Never to forget
The darkened room was forbidden to children, but the flicker of a candle inside it tempted Bertelina at age five to break the rule. Illuminated by the prayer candle, the portrait of her military grandfather attracted her attention, and yet she was taunted by his reputed heroic character. When discovered in the room, her mother’s warning that girls can’t be soldiers sets her on a path challenging female norms of early 20th century Costa Rica.
In her adventurous struggle for personal fulfillment, Bertelina becomes embroiled in the 1948 Costa Rican quest for social justice, and ultimately with women’s struggle for self-determination. With the inner strength of a soldier, she grapples to balance the traditional feminine role of mid-century Costa Rica with her eventual urgency to protect her children after a divorce from an abusive husband. In overcoming social and religious roadblocks, she immigrates to the United States. But after finally fulfilling her aspirations, everything about herself is threatened to be decimated by the devastation of Alzheimer’s dementia
Indie Book-Readers
“What an adventure! This woman has guts! I was very gripped by her determination to be a part of the change in her world. She is at once brave, bull-headed, and extremely feminine”
Kristie L.
“to see someone you love and… go through something that turns them into a shell of a human is really heartbreaking. You wrote these moments really skillfully”
Monika M.
“at first seems like a simple tale about a young Costa Rican girl… But as you work through the chapters, enraptured by the authentic and believable dialogue…, you begin to understand how personal, wonderful and adventurous this story really is.”
Dustin B.
“this breath-taking, sweeping novel, written with intelligence and love, with real, three-dimensional characters and a gripping, believable storyline.”
Kevin G.