{"product_id":"beautiful-maria-of-my-soul-paperback","title":"Beautiful Maria of My Soul - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eOscar Hijuelos\u003c\/b\u003e (Author), \u003cb\u003eLori Marie Carlson-Hijuelos\u003c\/b\u003e (Foreword by)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eIn this mesmerizing sequel to a Pulitzer Prize winning novel, \u003ci\u003eThe Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love\u003c\/i\u003e, the \"heart-stealing heroine\" (Amy Tan) and muse of Cuban musician Nestor Castillo takes readers on the journey of a lifetime with this story of reinvention, romance, and revolution. \u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e In \u003ci\u003eThe Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love\u003c\/i\u003e, Mar僘 is the great Cuban beauty who stole musician Nestor Castillo's heart and broke it, inspiring him to write the Mambo Kings' biggest hit, 'Beautiful Mar僘 of My Soul.'\" Now in her sixties, Mar僘 Garc僘 y Cifuentes is the lady behind the song, living as an exile in Miami. But while she left Cuba decades ago, she has never forgotten Nestor. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e We now see the Mambo Kings' story through Maria's eyes--and as she thinks back to her days and nights in Havana, an entirely new perspective on the story unfolds. We meet her as an illiterate young woman with unspeakable, head-turning beauty who meets and falls in love with Nestor in Havana, but ultimately chooses to stay involved with a cruel, wealthy lover. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e When the Cuban Revolution intervenes, Maria and her daughter seek refuge in Miami. And as she finds community with other Cuban women and begins to take lessons at a local college, Maria finally goes from muse to the writer of her own story. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003eBeautiful Mar僘 of My Soul\u003c\/i\u003e is a stunning act of reinvention, and another contemporary classic from an extraordinarily talented writer. \u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eIncludes a Reading Group Guide.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eOscar Hijuelos (1951-2013)\u003c\/b\u003e, a native New Yorker and the son of Cuban immigrants, was a Pulitzer Prize-winning author of nine novels and a memoir and a recipient of the Rome Prize awarded by The American Academy of Arts and Letters. He also received grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Guggenheim Foundation. He became the first Latino winner of the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1990 for his international bestseller \u003ci\u003eThe\u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003eMambo Kings Play Songs of Love\u003c\/i\u003e and his novels have been translated into more than 40 languages. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eLori Carlson-Hijuelos\u003c\/b\u003e is an author and educator from Jamestown, New York. She studied Spanish literature and linguistics at the College of Wooster and got her MA in Hispanic literature from Indiana University. Lori has taught at different universities, like Duke, and she's the editor of amazing books for kids and teens, such as\u003ci\u003e Cool Salsa, American Eyes, Voices in First Person\u003c\/i\u003e, and\u003ci\u003e Burnt Sugar Ca Quemada\u003c\/i\u003e. She lives in the bustling city of New York.\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 336\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1 x 7.9 x 5.2 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e January 16, 2024\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51764958265632,"sku":"9781538740200","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0974\/9764\/5344\/files\/373f33de6f465425c12f0f75994d74c3.webp?v=1780258797","url":"https:\/\/ebocreations.com\/products\/beautiful-maria-of-my-soul-paperback","provider":"The E-Book Oasis LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}