"Arana has achieved the impossible... LatinoLand is indispensable, unforgettable. A work of prophecy, sympathy and courage.”
–Junot Díaz, Pulitzer Prize winner
“Meticulously researched, the book’s greatest strengths are the power of its epic narrative, the beauty of its prose and its rich portrayals of character. . . . a marvelous book.” ~The Washington Post
Bolívar’s life is one of history’s most dramatic canvases, a colossal narrative replete with adventure and disaster, victory and defeat.
“American Chica transports us far beyond the conventional boundaries of ethnic memoir; with great delicacy, Arana helps us understand why the marriage of the Americas is as difficult as it is inevitable”.
–National Book Award
“Erotic, catastrophic . . . Arana’s novel of taboo passion, tragic misperception, and life’s hidden dimensions is as shattering as it is seductive.”
Marie Arana has created a rich, boisterous saga about a remarkable family, a wondrous invention, and a powerful collision between science, magic, and faith.
“Monumental, stupendous. . . . a must-read for anyone who wants to understand this hemisphere.”
~Julia Alvarez
“Meticulously researched, the book’s greatest strengths are the power of its epic narrative, the beauty of its prose and its rich portrayals of character. . . . a marvelous book.”
~The Washington Post
“A lively and learned account of Latin America, ingeniously structured.”
~The New York Times
A major work of history, Bolivar colorfully portrays a dramatic life even as it explains the rivalries and turmoil that bedeviled Bolivar’s tragic last days.
“Finally, Bolivar gets the sweeping biography he deserves. He was the greatest leader in Latin American history, and his tale is filled with lessons about leadership and passion. This book reads like a wonderful novel but is researched like a masterwork of history.” –Walter Isaacson, author of Steve Jobs
Marie is a Peruvian-American author of nonfiction and fiction as well as the inaugural Literary Director of the Library of Congress. She is the recipient of a 2020 literary award from the American Academy of Arts & Letters. In 2024, she received the Leadership for the Americas Award from the Inter-American Dialogue at the Organization of American States (OAS).
Silver, Sword and Stone
News & Events
Premiere of “Girl Rising”
Girl Rising is a groundbreaking film, written in part by Marie, and directed by Oscar nominee Richard Robbins. The segment on Senna, a little girl who lives in the highest habitation in the world—the Peruvian gold mining town of La Rinconada—was written by Marie after traveling 18,200 feet up into a remote corner of the Andes. The movie tells the stories of 8 more extraordinary girls from different countries, each one written by a celebrated woman writer.
Read MoreEarly reviews for “Bolívar: American Liberator”
“Finally, Bolivar gets the sweeping biography he deserves. He was the greatest leader in Latin American history, and his tale is filled with lessons about…
Read MoreMarie visits the highest human habitation in the world
La Rinconada, a gold mine at 18,000 feet in Peru, is the subject of this probing article, titled “Dreaming of El Dorado.” Marie traveled there…
Read MoreArticle in El País
Marie’s comments on the Latin American “Boom” appeared in the Madrid newspaper El País on November 18. No fue un boom de escritores sino de…
Read More