“Anna-Marie McLemore was born in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains and taught by her family to hear la llorona in the Santa Ana winds.” From the author’s bio, this sentence reads like it could be the start of one of her books, introducing a character whose reality includes what others might call myth or folklore. This is how Anna-Marie creates the worlds of magical realism in her stories, infusing her writing with bits of magic here and there so that when the impossible happens, it seems not at all impossible, but rather perfectly reasonable.
In her introduction to magical realism for Writer’s Digest, Anna-Marie states that realistic fiction with supernatural or fantastical elements and magical realism differ in part due to the fact that “magical realism has roots in oppression.” The author’s own identities as a queer Latina, and those of her transgender, gendequeer husband (whom she fondly refers to as “Trans Boy” online) make magical realism a natural home for the stories she wants to tell.
Addressing painful realities facing marginalized communities such as cultural oppression, transphobia, classism, and racism, all through beautifully-rendered stories of magic and wonder, Anna-Marie invites readers to challenge their own worldview, and to see themselves in the characters she writes. In the author’s note for her most recently published novel, Blanca and Roja, Anna-Marie writes, “My hope for you, reader, for all of us, is two sides of the same wish: that the world gives us each the space to write our own story, and that we leave room for each other’s stories. They are where our hearts survive.”
Anna-Marie’s dedication to honoring her own and others’ identities is evident in all of her author’s notes, where she shares intimate details of her own life, connects them to the work she’s written, and gently guides the reader toward a deeper understanding of the roots of oppression at the base of her tales. Incorporating these themes into YA literature can be challenging, but by skillfully weaving them into relatable stories with magical characters and lush landscapes, authors like Anna-Marie contribute to a kinder, more understanding future through the power of storytelling.
Additional reading: http://author.annamariemclemore.com/p/links.html
Awards and Honors for The Weight of Feathers: William C. Morris YA Debut Finalist (2016); YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults (2016); Junior Library Guild Fall 2015 selection; International Latino Book Awards Finalist (2016)
Awards and Honors for When the Moon Was Ours: ALA Stonewall Book Award Honor Book (2017); James Tiptree, Jr. Award (2016); Bank Street CBC Best Children’s Book of the Year (2017); CCBC Choices (2017); YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults (2017); National Book Award Longlist (2016); ALA Rainbow Book List Top Ten (2017); Junior Library Guild Selection (2017); Rainbow List Top Ten Book (2017); Kirkus Best Book of 2016; Booklist Best Young Adult Book (2016)
Awards and Honors for Wild Beauty: Kirkus Best Book of 2017; A Booklist Best Book of 2017; School Library Journal Editors’ Choice; Fall 2017 Junior Library Guild Selection; OwlCrate’s October 2017 Selection
Blanca and Roja is a Junior Library Guild Selection, and has received starred reviews from Kirkus, Booklist, and School Library Journal as of this page’s publication date.
Anna-Marie McLemore graduated from Deerfield Academy in Deerfield, Massachusetts, in 2005