Mercy University’s very own Adriana Erin Rivera, marketing manager of enrollment marketing, poses with her book Paloma’s Song for Puerto Rico: A Diary from 1898 at the sixth annual Latin American Book Fair.
Mercy University’s very own Adriana Erin Rivera, marketing manager of enrollment marketing, recently won the Gold Medal for Best Educational Chapter Book for her historical fiction novel Paloma’s Song for Puerto Rico: A Diary from 1898 (Capstone Publishing/Stone Arch Books) at the 26th Annual International Latino Book Awards (ILBA).
“I was so surprised by this win,” Rivera said. “I feel incredibly honored to be recognized among the amazing books that were submitted for this year’s competition.”
Created in collaboration with the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the American Latino, Paloma’s Song for Puerto Rico: A Diary from 1898 is about a 12-year-old girl and her family, coffee farmers, whose world begins to change when United States soldiers invade Puerto Rico, long controlled by Spain. Written in diary format, the story honors the joys, challenges and outcomes of their experience.
“'This is a story that needs to be told and heard. Excellent! I loved the fact that it had questions for discussion at the end and other notes,’” ILBA judges noted in a statement included in the International Latino Book Awards press release.
This remarkable achievement adds to a series of recent appearances, including presentation at the sixth annual Latin American Book Fair—featured on PBS, and the Pennsylvania Library Association Conference, along with her book tour—included in Patch.
“I’m so proud of this book and the work and passion that went into writing it,” Rivera said. “It’s exciting that now I’m officially an award-winning author.”
