[ad_1]
MERIDEN — In 2018, Yarimel Castro moved from Puerto Rico to Meriden on what he thought would be a yearlong adventure to heal from some traumatic experiences.
She fell in love with the city, stayed and decided to share her struggles through the Spanish-language book Viviré para Conocerte, which means “I will live to know you.”
Castro published the book in May and held a launch event last week at the Augusta Curtis Cultural Center. During the event, Castro sang and spoke about the book. Her children also made remarks.
Castro said reviews of the book so far have been positive. Some have told her they were hooked from the first chapter, and others have said her story brought them to tears.
“I’ll live to meet you”
The book is a novel based on her life, Castro said. Castro is a Spanish teacher with a passion for writing and literature. She was inspired to write the book in 2015 after her now ex-husband had an accident.
“The incident was treated as a fatal scene, it was thought that he did not survive,” she said.
Castro said her ex-husband survived after six weeks in a coma. She began writing about the pain and frustration she was going through while raising five children alone and dealing with his recovery. When Castro’s husband’s health improved, he decided to end their marriage and left their home. The decision caused Castro to fall into depression.
In 2018, Castro and her children moved from Puerto Rico to Meriden with the intention of staying here for a year to heal. In 2020, Castro decided to record two worship songs she wrote and went to Puerto Rico to promote them. While in Puerto Rico, people said her personal story was good enough for a book, prompting her to write the novel.
In her novel she talks about Meriden and the bridge on Meriden Green.
“It made an impression on me when I got here and fell in love with it,” she said.
During her early days in Meriden, she took a picture of the bridge to represent freedom and new beginnings. Despite the hardships and with the help and prayers of many people, Castro and her children were able to heal, forgive and thrive, she said.
“I wanted to write down every single thing that happened to us so I wouldn’t forget,” Castro said. “I never thought I could shape it into a novel.”
She said her life in the US is better than she expected. She is currently a teacher at Hall Neighborhood House in Bridgeport, which offers youth services, senior programs, family services and a health center. Castro, who grew up in a Christian home, said her faith played an important role in her story and in the healing process. Her goal is to inspire hope, especially those who are going through traumatic events, who have no desire to continue living or do not know the way out of the situation.
Castro is in the middle of a media tour to promote the book. She has participated in virtual interviews with publications in Puerto Rico, Peru, Honduras, Argentina, Spain, and the United States. Castro has more songs he plans to eventually record and release. She also wants to write children’s literature.
Ivis Abella, who lives in Puerto Rico, met Castro two years ago. Abella remembered reading Castro’s book. “I couldn’t let it go,” she said.
Abella said the book influenced her a lot because it is very descriptive. Abella is proud to see that the situations that destroyed Castro’s life are now a blessing to the people who read the book.
ksantos@record-journal.com203-317-2364Twitter: @KarlaSantosNews
[ad_2]
Source link