Yesterday, all students in MYP6, LGRM7 and MYP7 had an author talk with the Cuban American author Ruth Behar on her novel Lucky broken girl, within Creative School supported by the National Arts Council. In advance all students had read the chapter “The snowman” and many had also read the novel.
The author skype talk took place in the Aula. Since it took place in the afternoon Swedish time, and in the morning Eastern Standard Time, the students greated Ruth with: “Good morning!” Ruth then presented Lucky broken girl, a novel based on autobiographical content:
The novel takes place in the early 1960s in a multicultural neighborhood in New York. It is about Ruthie, who has emigrated from Cuba with her family. The family struggles to start a new life, since it has left everything behind at Cuba. They also try to adapt to a different language, climate, occupation, way of living, way of relate to each other and more. In the beginning Ruth felt sorry for her parents, and especially Ruth’s mom was longing to go back to Cuba. Luckily they had a relative that could help them though, Oncle Bill. Since he had been living in the U.S. during a longer time, Ruth’s family sometimes called him “The American”.
The family succeeds well in building a new life. Then they suffer from a terrible car accident. Ruthie gets seriously injured, so she has to stay in bed for about one year. The novel brings up the importance of resilience, hope, having friends and joys when life becomes hard.
After Ruth’s presentation the students got to ask questions.
How much in the book actually happened? Ruth answered that the novel contains a mix of reality and fiction. Otherwise it would be memoir, but much of the props for example is right.
Why did Ruthie want Gogo boots? Ruthie wanted them because they were very popular during the 1960s and she was very inspired by the song: “These boots are made for walkin’”. Ruthie thought that life would be so much better if she had them.
What was the first reaction when Bobbie and Clay took you outside? It was very exciting just to have the fresh air, freeze, sun, wind. If you haven’t experienced in seven months, it is amazing to do so again.
Is Ramu and Avik real people? Do you still have the necklace that Ramu gave you? In reality Ruth did not know Ramu and Avik that well, even if she wanted to. The necklace did not exist in reality. It is true though, that Avik fell out from the window and died. In Lucky broken girl, Ruth wanted to honor Avik’s memory.
What was it like to be in bed all the time? Ruth asked the students in return: How many of you have been in bed? You feel independent when someone needs to take care of you. You can’t go outside to play. You might feel angry, sad, crying. At the same time you get to know that there are a lot of people who care of you, say hello and entertain you. When Ruthie was in bed, there was no iPad or phone, so she read a lot of books, as her teacher brought her. Without the books, she is not sure that she would have survived.
Can you find any newspaper information about the accident? Yes it was published news about the accident in New York Times in 1966. Many people were involved and it was sad. The cars drove very fast. And my family might got more scared than others, because we were from Cuba and did not understand the language and did not know how people would take care of them.
What was it like missing school? I was home schooled. I worked hard with a tutor, that was the head of the other teachers. I did math, read history, newspapers and more.
Did the coping mechanisms help you in any way? Storytelling helped me a lot and to listen to grandmother’s stories, read books, draw and paint. That distracted me and made me happier.
What was the biggest fear when you were bedridden? I was afraid of not being able to walk, play, run. There was a lot of tears. I was also afraid that the leg would not feel the same. When I learned how to walk again, the hardest part was to get rid of the crutches. You should always be grateful for the ability to be movable.
Why did you move from Cuba? It was the parents’ decision to leave Cuba. The parents were not happy with political system. They could not have properties and business because the economy was so controlled. They were also afraid of losing their religious freedom. Therefore the parents left together with thousands of others. Ruth always returned to Cuba though, to get to know more about herself and her heritage, experience memories and more. In the initial version of Lucky broken girl, there were a lot more stories about Cuba. Ruth wishes that she had kept more of those in the novel, so it would have been more like “the director’s cut” and less like “the commercial cut”.
How did painting help you express yourself while you were bedridden? It was a source of comfort and way of express yourself. Frida Kahlo was a very important role model. She had several surgeries, spoke Spanish and painted.
What do you want the readers to feel when they read Lucky broken girl? Ideally they would go through all the feelings in the book: fear, sadness, empathy, joy, love, hope and more. If I would have to choose, hope is the most important. The message of the book is caring, to be kind to others.
Why did you choose to write a book on your own story? Because I went through it myself a long time ago. It was such a long time ago, so it is nearly not the same Ruth anymore. I was 10 years old. I also wanted to write down my memories of family and friends. I thought the story would be fun to tell and I wanted to remember New York in the 1960s. Therefore, the story came out natural.
How has the accident made an impact on your current life? I have had trouble running. I am not so athletic. I am very conscious about my body and not as energetic. I am still afraid of high speeds on high roads and I am not a good person to bring on long car roads.
In the book a song is mentioned: “These boots are made for walkin’”. I thought this was interesting and wondered more about what other music was popular at the time the book was set? The Monkees and The Beatles were popular. We also listened to The West Side Story, Cha-cha-cha music. At Ruth’s homepage, there is a place where you can listen to the soundtrack of Lucky broken girl.
What thoughts did you have during the accident? I was sleeping in my grandmother’s lap, in the back of the car, not wearing any seat belt. I flew towards the chairs. When I woke up, nobody was there. I was probably alone for just a few seconds, but it felt much longer than that. I was wondering: Why am I here? Then I wanted to get out of the car, but I could not, because my legs were in a strange angle.
What advices do you have for young writers? Become a good listener. Listen to what friends, family and neighbors say. Be present, not in a rush. Take time to enjoy. Keep notes, wherever you are and go. It can be good to write a diary and read as much as possible, to become aware of how different a story can be told. Other tips are to visit museums, look at art and tell stories.
