Norma I García Pettit

Norma I. García Pettit was born in San Francisco, California to Puerto Rican parents. A retired middle-school Spanish teacher with four grown children and six grandchildren, she now resides in El Dorado County, California with her husband. The couple regularly spends extended time in Puerto Rico, where they have many close family ties and own a second home.

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Guessing Someone's Age

Guessing Someone's Age
by Norma I García Pettit
We do it all the time. We meet someone and until we get to know them we estimate how old they are.  But how strange would it be to not know your own age? This actually happened to me. Years ago, I was going through some hormonal issues that caused me to have moments of disorientation. During one such episode, I looked at myself in the bathroom mirror as I was washing my hands, and I said to myself, “Hmmm. I wonder how old I am. Forty-three sounds good.” In actuality, I was 47 at the time.

Ponce's Architecture in 1870

Ponce's Architecture in 1870
by Norma I García Pettit
Just looking at the front covers of Luisa and Sebastián, one can immediately tell that the setting is different. The bustling, seaside town of Ponce to which Sebastián relocated in 1870 has a decidedly different feel to it than the mountain farmland on which Luisa and Sebastián were raised. A big part of this can be attributed to the architecture and the style of homes.

Quenepas - Tasty but Dangerous

Quenepas - Tasty but Dangerous
by Norma I García Pettit

Ponce is famous for its quenepas, a very tasty fruit extremely rich in phosphorus and iron.  In fact, it is the city’s official fruit and Ponce hosts an annual quenepa festival in the town plaza. Of course, I had to include something about them in Sebastián. Here is an excerpt from Chapter 19.

The Barrio of the Freed Slaves

The Barrio of the Freed Slaves
by Norma I García Pettit

The setting for Sebastián is in Ponce, Puerto Rico from September 1870 to September 1871. Even though slavery in the United States had been abolished since December 6, 1865, Puerto Rico was still a colony of Spain at that time. Under Spanish rule, slavery on the island still existed, although it was nearing its end. Sebastián Torres, born and raised in the mountains of Adjuntas, had never even seen a slave until moving to Ponce and visiting the barrio of San Antón.

Do You Know What These Are?

Do You Know What These Are?
by Norma I García Pettit

These are ditas, or traditional Puerto Rican bowls. The larger, oblong bowls are made from the gourd-like fruit of a calabash tree called the higüero.  The smaller ones are made from the dried out shell of a coconut.  The Taíno Indians constructed different types of domestic items, such as bowls and cups, and this practice survived well into the twentieth century, especially in rural areas of the island.