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As National Hispanic Heritage Month unfolds (September 15 to October 15), the First State celebrates two remarkable Latina authors, Liz DeJesus and Adriana Camacho-Church, whose stories honor cultural heritage and inspire young minds.
Originally from Puerto Rico, DeJesus moved to Wilmington in 1999 and became a mother of two boys. When one of her sons was a toddler, she noticed a lack of children’s literature representing her culture. Inspired by the vibrant masks of the vejigantes, traditional Puerto Rican festival figures, she began writing “ABC’s with the Vejigantes.” “Sometimes the masks are a little creepy,” she says. “But I always thought they were cool.”
Now available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble, the imaginative book’s language and illustrations teach children the alphabet in English and Spanish. It has won first place awards from the Delaware Press Association and the National Federation of Press Women.
Camacho-Church shares a deeply personal story in her book, “Grandma, Where Will Your Love Go?” The Colombia-born author fondly remembers her grandmother’s care before moving to the United States. “Her love has always carried me. I held onto that during hard times,” Camacho-Church says. She returns the affection, depicting Grandma as a goddess-like figure with flowing white hair and magical qualities.
Though she shelved the manuscript for two decades because “something about it wasn’t perfect,” a life-changing brain surgery in 2020 brought Camacho-Church the clarity she needed to publish in October 2023. She followed up in May 2024 with “Grandma’s Hair Is Ankle Length.” Both books, which address sensitive topics like loss and grief, were named finalists of the 2024 International Book Awards.
“The main message is to believe in yourself and to follow what makes you happy, regardless of how difficult life may be,” Camacho-Church says. “There is always hope [and] faith.”
For more information, visit lizdejesus.godaddysites.com and adrianacamachochurch.com.
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