441 - Grandpa's Big Knees

Grandpa's Big Knees

is currently available in 2 editions:

English & Salvadorian Spanish

Salvadorian Spanish & Nawat

Click on a cover to buy the book.

El Tabduo y La Reina

está disponible actualmente en 2 ediciones:

Inglés y Español de El Salvador

Español de El Salvador y Náhuat

Haga clic en una portada para comprar el libro.

Jessy's Reflection

The Spanish title of this book is totally different from its English title. It had to be that way because calling the central character "Big Knees" was my way of making the story more relatable to an English-speaking audience. (We've all heard of Big Foot, haven't we?)

While studying Spanish, I had heard that Salvadorians spoke fast. But it wasn't until I listened to the audiobook narration of this story that I realised just how fast they talk! I'm normally one to speed up audiobooks but there was certainly no need for that with this one.

This book is dedicated to the memory of an elderly woman who used to fish on the beach every morning when I was living on an island off the coast of Queensland. She was a British soldier's widow who had come to Australia at a time when Asians were still looked upon with much suspicion. Despite that, she had made herself a happy life here without ever forgetting her roots.

When I heard there was an Indigenous language still surviving in El Salvador, I was surprised. In their history, they went through a difficult period where a native uprising was brutally crushed by government forces. After that, all Indigenous languages were outlawed. It is only in recent years that they have been allowed to have their voices heard again. That's why this book is also available in Nahaut/Nawat and Spanish.

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