Cecilia Samartin
Author of Broken Paradise: A Novel
About the Author
Image credit: Photo: Jarle Vines
Series
Works by Cecilia Samartin
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Canonical name
- Samartin, Cecilia
- Birthdate
- 1961
- Gender
- female
- Education
- University of California, Los Angeles
Santa Clara University - Occupations
- novelist
psychotherapist (retired) - Agent
- John Hawkins & Associates, Inc
- Short biography
- Cecilia Samartin is the author of several internationally bestselling novels. Her work has been translated into 18 languages. She currently lives in Los Angeles, with her husband.Cecilia Samartin (født 1961 i Havanna, Cuba) er en cubansk-amerikansk forfatter og psykolog, bosatt i San Gabriel, California, med sin britisk-fødte ektemann. Hun studerte psykologi ved UCLA samt ekteskap- og familieterapi ved Santa Clara University. Samartin har i flere år arbeidet med mennesker som kommer som innvandrere til USA fra land i Latin-Amerika.
Romanen Señor Peregrino (Tarnished Beauty på engelsk) ble svært populær da den kom ut på norsk i 2006. Hennes debutroman, Drømmehjerte, som først utkom i Nederland og Tyskland i 2004, kom i norsk utgave i 2008. Opprinnelig hadde den tittelen Ghost Heart på engelsk, men fikk senere tittelen Broken Paradise. Samartin sin tredje roman Salvadoreña (Vigil på engelsk) ble utgitt i 2009.
Bøkene til Samartin utgis på norsk av Juritzen Forlag. Samartin har også blitt oversatt til nederlandsk, tysk, spansk og portugisisk. - Nationality
- Cuba (birth)
USA - Birthplace
- Havana, Cuba
- Places of residence
- Los Angeles, California, USA
- Associated Place (for map)
- Los Angeles, California, USA
Members
Reviews
I love this novel. It pulled me in and did not let go even after I turned the last page. I did not want to leave the world Samartin so vividly brought to life.
Jamilet possesses a beautiful face, but a hideous birthmark causes her superstitious Mexican village to shun her. She lives, unable to attend school, with her sickly and sad mother. Once her mother dies, she crosses the border to live with her aunt. Having grown up in scorned seclusion, Jamilet has trouble relating to others. Yet the show more boy across the street still helps her find employment at a local hospital. There she attends to the mysterious Señor Peregrino (Mister Pilgrim).
He forces Jamilet to listen to his story in the beginning, but she, like the reader, becomes entranced and listens of her own free will. He tells of his time as a pilgrim on the Road to Santiago in Spain. He and his friend Tomas eventually join with the beautiful Rosa and later the bold Jenny. It's a tale of tangled loves, dedication, and dashed hopes. The story-within-a-story is perhaps even more beautiful than the tale that frames it.
Samartin's characters are incredible. They are all flawed, but strong. Some are insecure; some are bold. Some are jaded; some are naïve. Every one of them seems real. Their stories resonate because of this strong sense of character.
People do not do great things in TARNISHED BEAUTY. Instead, they live. They connect. That's enough for me. show less
Jamilet possesses a beautiful face, but a hideous birthmark causes her superstitious Mexican village to shun her. She lives, unable to attend school, with her sickly and sad mother. Once her mother dies, she crosses the border to live with her aunt. Having grown up in scorned seclusion, Jamilet has trouble relating to others. Yet the show more boy across the street still helps her find employment at a local hospital. There she attends to the mysterious Señor Peregrino (Mister Pilgrim).
He forces Jamilet to listen to his story in the beginning, but she, like the reader, becomes entranced and listens of her own free will. He tells of his time as a pilgrim on the Road to Santiago in Spain. He and his friend Tomas eventually join with the beautiful Rosa and later the bold Jenny. It's a tale of tangled loves, dedication, and dashed hopes. The story-within-a-story is perhaps even more beautiful than the tale that frames it.
Samartin's characters are incredible. They are all flawed, but strong. Some are insecure; some are bold. Some are jaded; some are naïve. Every one of them seems real. Their stories resonate because of this strong sense of character.
