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Sign up todayWe Have Always Been Who We Are
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Learn moreBookseller recommendation
“Sofia T. Romero offers a stunning collection of interrelated stories that weave together elements of magical realism, blending the everyday with the fantastical. Romero’s prose is marked by a bittersweet sense of loneliness, loss, and longing, as her characters confront profound emotional challenges. Each story is laced with both humor and melancholy, keeping readers on edge with its shifts in tone and form. At its core, We Have Always Been Who We Are celebrates the enduring strength of the imagination and storytelling itself. ”
— Shanza • White Whale Bookstore
Bookseller recommendation
“I loved this New England based story collection. The interlocked stories blend realism with a touch of magic. Wonderful coming of age stories as well as frightening looks at marriage and mother-in-laws! Perfect gift for young women looking for something that speaks true to them and opens their eyes to the supernatural. ”
— Kristine • Buttonwood Books and Toys
From Pushcart Prize–nominated author Sofia T. Romero comes a breathtaking debut collection of interrelated stories suffused with magical realism.
In stories that evoke the haunting beauty of New England beaches and resonate with a bittersweet loneliness, Romero blurs the lines between life and death, reality and fantasy. A deceased woman counsels her son’s fiancée on how to be a good wife to him, with disastrous consequences. A mysterious, commanding cat appears in a young woman’s home, as inexplicable as the demise of her years-long relationship with her boyfriend. At turns humorous, sorrowful, and whimsical, this collection spans the familiar setting of a college-town supermarket and eerie dystopias that are not just postpandemic but postart. Romero masterfully conveys the follies of youth and the regrets of life, and a sense of loss—of a relationship, a child, a time before—pervades each page.
With this remarkable debut, Romero joins the ranks of writers such as Brenda Peynado and Marytza K. Rubio, offering a superb collection of speculative fiction with a distinctly Latina perspective. We Have Always Been Who We Are is at its heart a testament to the power of storytelling, and an invitation to develop our inner strength through the imagination.
Sofia T. Romero is a Pushcart Prize nominee and has published work in Necessary Fiction, Blue Mountain Review, Rigorous, and Waterwheel Review, among others. She lives in the Boston area, where she works as an editor. Visit her website at www.SofiaTRomero.com.
Carolina Hoyos is an Afro-Indigenous (Quechua-Kichwa) stage and film actor, director, voiceover artist, and musician. A fellow in La Skins Fest Native American TV Writers Lab, she earned a coveted spot on the LA County Artist Roster, is a West Hollywood Directing Artist Grantee, and is in development with It's Personal on her debut solo show. She performs regularly with the comedy troupes Dad Jeans and Nightpantz and the theater artist ensemble Native Voices at The Autry.
Frankie Corzo is an experienced narrator and actress who spent her childhood performing in theater productions, commercials, films, and voiceovers. Born to Cuban immigrant parents, she narrates and acts in both Spanish and English. Her work has been added to numerous best of lists, including Audible's for 2017 and 2018. Born and raised in New Jersey, she currently splits her time between New York and Los Angeles.
Reviews
“We Have Always Been Who We Are stuns and soars. Romero has the staggering ability to depict unforgettable characters in their dreamlike states, losses, freedoms, and magic. With majestic, cleanly conceived prose and a wonderful attunement to the pulses of the human heart, this book is a winner. Highly recommend!”
“This stunning collection filled with vengeful seal queens, books of secret confessions, and creepy customizable mothers is just the speculative jewel you’re looking for.”
“These pitch-perfect tales call to mind the work of short fiction greats like Kelly Link, Alison Lurie, and Laurie Colwin. I tore through this book like a novel, astonished by Romero’s singular voice and in love with her thorny, irresistible characters!”
“The spare, muscular prose of newcomer Sofia Romero brings to mind the best parts of Hemingway, though her characters, unlike his, journey inward, through complex emotional truths that belie the minimalist language used to tell them. These are deceptively quiet stories that grow louder the longer they sit inside you. Stories that leave a fragrance behind, in your skin. Stories whose urgency lies in the haunting understatedness with which they’re told. Romero’s voice is clean, strong, and unique, and one that deserves to be heard.”
“Rich, interconnected stories follow characters as they face the dynamics and unspoken conflicts within their identities and relationships…Sincere yet unrestrained, Romero’s searching collection burrows deep into its mysteries.”
“A trio of experienced narrators…bring these creepy and unsettling works to life with vivid and evocative narrations…These expressive performers elevate this collection.”
“This is a really exciting collection, with some incredibly original ideas. Yay for new short stories!”
“A debut collection of magically imbued interlinked stories.”
“This debut collection of speculative stories from Pushcart Prize–nominated writer Sofia Romero illustrates her brilliant imagination, her divine timing, and her mastery of subtle storytelling. They are urgent and deceptively quiet all at once.”
“An imaginative collection of short stories that makes an impact. Share with fans of Aimee Bender’s The Girl in the Flammable Skirt or Lorrie Moore’s Collected Stories.”
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