Elba Iris Pérez, THE THINGS WE DIDN'T KNOW

Totally Booked with Zibby

Zibby Owens

Connection, Inspiration, Moms, Entertainment, Arts, Reading, Books, Parenting, Literary

4.4 • 602 Ratings

🗓️ 9 February 2024

⏱️ 21 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Debut novelist Elba Iris Pérez joins Zibby to discuss THE THINGS WE DIDN’T KNOW, a lyrical and heartfelt coming-of-age story of a young girl’s childhood between 1950s Puerto Rico and a small Massachusetts factory town. Elba shares her inspiration for this novel, touching on the importance of cross-cultural narratives and the challenges of navigating multiple identities. She also discusses her rich cast of characters and the novel’s portrayal of familial relationships, mental illness, cultural identity, and societal acceptance. Elba’s background as a theater professor and historian adds depth to the discussion as she delves into her creative process and personal connections to the story.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to Moms Don't Have Time to Read Books with Zivie. I'm the host, Zivie Owens. I am an author. My latest is blank,
0:11.9	pub date March 1st, a novel. I'm also a podcaster, obviously, a publisher, a bookstore owner,
0:17.8	and so much more. If you love books, you're in the right place.
0:21.7	In fact, we call it the Zivieverse, or really, the L.A. Times called it the Zibiverse, and we're going with it.
0:27.1	Go to Zivie Owens.com to learn more and follow me on Instagram at Zivie Owens.
0:33.6	Elba Iris Perez is the author of The Things We Didn't Know, a novel.
0:43.3	Elba is from Aguas Buenos, Puerto Rico, and spent her early childhood in Morocco, Massachusetts. She taught theater and history at the University of Puerto Rico in Arecibo and now lives in Houston.
0:48.3	She is the author of the El Teatro Como Bandera, a history of street theater in Puerto Rico, and please forgive my accent.
0:55.6	I actually don't speak Spanish, which is embarrassing. If you'd like to go to Paris with me,
1:00.3	I could probably order you a coffee. Welcome, Elba. Thank you so much for coming on moms. Don't
1:05.2	have time to read books to discuss the things we didn't know, a novel. Thank you for having me.
1:10.5	You're welcome.
1:11.7	Well, this book woke me up right away, literally on the edge of the cliff in the car,
1:17.1	like, you know, the way you immerse the reader, like from the start,
1:20.9	and then paint such a picture.
1:22.7	It's such a world, like going to Puerto Rico and just you're so good at creating experiences in worlds.
1:30.4	I feel like I've literally gone on a trip.
1:33.1	Wow, that's fantastic.
1:35.2	I'm glad.
1:36.3	I really wanted to do that because War Norocco, where the novel is set, is such a beautiful place.
1:44.3	Amazing. Okay, tell listeners a beautiful place. Amazing.
1:45.4	Okay, tell listeners what your book is about, please.
	...

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