Brother, Sister, Mother, Explorer was Jamie Figueroa’s compass through life

Brother, Sister, Mother, Explorer was Jamie Figueroa’s compass through life

Jamie Figueroa‘s debut book, Brother, Sister, Mother, Explorer, is a story filled with trauma and about breaking cycles. It’s about a family in a small Southwestern town where nothing seemed to go right for generations. While reading the trauma and difficult decisions these siblings make can be hard to digest, it’s one of the most beautifully written and important books to come out in 2021.

The author spent years writing it, allowing the book to be her compass through life as she slept on couches and found odd jobs that allowed her time and space to write this book. From rushing to get to college to taking years off in between to finish then finding a home at the Institute of American Indian Arts as an adult, Jamie Figueroa’s life has always needed time and space to figure things out.

I spoke with the author about her life, her debut, and what writers inspire her.

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10 debut books you should read this March

10 debut books you should read this March

It’s hard to believe it’s March again. The past year has been difficult for us all, but hopefully debut books helped get you through 2020. Let’s kick off the “new year” with another 10 debuts that will make you laugh, cry, and question everything you thought you knew.

These debuts are about families coming to terms with their grief, mothers moving on from dark times in their life, women named Sarah, and money.

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Kelli Jo Ford’s crooked path to publishing Crooked Hallelujah

Kelli Jo Ford’s crooked path to publishing Crooked Hallelujah

Kelli Jo Ford didn’t intend for Crooked Hallelujah to be a novel. At first she was just writing stories about Cherokee women who came to her. After a few stories, she realized they were all interconnected and the women were in the same family. These were stories she had to write.

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6 debut books you should read this March

6 debut books you should read this March

Each month, Debutiful will recommend a handful of buzzworthy and under-the-radar debut books for you to read.

Spring is upon us and all of our to be read piles are heating up. The working list of debuts to read that are publishing this month was 14 and that, I’m sure, doesn’t even scratch the surface. Expect another list shortly called ‘6 more debut books from Winter 2020 you should read.’ There have been an insane amount of stellar debuts published so far this year.

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