Latina Author Silvia Moreno-García Talks About Her Latest Novel ‘The Daughter of Doctor Moreau’

Latina Author Silvia Moreno-García Talks About Her Latest Novel ‘The Daughter of Doctor Moreau’ Belatina latine

This year’s Miami Book Fair is well underway!

Every November, downtown Miami becomes a bibliophile’s dream: it hosts prominent authors and sparks endless conversations. As part of the buzz, we’re highlighting Latine authors that are part of this year’s book fair roster which is currently taking place from November 13 to November 20 at Miami Dade College, Wolfson Campus.

Today, we’re showcasing the Mexican-Canadian novelist, Silvia Moreno-García, who’s popular for her novels “Mexican Gothic,” and “Velvet Was the Night.”

This time around, she spoke to us about her latest piece “The Daughter of Doctor Moreau,” which was inspired by H.G. Wells and Ignacio Manuel Altamirano. Furthermore, the novel is described as: “a lavish historical drama reimagining of The Island of Doctor Moreau set against the backdrop of nineteenth-century Mexico.”

To get better insight into her latest novel’s writing process – and its challenges – BELatina News had the opportunity to speak to her. 

Here’s what Moreno-García had to tell us.

Tell us about the process of you writing ‘The Daughter of Doctor Moreau.’

I’d wanted to work on something inspired by H.G. Wells for a while and ended up finding the necessary grounding for it when I figured out I could set it in 19th-century southern Mexico. The setting informs the whole narrative. The other big element of inspiration was the work of Ignacio Manuel Altamirano, whose historical 19th-century romantic dramas inspired some of the emotional states and atmosphere of the book.  

In comparison to writing ‘Mexican Gothic’ and ‘Velvet Was the Night,’ what was the most challenging part of writing this book?

Historical research has nuances and variations. It might be easier to learn about a specific time and place than another. For example, it’s not difficult to know what the front page of the New York Times was on July 1, 1928. You can look it up online with ease. That’s not the same for a Mexican daily. 

What is your favorite part of ‘The Daughter of Doctor Moreau?’

The dual point of view structure. 

Do you anticipate the readers to like this part? If not, what other part?

Nowadays a lot of people are partial to single points of view told in the first person, but I don’t think that poses a challenge.  

What do you hope readers learn from your book?

I hope they enjoy the story and they might also be surprised about some of the historical elements in the novel, which uses the civil war of the Yucatan as a backdrop.  

Anything else you’d like to share with the BELatina News audience? 

My next novel “Silver Nitrate” is a supernatural thriller that will be out in July 2023.

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