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Articles and Radio and Podcast Spots
Perceptive Travel essay with photos of Arletis and Abuelo Esteban
Reading of a book excerpt at NPR-affiliate station KALW San Francisco
Interview with Shelley Irwin at NPR-affiliate station WGVU Grand Rapids, Michigan
Once, on an alligator-shaped island in the middle of a wide sea, there lived a little girl who loved maps and dreamed of one day knowing other places . . .
In another part of the world, at the mouth of a wide bay, there lived an old man who in his youth dreamed of sailing the world and making friends in foreign lands . . .
When these two strangers connect through a message in a bottle, their communication inspires a visit that forges a lasting friendship, which expands both their worlds. Based on a true story, Arletis, Abuelo, and the Message in a Bottle is a lyrically written, lushly illustrated portrait of life in rural Cuba that will enchant children and adults alike.
Book Trailer
Awards and Accolades
*2024 Children’s Book Council Children’s Favorites Winner
*2023 Junior Library Guild Selection
I love this book! The inspiring story of Arletis and Abuelo Esteban transports us to the beauty of the Cuban countryside and opens our hearts to the magic of friendship across borders.
—Ruth Behar, winner of the Pura Belpré Award and author of Letters from Cuba
Arletis, Abuelo, and the Message in a Bottle is a true-life story that teaches how the simple faith of a young girl and the generous heart of an old man can defy thousands of miles of separation, language barriers, and the great political differences between their countries.
—Joe Hayes, author of Dance, Nana, Dance: Cuban Folktales in English and Spanish
Lea Aschkenas strips away the years of political impediment that have prevented two peoples living only 90 miles apart from knowing and caring for one another. A beautiful book and a thrill to read.
—Margaret Randall, author of To Change the World: My Years in Cuba
This book is a pure joy, full of heart and infused with the tastes and sounds and colors of Cuba. My eyes tear up at the simple yet profound way that these lovable characters fill gaps in each other’s lives.
—Laura Resau, Américas Book Award-winning author of Star in the Forest
A true story, surprising and moving, and masterfully narrated by Lea Aschkenas.
—Mylene Fernández-Pintado, author of A Corner of the World
Aschkenas’ poetic ode connecting two distinct worlds will fill your heart with warmth.
—Alda Dobbs, author of The Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna
This hope-filled celebration of friendship across distances will have readers dreaming of their own messages in a bottle as they imagine the world beyond their horizons.
—Jennifer Torres, author of Finding the Music/En pos de la música
School Visits
Through my author presentations, I’ve gotten to meet many engaged and curious readers.
Feria Internacional del Libro de La Habana
When my book was published in 2023, the now grown-up Arletis, her mother, and her children traveled the two hours from Pinar del Río to Havana for the launch. Arletis had not seen the book before, so it was a very moving moment for her. In the book festival photo below, Arletis is 28. Her son Cristopher is 8, and her daughter, Ana Lia is 5—the same ages that Arletis and her little sister, Arelis, were when Arletis found the bottle way back in 2003!
Proyecto Casa Insurgente
During the book festival, I also had the opportunity to share my book with a group of school children at a pop-up children’s library/urban medicinal garden in Old Havana.
