Welcome, friend! Yesterday, I shared about Brighter Than the Sun, a moving tale about the responsibilities on one young girl’s shoulders and how she begins to balance family expectations with pursuing her own dreams. How she used to think of life changes with her experiences and there are equal parts moments of despair and joy. I am very excited to bring you this interview with the author, Daniel Aleman.
Daniel Aleman is the award-winning author of Indivisible. He was born and raised in Mexico City. A graduate of McGill University, he is passionate about books, coffee, and dogs. After spending time in Montreal and the New York City area, he now lives in Toronto, where he is on a never-ending search for the best tacos in the city. Daniel’s second novel, Brighter Than the Sun, is out now from Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. His adult debut, Sorry to Disappoint, will be out in late 2024.
Check out what Brighter Than the Sun is about below and then read on for the interview.
Brighter than the Sun by Daniel Aleman
This timely and thought-provoking story about a teen girl shouldering impossibly large responsibilities and ultimately learning that she doesn’t have to do it alone is the perfect follow-up to Daniel Aleman’s award-winning debut novel, Indivisible.
Every morning, sixteen-year-old Sol wakes up at the break of dawn in her hometown of Tijuana, Mexico and makes the trip across the border to go to school in the United States. Though the commute is exhausting, this is the best way to achieve her dream: becoming the first person in her family to go to college.
When her family’s restaurant starts struggling, Sol must find a part-time job in San Diego to help her dad put food on the table and pay the bills. But her complicated school and work schedules on the US side of the border mean moving in with her best friend and leaving her family behind.
With her life divided by an international border, Sol must come to terms with the loneliness she hides, the pressure she feels to succeed for her family, and the fact that the future she once dreamt of is starting to seem unattainable. Mostly, she’ll have to grapple with a secret she’s kept even from herself: that maybe she’s relieved to have escaped her difficult home life, and a part of her may never want to return.
Hi Daniel! It is wonderful to host you on Armed with A Book. Please tell me and my readers about yourself.
I’m so grateful that you invited me to be a part of this! I grew up in Mexico City, and I lived in different cities across North America prior to settling in Toronto. I am passionate about languages and books, and telling stories is something that has been a part of my identity for as long as I can remember. I feel so lucky now to be able to share Brighter Than the Sun with you!
You were born and raised in Mexico City. What has it been like to live there and then in the US and Canada? Did you bring any of your life experiences in your books?
Absolutely—I tend to lean on my own experiences and perspectives a lot when I’m writing fiction. I’d say that it was my experience of leaving Mexico as a teenager—first to go to the US, and then to Canada—what drew me to writing for young adults in the first place. Uprooting my life wasn’t easy at all, especially since I had to deal with a lot of questions about identity and where I belonged—which are now central to the stories I write.
Your debut novel, Indivisible, explores immigration and deportation. I am looking forward to reading it. What drew you to this storyline?
I started writing Indivisible in 2017, during a time when there was a lot of talk surrounding immigration. As many of us may remember, most of this rhetoric was deeply negative, and I couldn’t help but feel like there was a disconnect between what I heard on the news, and what I could see when I looked at myself, my family, and my community. When I began working on Indivisible, my intention was to write about immigration from a purely human standpoint, and to deliver a story that talked about immigrant families in a compassionate, sincere way.
How did the idea for Brighter Than the Sun come to you?
The concept for Brighter Than the Sun came to me while I was conducting research for my debut novel. Among many other things, my research involved speaking to people who had a variety of different experiences surrounding immigration—and one of the perspectives that resonated with me the most was that of children living cross-border lifestyles. There was something about this that felt deeply personal to me—first, because it highlighted the importance of education. As an immigrant myself, my parents always talked to me about how education could open doors for me in the future—so the idea that so many kids along the US/Mexico border make enormous sacrifices to go to school simply stuck with me. There was also the concept of existing at the intersection of different countries and cultures, which is something that I also relate to on a very deep level. Writing Brighter Than the Sun has allowed me to explore parts of my own identity that I don’t always get to talk about out loud.
What got you interested in themes you address through Indivisible and Brighter Than the Sun? How has your understanding of border issues grown over the years?
To me, the topic of immigration feels inseparable from my own identity. As a teenager, I didn’t always feel I had access to books that reflected my experiences, and my hope now is to give teenagers and adults stories that they may see themselves in, and hopefully feel less alone as a result. Beyond portraying my own perspectives on the page, I have also gained a very deep understanding of immigration and border issues over the past few years, which has only cemented my commitment to telling stories that feel truthful, human, and authentic.
What kind of research did you do while writing your two books? Was there anything that truly surprised you when you looked into the experience of kids like Sol and Mateo?
There was a ton of research involved in the process of writing these two books. With Indivisible, I leaned a lot on personal emotions when portraying the family dynamics, but I also relied on a lot of reading (articles, literature, and even court documents related to immigration proceedings). I also had the opportunity to speak with many people who have experienced immigration hardships in one form or another, who helped me form a more complete picture of certain issues.
What is one thing you would like readers to take away from Brighter Than the Sun?
First and foremost, I hope readers feel less alone after reading this book. Ultimately, this is a story about family, friendship, and discovering community even in the most unexpected places. I would love for it to leave readers feeling warmth and hopefulness.
What do you envision the future to look like for Sol?
I envision her doing all the things she set out to do. She is a character who has big dreams, and who also holds enormous responsibilities on her shoulders—as the only American citizen in her family, she feels that she has to succeed, so that she can take care of them further down the line. I can imagine her going to college, getting the degree she’s always dreamt of, and keeping her promise of helping her family—and, at the same time, I would want her to find peace, and happiness along the journey of becoming the person she wants to be.
What are some books similar to Brighter Than the Sun that you have enjoyed and would recommend to readers who loved your book?
I absolutely love Crystal Maldonado’s work (especially Fat Chance, Charlie Vega), Jeff Zentner’s The Serpent King, Angie Thomas’ The Hate U Give, and I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sanchez.
Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to me. 🙂
Thank you so much for joining us for the interview! Connect with Daniel on his website, Twitter and Instagram. Also, be sure to follow Daniel on Goodreads for new book releases.
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