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Reyna Grande

レイナ・グランデ

Reyna Grande

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1975-09-07 （Iguala, Guerrero, Mexico）
Nationality
Mexican, American
Languages
Spanish, English
Residence History
Iguala, Mexico → United States (primarily California)

Career

Occupations
Author, Novelist, Memoirist, Creative writing instructor
Active Years
2000-
Affiliations
Macondo Writers Workshop, UCLA Extension Writer's Program, VONA (Voices of Our Nation's Arts)
Memberships
Macondo Writers Workshop
Influenced By
Sandra Cisneros

Education

Pasadena City College
Country: United States
Transferred and later attended UC Santa Cruz
University of California, Santa Cruz
Literature / Creative Writing
Degree: B.A.
Country: United States
B.A. in literature/creative writing
Antioch University
Creative Writing (MFA)
Degree: M.F.A.
Country: United States
M.F.A. in creative writing

Awards

Premio Aztlán Literary Award
2006
Work: Across a Hundred Mountains
Organization: Premio Aztlán (awarding organization)
Result: Winner
American Book Award
2007
Work: Across a Hundred Mountains
Organization: Before Columbus Foundation (American Book Award)
Result: Winner
International Book Award
2010
Work: Dancing with Butterflies
Organization: International Book Awards
Result: Winner
National Book Critics Circle Award (Finalist)
2012
Work: The Distance Between Us
Category: Autobiography
Organization: National Book Critics Circle
Result: Finalist
Luis Leal Award for Distinction in Chicano/Latino Literature
2015
Organization: Luis Leal Award (awarding organization)
Result: Winner
Eureka! Honor Awards (California Reading Association)
2016
Work: The Distance Between Us (young readers edition)
Organization: California Reading Association
Result: Honor
Américas Award (Honor Book)
2017
Work: The Distance Between Us (young readers edition)
Organization: Américas Award for Children’s and Young Adult Literature
Result: Honor
International Literacy Association Children’s Book Award
2017
Work: The Distance Between Us (young readers edition)
Organization: International Literacy Association
Result: Winner
California Latino Spirit Award
2021
Organization: California Latino Caucus
Result: Winner
Barnes & Noble Writers for Writers Award
2023
Organization: Poets & Writers
Result: Winner
Audies Award (Finalist)
2023
Work: Across a Hundred Mountains (audiobook)
Category: Fiction
Organization: Audible / Audies
Result: Finalist
Texas Institute of Letters, Jesse H. Jones Award (Finalist)
2023
Work: A Ballad of Love and Glory
Organization: Texas Institute of Letters
Result: Finalist

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Across a Hundred Mountains

2006 Novel (immigrant realism)

A novel drawing on experiences of childhood in Mexico and immigration to the U.S., exploring family, migration, and cultural conflict.

MigrationFamilyIdentity

Dancing with Butterflies

2009 Novel

A critically acclaimed novel that sensitively portrays personal growth and relationships.

Coming of ageFamilyHope and loss

The Distance Between Us

2012 Memoir

A memoir about childhood, migrating to the United States, and the subsequent hardships and growth; sheds light on the realities of immigration.

Immigrant experienceFamily bondsResilience

A Dream Called Home

2018 Memoir (sequel)

A sequel to The Distance Between Us; chronicles overcoming challenges and striving to adapt and thrive in America.

AdaptationHopeSelf-actualization

A Ballad of Love and Glory

2022 Historical novel

A long-form historical novel that weaves together themes of love, glory, conflict, and social change.

HistoryLoveWar and change

Somewhere We Are Human: Authentic Stories on Migration, Survival, and New Beginnings

2022 Anthology (editor)

An anthology collecting authentic stories on migration, survival, and new beginnings (Grande as editor).

MigrationNew beginningsVoices of community

Bibliography

  • Across a Hundred Mountains (Atria, 2006)
  • Dancing with Butterflies (Washington Square Press, 2009)
  • The Distance Between Us (Atria Books, 2012)
  • A Dream Called Home: A Memoir (Simon & Schuster, 2018)
  • A Ballad of Love and Glory (Atria, 2022)
  • Somewhere We Are Human: Authentic Stories on Migration, Survival, and New Beginnings (HarperVia, 2022)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Lyrical, autobiographical realismDirect, emotionally resonant narrative voice
Recurring Motifs
Migration and bordersFamily relationshipsMemory and trauma

Legacy

Through works depicting Mexican-American immigrant experiences, she has become an important voice in Latinx American literature and immigrant narratives. Her books are frequently selected for common reading programs and have influenced young readers and immigrant communities.

Academic Societies

  • Macondo Writers Workshop

In Popular Culture

  • Mentioned/featured in contexts such as Oprah's Book Club

Quotes

  • Even though my novels are very personal, and the material I write about is drawn from my own experience, they are fictional stories. After I completed my second novel, I wanted to write the real story about my life, before and after illegally immigrating to the US from Mexico. I wanted to shed light on the complexities of immigration and how immigration affected my entire family in both positive and negative ways.
    Source: Los Angeles Review of Books (interview) (2012)

Trivia

  • Crossed the U.S. border as an undocumented child immigrant at about age 9
  • One of the first in her family to obtain a college degree
  • The Distance Between Us was adapted into a young readers edition and widely used in common-read programs
  • Member of the Macondo Writers Workshop founded by Sandra Cisneros
  • Recipient of the Barnes & Noble Writers for Writers Award from Poets & Writers (2023)