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Helped Fuel My Ideas
DREAMer follows a young immigrant girl as she tries to find her family with the help of a kindhearted couple and a stack of postcards she has collected. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
I used to teach elementary school and had many immigrant children in my classes. Marisol was one such girl and although her past is not the story I wrote, she is who I had in mind when writing the book. I also have a friend who taught children stuck at the border in Tijuana and conversations with her also helped fuel my ideas.
How much research did you undertake for this book and how much time did it take to put it all together?
I already had some knowledge of the problems immigrants faced, but I did quite a bit of research on DREAMers and DACA. I also had to research the many California locations in the book.
Each book I write takes about a year between me starting it and publishing – about eight months of writing it and then my three editors read them and I make changes.
What were the morals you were trying to capture while creating your characters?
The morals I try to live by: compassion, respect, initiative, integrity, courage, trust, resourcefulness.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I have finished writing my next book with the temporary title, “Luther in Limbo” and am waiting for my editors to send it back for my changes. I assume it will be published this spring.
I have started writing the next one with the temporary title “Dutch’s Last Hurrah” while waiting for my editors.
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DREAMer
Kate and Lawrence are driving back from their couples’ vacation when they spot a young girl sitting on a rock all by herself on a deserted highway. Fearing that something is amiss, they stop to investigate and end up picking up the mysterious girl. Armed with nothing more than a few postcards with postmarks from obscure U.S towns and some photographs found on the child, Kate and Lawrence embark on a mission to solve the mystery behind the girl’s identity and reunite her with a family they aren’t even sure she has.
DREAMer delivers a touching snapshot of the reality of undocumented immigrants through the story of a fictional main character. Author Emily Gallo cleverly plays with the acronym DREAM. This U.S. act offers undocumented immigrants who entered the United States as minors temporary residency and permission to attend school and work. This act is used as the basis to depict her main character’s fate under the law and her quest as a dreamer. The book is a wholesome tale of sacrifice and compassion and a needed reminder of the good humans are capable of.
Gallo gives her characters very well-defined personalities allowing readers to get to know them quickly as the story opens. She also executes the story well by centering on just three characters, allowing her to wrap up the storyline quickly, making this an easy read. There’s no doubt that Gallo did her research as she effectively highlights seemingly obscure locations in the United States that host minority communities and are quick stops for immigrants. As a result, readers will enjoy learning about the dynamics of immigration. In addition, the book reads like an adventure story because the characters are on the road for most of the story, so their road trips give readers something to look forward to aside from the unraveling plot.
DREAMer is a through-provoking book that readers of historical fiction will find captivating. In this well-crafted novel, you have a story that’s educating, deeply thoughtful, and entertaining.
Pages: 199 | ASIN : B09278WTQ8
LITERARY TITAN 