A single book magically changed a life. Hollyn talks to award-winning author Alda P. Dobbs about her childhood spent dodging a harsh kindergarten teacher and resisting English to the night she read The Catcher in the Rye straight through, discovering that stories can carry a person across borders without moving an inch. From there, we trace the spine of her Petra Luna novels to the heartbeat of her great‑grandmother’s escape during the Mexican Revolution, layered with her grandmother’s poverty, her mother’s grit, and Alda’s own experience returning from military service to a world that looked at her differently.We go deep on research that makes history breathe: oral histories of children who survived the revolution, refugee accounts in period newspapers, and the field notes of journalist John Reed traveling with rebel troops. Alda explains how corridos and folk songs shaped scenes and tone, and why she carefully places Spanish words into English prose so readers feel the cadence without reaching for a glossary. We talk craft, too—how studying The Hunger Games helped her structure momentum and build a heroine whose resilience feels urgent and real for today’s classrooms and book clubs.Then we pivot to her picture book, The Giving Flower: The Story of the Poinsettia, uncovering a surprising journey from Aztec gardens to Spanish legend to an American ambassador’s greenhouse. Alda shares the discipline of picture‑book writing—500 to 800 words where every syllable earns its place—and the collaborative art process that turns research into luminous spreads kids want to revisit. Throughout, the throughline is connection: stories as bridges that let a Ukrainian child, a Texas teacher, or a bilingual family see themselves in a girl crossing a desert a century ago.If you value history that feels human and craft tips you can use, hit play and join us. Subscribe, rate, and leave a review to help more listeners find these stories—and tell us which moment stayed with you long after the outro.Follow, subscribe and learn more about Stories Without Borders on: Instagram: @Stories_WithoutBorders YouTube: @Stories_WithoutBorders Website: StoriesWithoutBorders.org

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