Id been promising this book to my goddaughters for decades, Diaz tells EW.
And, he says, I had no childrens books growing up, not really.
By the time I learned English, I had missed the whole picture-book moment.
Credit: Dial Books; Nina Subin
That promise, and those experiences, led toIslandborn.
Read on below, and purchaseIslandbornhere.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Why did you decide to write a childrens book?
And how did you approach it?JUNOT DIAZ: It was long overdue.
Id been promising this book to my goddaughters for decades.
Jacqueline Woodsons work was an immense help.
And then I began to write and throw away and write and throw away until something stuck.
This is a personal story youre telling.
My mother didnt read to me as a kid, not in the D.R.
or the U.S. her generation didnt grow up with that tradition, she didnt know better.
By the time I learned English, I had missed the whole picture-book moment.
Immigrant stories are of particular political significance right now.
Conservatives have spent decades demonizing and criminalizing what is best about this country: our immigrant and refugee communities.
Its not the reason I wrote the book, but I would happy for this side effect nevertheless.
Where did the inspiration for Lola come from?
How would you describe her?Lolas a composite of my goddaughters.
Shes smart without having to show off and creative as all get-out and more curious than Ill ever be.
She also had something that I didnt really have growing up in the United States a loving community.
(I definitely had a community, but I wouldnt say it was all that loving.)
Above all else, this is what I wanted to give to any kid I had a loving community.
In the end I never had kids, so I gave it to Lola.
The communities inIslandbornfeel authentic and vibrant.
How did you go about developing them?
We are brave like that.