People do not do great things in TARNISHED BEAUTY. Instead, they live. They connect. That's enough for me. show less
4.5 stars
This is the beautifully told story of two Cuban cousins separated by the Cuban Revolution. The book spans several decades going from the tropical beaches of Cuba to America. Being Latina I could easily relate to the lives of Alicia and Nora. I loved the family relationships and how they were realistically portrayed. There were portions of this book that I felt were taken from my own life. I also loved the development of the political situation and how it affected the characters. It show more did not come off as too preachy or too heavy. I’m not into reading politics, so this was a right mix for me.
Most of all what I loved about this book was the gorgeous descriptions and eloquent writing. I could smell the ocean and feel the breeze on my face as I read the passages from Cuba. My only complaint was the ending, which I did not care for. I thought it was too far-fetched and drawn, however, the rest of the book more than made up for it. show less
This is the beautifully told story of two Cuban cousins separated by the Cuban Revolution. The book spans several decades going from the tropical beaches of Cuba to America. Being Latina I could easily relate to the lives of Alicia and Nora. I loved the family relationships and how they were realistically portrayed. There were portions of this book that I felt were taken from my own life. I also loved the development of the political situation and how it affected the characters. It show more did not come off as too preachy or too heavy. I’m not into reading politics, so this was a right mix for me.
Most of all what I loved about this book was the gorgeous descriptions and eloquent writing. I could smell the ocean and feel the breeze on my face as I read the passages from Cuba. My only complaint was the ending, which I did not care for. I thought it was too far-fetched and drawn, however, the rest of the book more than made up for it. show less
Handling & Tema : 4/5
Karaktärerna: 3/5
Miljöbeskrivning: 3/5
Språk och berättarkonst 4/5
Tycker jätte mycket om författarens sätt att skriva, hon fångar läsaren genom sina beskrivningar och en känsla att man befinner sig inne i historien. Vi får följa huvudpersoner Ana från att hon är liten flicka som tillsammans med sin mamma bor i en by i El Salvador. Deras liv avbryts på ett brutalt sätt på grund av kriget. Hon lär känna en nuna som kommer bli en mycket viktig person i show more hennes liv och för in henne på Guds väg och inspirerar henne atr bli nunna.
En vacker berättelse som var en njutning att läsa. : Svag 4/5 i helhetsbetyg show less
Karaktärerna: 3/5
Miljöbeskrivning: 3/5
Språk och berättarkonst 4/5
Tycker jätte mycket om författarens sätt att skriva, hon fångar läsaren genom sina beskrivningar och en känsla att man befinner sig inne i historien. Vi får följa huvudpersoner Ana från att hon är liten flicka som tillsammans med sin mamma bor i en by i El Salvador. Deras liv avbryts på ett brutalt sätt på grund av kriget. Hon lär känna en nuna som kommer bli en mycket viktig person i show more hennes liv och för in henne på Guds väg och inspirerar henne atr bli nunna.
En vacker berättelse som var en njutning att läsa. : Svag 4/5 i helhetsbetyg show less
“The world is full of miracles, Mama. All we have to do is find the ones that belong to us.” [pg 27]
Tarnished Beauty by Cecelia Samartin
Atria Books, 2008 (ARE)
Fiction; 339 pgs
Jamilet is a naïve and imaginative young woman who carries a burden, an ugly birthmark that stretches from her shoulders, down her back, reaching to the back of her knees. She is ashamed of it and wants nothing more than to be rid of it. All her life, the birthmark has proven to be a curse, earning taunts and show more stares from her fellow villagers. It is the mark of the devil, some say.
Having reached adulthood and upon the death of her mother, Jamilet leaves behind her small Mexican hometown for the sprawling city of Los Angeles in hopes of finding a doctor who will remove the offending birthmark. She takes up residence with her Aunt Carmen, a woman Jamilet admired as a child. Carmen was a bit of a rebel in her day and one of the only people in Jamilet’s life who rarely gave Jamilet’s birthmark a second thought.
