Hey, it's Ampura's book of the day. I'm Andrew Limbaugh. Elvira K. Gonzalez's life sounds like it could be

three different memoirs. One, her mother was kidnapped. Two, she, Elvira, was sent to juvenile detention,

and three, she found some solace in running hurdles, only to be preyed upon by

coaches. But she writes about all of this in her memoir, Hurtles in the Dark. And in this

interview with Hereina Zepa Fernandez, you hear a common theme throughout all of these threads.

They all involve her taking care of someone else, putting someone else's life, well-being, feelings

before her own. Which, when you think about that, it kind of makes sense when you find out

what she does for a living now. That's ahead.

In the new book for young adults, hurdles in the dark, Alvura is a Hispanic girl growing up

in Laredo, Texas. She runs fast, she wins

medals in middle school, and she beats boys who challenge her. But when she's 14, Alvira

has an even greater demand for speed. Her mother is kidnapped, and Alvira has only one day to raise $40,000 to ransom her.

And so begins a different kind of sprint that wins her mother's freedom, but lands Elvira in juvenile detention.

When she gets out, Elvira is determined to never go back.

Athletics may provide a solution, but her natural

talent brings her as much trouble as it does opportunity. Hurdles in the dark is the memoir of

author Elvira K. Gonzalez. In the book, in during her childhood, she uses her middle name,

Christy, but as an adult, she uses her first name,

Elvira.

Elvira, welcome to here and now.

Hi, I'm so excited to be on here.

I'd love to start with your early childhood.

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