On immigration & finding community
with Daniel Aleman author of ‘Brighter Than the Sun’
#NuevasPáginas is a space that aims to amplify and spotlight Hispanic/Latine/x authors with newly published books. The goal is to connect readers to their next favorite Hispanic/Latine/x authored book through a mini casual get-to-know-the-book-and-author interview. So please help me connect to more readers. So that together we can continue to build the love/support of Latine literature!
Hey Book Franz!
I hope you are staying cool. The heat has been tremendous, to say the least. That said, I’m buzzing with excitement. I’ll have some news to share with you all very soon and I can’t wait. I should be sharing it sometime later this week!! I’ll drop a hint below ;)
What is Lupita reading this week?
📕 Physical book - I’m currently reading and TOTALLY OBSESSED with ‘The Price of Salt’ by Patricia Highsmith. If you follow me on Instagram, you know the journey this book is taking me on. I checked it out from the library thinking I might give it a try because I recently thought about how much I enjoyed watching the movie ‘Carol’, the book’s film adaptation. And let me tell you, I have enjoyed the book SO MUCH MORE.
What are you reading this week?!
Without further ado, our special guest author for today’s Nuevas Pagina issue is……Daniel Aleman author of ‘Brighter Than the Sun’ !
Could you tell me a bit about where this photo was taken? Is it special to your book in some way?
This picture was taken by the water in Toronto, which is where I currently live. I would say this location isn’t particularly linked to my book, but this is one of the places where I enjoy writing. I always carry a notebook and pen with me, and I love sitting down by the lake and getting words down on the page.
Tell me about your book without telling me about your book - share any literary inspirations behind your book! If there are none, the gap you wanted to fill in the literary canon with your book
As someone who was born and raised in Mexico, I’m passionate about writing authentic Mexican characters. I feel like there are still not nearly as many stories with Latine representation as there should be, so that is a gap I’m hoping to help fill with my books. In terms of literary inspirations, I absolutely love Jodi Picoult and Angie Thomas, both of whom write about complex social issues with accessible prose—something I aimed to do with both of my novels.
What are two central themes in your book that you connect with the most and why?
I’d say two of the themes I connect with the most are immigration and finding community. In this book, we see a character who lives at the intersection of two different countries and cultures. Sol, the protagonist of Brighter Than the Sun, lives in Tijuana, Mexico, but must travel across the border every day to go to school in California. As a result, she sometimes feels lonely and isn’t quite sure where she belongs—which I feel is an experience that is deeply personal to me and to so many people who have experienced immigration. Ultimately, though, Sol discovers love and support in the people around her and finds a way to use her own voice for good, which is where the theme of community comes in.
If a book was home, where would your home be?
It would have to be a cozy, sunny house in Mexico—similar to how I picture my protagonist’s home to be in Brighter Than the Sun. I imagine it with big windows and a welcoming living room that might inspire you to sit around with the rest of the family, or sit with your feet up on the coffee table while reading a good book.
If your book was a famous musician who would it be?
It would probably be Taylor Swift. As an artist, I think she has many facets and is able to do many things at once—which is something Brighter Than the Sun does as well. I’ve always said this book has many sides to it. It deals with very real and very human topics—and can be sad at times—but it is also filled with warmth and hope.
What comfort food could a reader pair with your book?
Tacos! Funny enough, my main character’s family owns a restaurant in the heart of Tijuana, where they prepare all sorts of Mexican food: quesadillas, sopes, pozole. As a big fan of tacos myself, though, I can’t think of a better comfort food to pair with this book than great, soft-shell tacos with lots of lime and salsa.
In what ways has access (or little to no access) to Hispanic/Latinx/e literature defined you as a writer?
As a teenager, I didn’t feel that I had access to enough books portraying my identity or experiences—both as a Mexican and a queer person. The rise in more diverse literature over the past decade has definitely inspired me to use my own voice and write about the characters that I want to see represented on the page. That is why my books will always feature Latine protagonists and themes related to queerness.
Where can readers keep up with your work?
I’m most active on Instagram (@danaleman), and on Twitter (@dan_aleman). I’d love to connect with you on either (or both!) of those!
Thank you to Daniel Aleman for taking the time to chat with me about his book! Please please make sure you purchase a copy (or request your local library carry a copy) #SupportLatinxLit!
Daniel Aleman is the award-winning author of Indivisible. Born and raised in Mexico City, he has lived in various places across North America and is currently based in Toronto, where he is on a never-ending search for the best tacos in the city. Brighter Than the Sun is his second novel.
Synopsis for Brighter Than the Sun from the Bookshop website:
This timely and thought-provoking story about a teen girl shouldering impossibly large responsibilities and ultimately learning that she doesn't have to do it alone is the perfect follow-up to Daniel Aleman's award-winning debut novel, Indivisible.
Every morning, sixteen-year-old Sol wakes up at the break of dawn in her hometown of Tijuana, Mexico and makes the trip across the border to go to school in the United States. Though the commute is exhausting, this is the best way to achieve her dream: becoming the first person in her family to go to college.
When her family's restaurant starts struggling, Sol must find a part-time job in San Diego to help her dad put food on the table and pay the bills. But her complicated school and work schedules on the US side of the border mean moving in with her best friend and leaving her family behind.
With her life divided by an international border, Sol must come to terms with the loneliness she hides, the pressure she feels to succeed for her family, and the fact that the future she once dreamt of is starting to seem unattainable. Mostly, she'll have to grapple with a secret she's kept even from herself: that maybe she's relieved to have escaped her difficult home life, and a part of her may never want to return.
Great interview and the book definitely sounds like something I would like. I'm currently reading "Goodnight Irene " by Luis Urrea, which I highly recommend.