Jamilet takes a job working in an asylum, her only task to watch over and take care of the needs of an elderly man from Spain, Señor Peregrino. Her charge is not an easy man to work with. He is demanding and likes things done just so. She had been instructed not to engage Señor Peregrino in conversation; however, he coaxes her into listening to his life story, a story that soon captivates not only Jamilet but the reader as well. His is a story of love, betrayal and regret. A story Jamilet can relate to in her own way.
Señor Peregrino was as confident and steady as Jamilet was shy and unsure. The two form an unlikely bond. Just as Señor Peregrino set out as a young man on a pilgrimage to discover his fate, Jamilet’s journey to the United States was in a similar vein. Both had expectations and hopes that the road would lead them in one direction, when instead it took them in an entirely different one.
Jamilet’s plight is one most people can relate to, the feeling of being singled out, of being different, and wanting nothing more than to be “normal” and to fit in. Jamilet felt alone in her suffering, not believing anyone would understand what she was going through. She carries her birthmark like a secret, the shame of it always near the surface. I was slightly disappointed that the author did not take this particular story thread farther than she did. Still, I think that Jamilet’s story will appeal to many readers. Her story is not so different than our own in some respects, even if we do not wear the birthmark as she does.
Author Cecilia Samartin has written a heartfelt and bittersweet story. Each time I picked up the book, I looked forward to reading more of Señor Peregrino’s story just as Jamilet came to wanting to hear it. Tarnished Beauty seemed a perfect book choice for a warm spring day—gentle in style and thoughtful in nature. show less
Tarnished Beauty by Cecelia Samartin
Atria Books, 2008 (ARE)
Fiction; 339 pgs
Jamilet is a naïve and imaginative young woman who carries a burden, an ugly birthmark that stretches from her shoulders, down her back, reaching to the back of her knees. She is ashamed of it and wants nothing more than to be rid of it. All her life, the birthmark has proven to be a curse, earning taunts and show more stares from her fellow villagers. It is the mark of the devil, some say.
Having reached adulthood and upon the death of her mother, Jamilet leaves behind her small Mexican hometown for the sprawling city of Los Angeles in hopes of finding a doctor who will remove the offending birthmark. She takes up residence with her Aunt Carmen, a woman Jamilet admired as a child. Carmen was a bit of a rebel in her day and one of the only people in Jamilet’s life who rarely gave Jamilet’s birthmark a second thought.
Jamilet takes a job working in an asylum, her only task to watch over and take care of the needs of an elderly man from Spain, Señor Peregrino. Her charge is not an easy man to work with. He is demanding and likes things done just so. She had been instructed not to engage Señor Peregrino in conversation; however, he coaxes her into listening to his life story, a story that soon captivates not only Jamilet but the reader as well. His is a story of love, betrayal and regret. A story Jamilet can relate to in her own way.
Señor Peregrino was as confident and steady as Jamilet was shy and unsure. The two form an unlikely bond. Just as Señor Peregrino set out as a young man on a pilgrimage to discover his fate, Jamilet’s journey to the United States was in a similar vein. Both had expectations and hopes that the road would lead them in one direction, when instead it took them in an entirely different one.
Jamilet’s plight is one most people can relate to, the feeling of being singled out, of being different, and wanting nothing more than to be “normal” and to fit in. Jamilet felt alone in her suffering, not believing anyone would understand what she was going through. She carries her birthmark like a secret, the shame of it always near the surface. I was slightly disappointed that the author did not take this particular story thread farther than she did. Still, I think that Jamilet’s story will appeal to many readers. Her story is not so different than our own in some respects, even if we do not wear the birthmark as she does.
Author Cecilia Samartin has written a heartfelt and bittersweet story. Each time I picked up the book, I looked forward to reading more of Señor Peregrino’s story just as Jamilet came to wanting to hear it. Tarnished Beauty seemed a perfect book choice for a warm spring day—gentle in style and thoughtful in nature. show less
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Statistics
- Works
- 22
- Members
- 659
- Popularity
- #38,282
- Rating
- 3.7
- Reviews
- 26
- ISBNs
- 120
- Languages
- 11
- Favorited
- 2
