Historic LoDo: Sandra Cisneros, the internationally acclaimed author of The House on Mango Street, will read from and sign her new novel Have You Seen Marie? (Knopf), a lyrically told fable for grown-ups about a woman’s search for a cat who goes missing in the wake of her mother’s death. With full-color illustrations that bring this transformative quest to vivid life, Have You Seen Marie? showcases a beloved author’s storytelling magic, in a tale that reminds us how love, even when it goes astray, does not stay lost forever. “Have You Seen Marie? is the size of a lunchbox sandwich, but it
offers lasting nourishment. The illustrated fable starts as a search for
a friend’s missing cat, but quickly becomes a meditation on loss, a way
for the main character, also named Sandra, to process her mother’s
death. As Sandra and her friend Roz search San Antonio for Marie,
questioning not just neighbors but also their pets and the neighborhood
squirrels, Sandra goes on her own inner quest to make peace with her
profound grief. Marie? is an orphan adventure tale for grown-ups
with the soothing cadence of a children’s picture book. Like the best
bedtime stories, it both honors the darkness around us and keeps the
darkness at bay. . . .  This book will surely be pressed into many
bereft hands. Cisneros captures the experience of grief with moving and
visceral clarity; lines like ‘Every day I woke up and felt like a glove
left behind at the bus station’ take the reader straight into the heart
of loss, while charming descriptions of San Antonio characters and the
neighborhoods they inhabit keep us grounded in the world Cisneros knows
so well. Hernández’s drawings fill in the blanks left by the vibrant but
spare text . . . Sandra’s neighbors remind her she is part of a
community that understands loss, that can support her through loss. This
reminder is one of the greatest gifts of the book: We may feel like
abandoned gloves in our grief, but when we share our stories with one
another, we realize we’re in the same lost-and-found box together.”
—Gayle Brandeis, San Francisco Chronicle
Can’t make it to the signing? Request an autographed copy here: books@tatteredcover.com Sandra Cisneros' website
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