Author Esmeralda Santiago

Esmeralda Santiago is a highly acclaimed author. Her novel When I Was Puerto Rican was named one of the 15 essential books by Latino authors in America. When she experienced a stroke eight years ago and found herself unable to read or write, the result was devastating. Santiago realized that she had gone through this experience, in a way, before. When she moved to New York City from Puerto Rico, at 13 years old, she spoke no English. If she could learn a new language then, she would be able to learn again. Santiago tells us how it felt when she experienced the stroke and how she was able to reclaim written language.