Hi, I’m Emma Otheguy, author of many books for children. If you’re new, I would love for you to reply to this email and introduce yourself—it’s always fun to learn who my readers are!
Cousins in the Time of Magic is dedicated to “los niños de América”—the children of America—echoing José Martí, the Cuban poet and independence leader. Martí published a magazine for children during his exile in New York (he admired Mary Mapes Dodge’s St. Nicholas magazine), and he dedicated it to los niños de América.
Who did he mean by the children of America?
He meant all of them. He meant “America” in the hemispheric sense of the word. He didn’t distinguish between the children of the many nations in America because he understood that freedom in one nation depended on freedom in all the others. He understood that linguistically, culturally, and racially, the border is not so sharp a line.
He also knew that children in America have a dazzling heritage: a history of people who fought, and fought again, for the ideals of their republics. He filled the pages of his magazine with stories of Latin American liberators and ladies in Newport, Rhode Island who gave their riches to the poor. His response to hardship was the hope of our history.
I echoed Martí in the dedication to Cousins in the Time of Magic, for many of the same reasons. Cousins in the Time of Magic was an absolutely enormous undertaking, one that had me hiking up forts in Puebla, Mexico and exploring battlefields up and down the Virginia Peninsula. The bibliography is several pages long, and I mined each of those books, marking them up, typing notes, and tracking down details in their footnotes. I wrote Cousins during the pandemic with two kids under two, which didn’t make anything easier. Sometimes I look back and I’m not sure why I kept going, except that I had something to say to the niños of America, something about our history that I believe they need to know.
They need to know that the people of America, who have always been racially diverse, fought again and again to defend democracy and freedom.
In the 1860s a European emperor (Napoleon III) attempted to recolonize an already-independent Mexico. When the Mexicans thwarted him at the Battle of Puebla (what we now call Cinco de Mayo), people celebrated not only in Mexico but throughout the United States. Cinco de Mayo is a beloved holiday in our country because it was a victory for all of the republics in America, a victory for democracy over emperors and aristocrats.
Also in the 1860s, the United States was in the midst of the Civil War, our struggle to abolish slavery. This too, was a triumph of democracy over aristocracy, because there is no such thing as freedom under slavery, of democracy that does not begin with the unalienable rights of all peoples.
These struggles were connected directly: do you think Napoleon III would have stopped in Mexico? Did you know how desperately the Confederates courted that same Napoleon III as an ally? And they were connected indirectly, as simultaneous challenges to the very idea of democracy.
Come with me. Get in the boat. Join three cousins who dash behind Confederate lines, rescue a Latino Union officer, and deliver a sword to the Mexican army just in time for Cinco de Mayo. As I tell kids, you’ll have a magical adventure, and you’ll learn.
My book is what I have to give the children of America. It’s a history they urgently need to know. A history that says we are so much more than a strongman, that racial diversity can triumph over white supremacy, and that living in a democracy is a precious gift left to us by the myriad peoples of America who came before us.
Where to Find Me:
I have updated the events page on my website. Check it out, and if you are in New York City please join me for the book party on Tuesday, February 25th at 6pm. It promises to be a terrific night with many educator and librarian friends already planning to attend. It’s free and all are welcome. RSVP here and hope to see you there!
The party on the 25th is just that—a party! Mingling, celebrating, and sending the book on its way with good cheer. If you are looking for a program specifically for kids, I’m also offering a writing workshop for kids in the third grade and above at the New York Society Library.
Looking for a Signed Book?
Can’t attend the book party but still want a signed copy? Order from Astoria Bookshop. I’ll sign it and they will ship it to you anywhere in the country. Remember to include any personalization requests at checkout.
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