father stayed to fight against the oppressive Castro regime. Some months later, Ana's father left Cuba in a boat with Ana's grandmother and a group of men, and they were luckily picked up by the U.S. Coast Guard.
Eventually the family settled in Miami, getting jobs and going to school. One thing that stuck with them for a long while was the feeling that their stay in Miami was a temporary one and that they would be returning to Cuba in the not-too-distant future. As was the case with so many other exiles, Ana did not return to Cuba to live.
Ana graduated summa cum laude from the University of South Florida and embarked on a career in print media. She began as a reporter, features writer, projects writer and editor for the Miami News and Palm Beach Post. She now writes a syndicated column for the Miami Herald about family and life in general, and has won numerous awards for her writing. In addition to her column, Ana has written several books that have been received with great acclaim by the critics, often drawing on her Cuban heritage in her writing. She currently lives in Miami with her family.
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