Two Most Meaningful Responses to LUZ
It was just two weeks ago that my novel, Luz, was officially released, arriving at the door of those who had pre-ordered. Since then, I’ve been overwhelmed with many positive responses to my debut novel. However, two in particular brought tears to my eyes, for they came from individuals that I admire immensely: Father Richard Estrada, a tireless advocate for immigrant rights and founder of Jovenes, Inc, a non-profit organization that provides housing and support to homeless youth, and Martin Mullarkey, a highly respected high school English teacher devoted to guiding his students toward their best possible future.
Father Richard Estrada
I first met Father Estrada in 2002 when I learned about the Water Stations Project, a group of volunteers who left water for migrants in strategic desert spots in the hopes of preventing deaths from dehydration. As I got to know him, I learned he had been an activist for decades. He knew Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta during the farmworkers strike; he was a fierce advocate for Central American refugees who were fleeing war and violence during the Sanctuary Movement of the 1980s. In fact, providing shelter (la posada) became his passion, leading him to create Jovenes, Inc. in 1989 to help displaced migrant youth. In 2020, Jovenes, Inc is still going strong, and so is Father Estrada.
For decades, he was a Catholic priest at historic La Placita, the original Our Lady Queen of the Angels Catholic Church in downtown Los Angeles. Then in 2014, he announced that he was leaving to join the Episcopal Church because he felt the Catholic religion was not welcoming of gays and lesbians and did not give women roles of leadership. This gives you some idea of the kind of man he is, someone who doesn’t just voice his beliefs, but acts on them.
Father Estrada often refers to Jesus as an immigrant, and when he speaks of God, he uses He or She. He is a rare gem. A gentle, soft-spoken man. Just being in his presence leaves me feeling such peace, such deep serenity. I always come away fiercely wanting to believe. He tells me to stop searching for answers. “Let them come to you,” he says.
For years, I have treasured his friendship. We once met for a cup of Mexican hot chocolate at a little café on Olvera Street, where he told me about his life and spoke of Dolores Huerta whom I was writing about at the time. Shortly before COVID-19 forced us to stay home, I visited him at Jovenes, Inc. where he spoke of his trips to Tapachula at the Mexican/Guatemalan border and the injustice he witnessed for migrants fleeing violence in Central America. Then we spoke of Luz, and I left him an Advance Reader Copy.
So when I received the following email, I wept.
DEAR DEBRA,
FELICIDADES!!!
Every time I put ‘Luz’ down, it made me feel I too need Rest, Nourishment and Reflection.
As a priest, I listen to many migrant workers, refugees and asylum seekers and let them talk about their own experiences of bravery, self-giving and love.
Your novel is our platform to have a voice that has the power to soften hearts to understand the suffering of migrants and the current evil system that must be Reformed.
Yes, I will be with you via zoom on Saturday. I will purchase 4 books. 1 for my 93 year-old tia, a former librarian who loves books.
Fr. Richard Estrada
After the American Dirt controversary and the Latinx response to works not written by own voices, I have been concerned about how my novel would be received. While I strongly support the #ownvoices movement and feel that too many writers of color have been silenced or minimized in the past, I also believe that there is room for many voices, especially those that speak to injustice. So, I was moved to tears when I read Father Estrada’s response,“Your novel is our platform to have a voice that has the power to soften hearts to understand the suffering of migrants and the current evil system that must be Reformed.” And then to see he wished to purchase four books, one for his librarian aunt! What greater praise could there be?
I am truly blessed to have his support and his friendship. Perhaps the answers are coming to me. . .
Martin Mullarkey
My second treasured response to Luz comes from a colleague that I have admired for years. Martin Mullarkey teaches English at James Monroe High School, a Los Angeles public school. He is highly regarded by his peers and adored by his students, many of whom continue to stay in touch with him long after graduation. Though he has taught for over thirty years, he is still passionate about teaching and devoted to his students, going above and beyond what every other teacher strives to do. It’s just a fact. Anyone who speaks of Martin always uses the word “devoted.”
He works long hours, especially during college application season, and has succeeded in getting his students into the best colleges in our country, such as, Yale, Brown, Vassar, Duke, Wellesley, UCLA, USC, often with full scholarships. Monroe High School students are predominantly from the Latinx community. It’s a Title 1 School, meaning a large population of students are from low-income families, and, therefore, it receives federal funds to help students meet educational goals.
The students are fortunate to have Mr. Mullarkey as their teacher, and I was honored to work with and learn from him as well.
So once again, when I received Martin’s email response to Luz, I was thrilled, humbled, and yes, in tears.
“Congratulations on a wonderful novel, Debbie! You did a great job bringing to life a main character whose life experience will resonate with so many young people today. It’s the kind of empathetic writing and call for understanding that we need to foster now more than ever. Well done!
I was so enthusiastic to include LUZ as an option for my students that it motivated me to write a 30-question Reading Counts test for LUZ, which will make it available for students throughout the country to earn points through that program. I won’t be able to submit the test until the fall because the district needs to renew our school’s subscription to the service. Reading Counts is a program that promotes independent reading, where students answer basic comprehension questions on a book and receive points (if they pass) based on the book’s level of difficulty and length. Once I get that book into the hands of a couple of my students, I’m confident they will tell their friends they need to read it as well.”
As if that wasn’t enough, Martin submitted this 5 star Amazon Review:
A Great Title for High School Students
I have taught Latinx students for over three decades, and many crave stories that reflect the experiences of their families. While Luz doesn’t claim to speak for anyone but its main character, it helps young people understand the struggles that one teenage girl must undergo to survive her perilous journey from Mexico to the US. The book makes a great case for acknowledging the humanity of a vulnerable group too often castigated by society at large. I can see this novel prompting powerful discussions among my students and their family members, with teens possibly understanding for the first time the sacrifices their immigrant parents made to arrive here. For those whose parents aren’t immigrants, it’s a great story that simply fosters compassion for others whose reality differs from their own. This book will be a welcome addition to my classroom library.
To receive these words from someone that I consider an outstanding teacher was high praise indeed. That he would put my book in his students’ hands speaks volumes and is an honor.
I could not be more fortunate than to have the support and endorsement of these two very special men. Each one shines such a bright light in our often dark and troubled world.
https://hildalsolis.org/father-richard-estrada-and-the-power-of-action/
