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.
In River of Silence, Isabel Hartley returns to Buenos Aires decades after her mother vanished under Argentina’s dictatorship, determined to uncover the truth. As political unrest surges and buried secrets surface, her search leads to a heartbreaking revelation—and the possibility of healing through love.
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.
Write on the World 