Reyna Grande
Encyclopedia
Reyna Grande is a Mexican-immigrant author
best known for her novel
Across a Hundred Mountains, which, though a work of fiction
, draws heavily on Grande's experiences growing up in Mexico
and her Illegal immigration to the United States
.
in the southern Mexican state of Guerrero
. She is the youngest of three siblings born in Mexico and has a brother and sister born in the U.S. Her childhood home was a shack made of bamboo sticks with tar-covered cardboard for a roof. When Grande was four years old, her parents moved to the United States, leaving her to be raised by her grandparents. When she was nine years old, her father returned and brought the three siblings across the U.S.-Mexico border into California.
Grande grew up in the predominantly Latino
Los Angeles
neighborhood of Highland Park
. In 1999 Grande became the first person in her family to receive a college diploma when she graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz
, with majors in creative writing
and film and video. In 2003 she was chosen to be a PEN
USA Emerging Voices Fellow and went on to obtain an M.F.A from Antioch University. Her debut novel, Across a Hundred Mountains, is published by Atria Books, a division of Simon and Schuster. For this novel, Grande was awarded the 2006 Premio Atzlan Literary Award and a 2007 American Book Award
. Grande's second novel,Dancing with Butterflies, was published in October 2009 by Washington Square Press. It received a first prize 2010 International Latino Book Award in the category of Women's Issues Books.
In addition to her writing, Grande is a sought-after speaker at middle and high schools, colleges and universities across the nation. She also moderates a book club, teaches creative writing workshops, and is the program director for the Los Angeles Latino Book and Family Festival.
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
best known for her novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
Across a Hundred Mountains, which, though a work of fiction
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
, draws heavily on Grande's experiences growing up in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and her Illegal immigration to the United States
Illegal immigration to the United States
An illegal immigrant in the United States is an alien who has entered the United States without government permission or stayed beyond the termination date of a visa....
.
Biography
Reyna Grande was born in the city of IgualaIguala
The historic city of Iguala de la Independencia is located from state capital Chilpancingo in the Mexican state of Guerrero. It stands on Federal Highway 95. Iguala is the municipal seat of the municipality of the same name, located in the north-central part of the state. The city had a 2005...
in the southern Mexican state of Guerrero
Guerrero
Guerrero officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Guerrero is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 81 municipalities and its capital city is Chilpancingo....
. She is the youngest of three siblings born in Mexico and has a brother and sister born in the U.S. Her childhood home was a shack made of bamboo sticks with tar-covered cardboard for a roof. When Grande was four years old, her parents moved to the United States, leaving her to be raised by her grandparents. When she was nine years old, her father returned and brought the three siblings across the U.S.-Mexico border into California.
Grande grew up in the predominantly Latino
Latino
The demonyms Latino and Latina , are defined in English language dictionaries as:* "a person of Latin-American descent."* "A Latin American."* "A person of Hispanic, especially Latin-American, descent, often one living in the United States."...
Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
neighborhood of Highland Park
Highland Park, Los Angeles, California
Highland Park is a neighborhood in Northeast Los Angeles.-Geography:Highland Park is located along the Arroyo Seco. It is situated within what was once Rancho San Rafael of the Spanish / Mexican era...
. In 1999 Grande became the first person in her family to receive a college diploma when she graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz
University of California, Santa Cruz
The University of California, Santa Cruz, also known as UC Santa Cruz or UCSC, is a public, collegiate university; one of ten campuses in the University of California...
, with majors in creative writing
Creative writing
Creative writing is considered to be any writing, fiction, poetry, or non-fiction, that goes outside the bounds of normal professional, journalistic, academic, and technical forms of literature. Works which fall into this category include novels, epics, short stories, and poems...
and film and video. In 2003 she was chosen to be a PEN
International PEN
PEN International , the worldwide association of writers, was founded in London in 1921 to promote friendship and intellectual co-operation among writers everywhere....
USA Emerging Voices Fellow and went on to obtain an M.F.A from Antioch University. Her debut novel, Across a Hundred Mountains, is published by Atria Books, a division of Simon and Schuster. For this novel, Grande was awarded the 2006 Premio Atzlan Literary Award and a 2007 American Book Award
American Book Award
The American Book Award was established in 1978 by the Before Columbus Foundation. It seeks to recognize outstanding literary achievement by contemporary American authors, without restriction to race, sex, ethnic background, or genre...
. Grande's second novel,Dancing with Butterflies, was published in October 2009 by Washington Square Press. It received a first prize 2010 International Latino Book Award in the category of Women's Issues Books.
In addition to her writing, Grande is a sought-after speaker at middle and high schools, colleges and universities across the nation. She also moderates a book club, teaches creative writing workshops, and is the program director for the Los Angeles Latino Book and Family Festival.