Author interview with historical novelist Adelina Leo

When author Adelina Leo set out to write River of Silence, she didn’t just craft a novel—she built a bridge across time, memory, and identity. Released June 11th, Leo’s debut explores love, loss, and the scars of Argentina’s past with a lyrical touch shaped by her passion for storytelling and her love of Latin dance. In this interview, she shares the literary influences that shaped her voice, the emotional discoveries she made while writing, and why family and identity are themes she returns to again and again. Whether you’re a fan of historical fiction or stories that stir empathy, you’ll find something to connect with in her thoughtful reflections.

Q: What’s a memory of a story or book that made you realize you wanted to be a writer?
A: I spent months thinking about Cesar Castillo, the protagonist in The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love by Oscar Hijuelos. He was so tragically grand, full of spirit and musical genius, but his childhood trauma led to spectacular self-sabotage. All of Hijuelos’s characters were crafted so carefully and sensitively that I re-read the book almost immediately after I had finished it. I started writing soon after. The passion in his writing inspired me to create worlds that absorb the reader. I wanted to draw my audience in so that they walk in the shoes of somebody that they would be unlikely to meet in their own lives. These kinds of experiences sow the seeds of empathy and human connection in our everyday lives and that’s why I write.

Q: Who are some of your favorite authors that you feel were influential in your work? What impact have they had on your writing?
A: Margaret Atwood has always been an inspiration to me. I love the blending of feminism into literature, and this inspired me to do the same with my characters. Some of her books are deeply insightful- Cat’s Eye is one of my favorites. It had such an impact on me when I read it at around fifteen years old. She really captured feelings of isolation and self-worth and after reading her book, I devoured every other I could get my hands on. I also adore Isabel Allende and Louis de Bernières. The historical context of their stories inspired me to explore difficult situations that we find ourselves in and how we respond to them. More recently, Claire Keegan’s Small Things Like These brought this theme even more to the forefront of my writing, and Miranda Cowley Heller’s, The Paper Palace, nudged me to delve into my protagonist’s childhood and her family background to give life to their present.

Q: What’s been the most unexpected lesson you’ve learned about yourself through writing?
A: There are some things I find hard to express. I wrote and re-wrote my romantic sub-pot several times as it was missing chemistry. I wanted to create so much tension between Isabel and Claudio (my main characters) that the reader would yearn for them to admit what they felt for each other. But Isabel was always so closed and determined to find her mother that she would miss Claudio’s subtle hints. This reflected my own approach to romance which, I only became aware of when I started taking my writing more seriously. I realized, I had to liven up my own love life and so did Isabel.

Q: How do you nurture your creativity when life gets busy or overwhelming?
A: I accept that creativity is an energy that ebbs and flows. Sometimes, I feel blocked and rather than forcing it, I focus on other things that need my attention. Even when life does get busy, I will take time to walk in nature, sit quietly in meditation or write in my journal. I feed my creativity with different activities; making ceramics, sketching in my notepad, crochet, dance, singing. They all help to keep the energy flowing and sooner or later, my urge to write returns.

Q: Do you find inspiration in other art forms (music, film, visual art)? If so, how does it shape your work?
A: I have danced since I was a little girl, and I still have vivid memories of learning the Cha Cha Cha when I was about six years old at a local dance school. Today I dance salsa and Argentinean tango, dances which have taught me a lot about my body, my emotions and the cultural context of this art form. My love for Latin America brought me to the book I wrote, and I even managed to make Argentinean Tango a part of Claudio’s journey to healing from his grief.

Q: What themes do you find yourself returning to again and again in your work?
A: Identity and family. Most of my characters are trying to understand who they are now. Whether it’s because they have suffered a devastating loss, or they don’t know which culture they belong to, or they are transitioning from one phase of their life to another. This is such a human experience and one I am very much in touch with. Family is also a key value for me and one that brings up so much complexity and conflict. I can think of thousands of stories just based on my family history and you probably can too.

Q: How do you approach writing characters with experiences different from your own?
A: Most of my book focuses on experiences that are completely different to mine. Isabel is looking for her mother, Claudio has lost his wife recently, and many others have suffered horrifically under Argentina’s dictatorship in the 1970s. But I can identify with their humanity and imagine what they might feel and how they would view the world. Knowing how much I love my mother and having felt my own intense grief, I can imagine the pain of abandonment and loss. Digging deep into my own emotions and vulnerability brought those of my characters to light.

Q: Have you ever had to cut a scene or character you loved? How did you handle it?
A: There was a scene in my book that I was told was unnecessary. Isabel, my protagonist, is a strong, intelligent woman. She works for a corporate law firm and although she is good at what she does, she is undervalued and underappreciated. Originally, I had written in a scene where the managing partners of the law firm ask her to a meeting and fire her on the spot. But she was prepared for this, knowing it had been the fate of many lawyers before her. She had collected various pieces of evidence showing that they had discriminated against her, and she managed to negotiate a hefty settlement with them which funded her year in Argentina. When my manuscript was edited, the main feedback was that it didn’t add anything to the story line – Isabel could just be fed up with her job and decide it was time to find her mother!

I was very disappointed. It was such a cathartic scene to write. I had always fantasized about doing the same thing and there was something so deeply satisfying in writing about a strong woman, finally getting retribution for those years of hard work with little appreciation. I really wanted to show how hard it is to be a woman in a male dominated environment, especially in the early 2000s. This is why it is essential to have a second pair of experienced eyes look over your work. I was too close to it. I had to admit, it made sense. It didn’t add anything to the story and Isabel is determined and independent enough to know her own mind without a dramatic and tense scene to confirm it. When I understood that about her, I loved her even more.

Q: What is your favorite genre to read? Do you write in that genre? Has that always been your favorite genre, or has your taste evolved as you have grown as a writer?
A: I have always loved magical realism but I don’t tend to choose this genre of book anymore. I remember being captivated by all of Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s books and enthralled with Like Water For Chocolate by Laura Esquivel. These authors took me to exotic, romantic places that appealed to my sense of adventure and the trials and tribulations of complicated love stories. I’ll now often choose a historical fiction, especially those set in dictatorships or particularly difficult contexts. Louis De Bernières’ Birds Without Wings was so tragic and beautiful, as well as a more recent read, Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi which expertly tells the story of a family from Ghana under British Rule, through to the present day. It intertwines the complex issues about slavery and its impact on African Americans. I also adore family sagas. Pachinko by Min Jin Lee is exquisitely written, so cleverly crafted and the characters so vivid. I’ve just started another family saga set in Kerala, The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese and already, I’m hooked.

Q: What do your plans for future projects include?
A: Definitely a family saga spanning post-war Southern Italy to the present day. There’s so much to write about and if any of you reading this are from Mediterranean or Latin American families, you know it will be full of drama, conflict, passion, love and the difficulties of immigration. I can’t wait to get started.

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Now available in print and on Kindle!